I have this plant that I am unable to find any info on to identify it. It kind of looks like the top of a pineapple plant but it has very thin soft leaves. It is dying and I don't know if I can save it. The leaves have turned brown and fallen off from the bottom while the top still continues to grow new leaves. The leaves grow from the center on the top and they are attached to what looks to me like some kind of palm stem. I've tried different levels of light and water but nothing seems to stop it from dying off. Any suggestions?
i agree with the id of d. frangans. it looks like the leaves have been trimmed, too. did you do that? if so, why? it's normal growth pattern is to lose the lower leaves over time...that leaves a nice trunk in place, so i wouldn't say it's in the process of dying, i think it's just going through a bit of leaf loss of the older leaves.
It doesn't look as if your pot has drainage holes at the bottom ( if it did you would have a water mark on the wood it is standing on)
The pot does have drainage, and I have the pot sitting on a bed of rocks so that it doesn't sit in the water. (I moved it to take the picture). I did trim the leaves because they were all dried and turned yellow and brown and I had read something that said trimming the dead part off would help the rest of the plant, is that not true? I really know very little about taking care of this plant. So if I'm understand the responses, it's supposed to shed the leaves at the bottom of the plant? Is that right? Can you give me any further advice in the care of this plant so I don't kill it?
it needs a well-draining soil mix that will hold some moisture; let it dry down an inch or so before thoroughly watering again. bright indirect lighting. drainage holes in the container it's in. i have mine in a west facing window that has white curtain on it - so it gets a few hours of sunlight through the curtain every day. i water it about every 10-12 days. soil is cactus mix with some extra perlite thrown in. yes, the normal growth pattern is that it will put new leaves out at the top and those at the bottom will die off. this process causes the plant to develop a nice trunk...and it can get quite tall over the years. easy to propogate! all you need to do is cut the top part with the leaves off and plant it. it'll root and continue to grow and the main stalk will put out more growth. i usually allow the leaves to die completely before removing them. i rarely trim them. when watering, use water that has been let to sit so the excess chlorine can dissipate and it can get to room temp. water straight from the tap tends to cause the tips of the leaves to brown up.
Thank you for all the great tips, I'm so relieved it's not dying and now I know a little more about how to care for it properly. Greatly Appreciated!
you mentioned you've tried different light levels; that's ok, but how long are you giving the plant at any one place before you move it again? If you move it too often, the plant can't get adjusted either. Pick a place with filtered light and let it stay there, just turning it around every week or two so it gets even growth.
Put a barrel or large bucket outside and coolect rain water, but make sure you cover it with screen to stop mosquitos from getting out and install a outdoor faucet on the bottom. That way you have good water for watering plants. I use 45 gallon plastic barrels with faucets and they work great for storing water for plants. Check this site and see if this is similar to yours http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Agavaceae/Dracaena_deremensis.html
I agree with JK on the id, but, in light of the new changes, wouldn't it be Dracaena fragrans Janet Craig 'Compacta'??? Ed
Dracaena fragrans 'Janet Craig' and D.fragrans 'Compacta' are two completely different cultivars. We already went over this before in a previous thread. The plant in the picture is D.fragrans 'Compacta' with truncated cut leaves. When leaves are cut to remove dead spots, they are supposed to be cut on an angle so that they have a more natural look to them.
I keep mine where it gets bright indirect light and dapple sun. Let the soil dry out almost completley before watering.Throw out any water that comes out the bottom. I wouldn't mist it, or have over water. Being dry, or wet for too long or over feeding can cause the ends to severely yellow/brown up.
