Hello everyone! I've had this plant for 8-10 years...I bought it in Asda (labelled as a Yucca) because it was half-dead and I felt sorry for it, it seems to be doing well but recentely I've been wondering what species it was or even if it is a Yucca and not a dracaena as it has both cream variegation and red variegation and non-sticky up leaves. The red edged leaves are all on the tallest (and I assume oldest branch) and the cream edged are on the two smaller branches...very strange, I guess the smaller branches got more light! Can anyone help me with a species (or alternative identification if necessary!)? Thanks x
The variegated one is Dracaena marginata 'Tricolour' or 'Rainbow Tree' also known as 'Colourama' but I believe this to be a seperate more red variety.
Thanks to everyone who has confirmed my hunch! I couldn't find any Yucca that looked anything like mine so was a bit suspicious about it's true identity! Chungii - I already have a baby Dracaena marginata 'Bi-colour', but other than the leaves being the same shape it doesn't look much like it, for a start it doesn't have a trunk as yet and all the leaves are much more rigid. Its Interesting how even plants of the same species can look so different! I guess that means I now have four dracaenas, well assuming this guy http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=47358 is some form of dracaena, we weren't sure!
There are 4 main D. marginata that I have worked with - The standard green, 'Tri-colour' with white and red variegation, 'Colourama' with extreme red variegation and 'Black Knight' with dark, dark almost black leaves. The plant in your other post is definitely a Cordyline, The glossy leaf is likely from something that's been sprayed on the foliage (does it still have that high sheen look?). You could be a while trying to get a positive i.d. on a Cordyline, I have over 60 different ones in my yard and unless they were tagged I haven't found all that many names. Look up Cordyline fruticosa and you'll see what I mean. The variations between some cultivars is minimal to say the least and you'll get the occasional revert as well.
Ah so the one in this thread is likely to be 'tricolour'? And the other one I have labelled as 'bicolour', will probably just end up being red and green? That black knight variety sounds awesome....I'll have to look out for it! Oooooh interesting......now you mention it the cordy is looking distinctly less glossy than it was when I bought it three weeks ago! I did look on http://www.cordyline.org/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=35&catid=13 and found a few that look like it but until the gloss completely wears off I don't think I'll really be able to tell what it is. I also have another Cordyline (this thread for a pic (if really interested!): http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=46885) which is about a foot tall but it doesn't have a woody stem, does that mean that the other one came from an older plant? Does anyone know how old a Cordy has to be before it gets a woody stem.....just out of interest? Thanks for your help Chungii - and I wish I could grow Cordy's in my garden, but then I guess it's summer for you isn't it? Do you have to bring them in come winter?
Our winter average minimum is 10C or 50F so thankfully I don't need to move plants indoors (and if I did I'd have to move the family out:}). Cordylines will sun harden amazingly well here as long as they are a darker colour, whites tend to burn. (Mine only get 3-4 hours sunlight in the morning.) The one in the other thread named as C. terminalis has naturally twisted leaves is a normal variation in the species. The brown tipping is a watering issue but one hard to correct. It's a common thing and unless you find large sections of leaf dying off you need not worry. They actually do better if not kept totally wet. Good drainage is most important. They generally take a couple of years to get a woody stem and a few more to form a thick trunk. They are propagated in nurseries by stem cuttings. Sometimes stock for sale gets too leggy and cut back, potted on and the off cuts become the next lot of stock. Some bigger nurseries will plant out parent stock to have a constant supply. They can also be propagated by root cutting, which is my most prefered method for getting a nice bushy plant. Then there is also seed, hence the 100's of different cultivars. Here's a pick of a small 'Black Knight' I took a few years back. The same plant is now 6 foot with multiple branches but hidden by my Mussaenda now flowering (which needs cutting back yearly, letting the Dracena become the feature for a while).
I forgot to add I reckon you've probably got two plants in one pot with the Dracena, either accidental or on purpose, some like to blend them up.
Cheers for the info....that dracaena does look pretty cool! Ah...well my C.Terminalis is looking better now since I started misting - no more brown tips:), and the new leaves come through a bit frilly but all the older ones have uncurled save one, I also think it appreciated the extra sun it got at home on my Mum's kitchen window! Oooooooh thats interesting....I'm quite impressed that they managed to make two branches one species, and the other a different one!
Doh!, Sorry didn't see that they are actually 1 plant. I was refering to multi-planting of different types into 1 pot. Grafting is not possible with these guys (not that I know of). I have seen them revert (change back) usually from a variegated back to plain green, although it's not as common as with other variegated plants. (I've seen the variegated one you have produce creamy white shoots but they don't last long). When this happens the variegated part can be lost to the faster growing green branches. Just prune as needed to try and balance them if the green does take over.
I did wonder.....I mean why on earth would Asda of all places even bother with grafting even if it could be done!? Lol. Will do, thanks:)
