PlantFiles: Corn Plant
Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana'

I inherited this three to four-foot "tree" from my Mother-In-Law (she had two big ones and asked if I wanted one- I took the smaller of the two), and it was dry, leaves were crispy and yellowed at the tips, and many had long since died. It had been kept in a spot where it got no rain (not that it rains much in Santa Monica these days), only infrequently watered when she remembered to drench it and so I wondered if I'd be able to bring this one back to to full health.

It was far from dead, thankfully, and after a month's careful watering, removing dead growth and keeping it in a semi-shady spot where it gets indirect light, it's bounced back in spades! I cleaned the filth off of the leaves (dust caked on from Santa Monica air, I guess), and now they are glossy and deep green. I don't have the varigated variety, though, as all the leaves are the same shade, and I don't know when it will flower, but I'm hoping. There's even a sapling sprouting from the base in the rocky soil it sits in. When I got this plant, the sprout was a weedy and tiny inch-and-a-half tall, now it's past five inches at least, opening up nicely and going strong.

So my verdict on this tropical beastie is that it's pretty tough, easy to care for, and, if you remember to water it, will grow into wonderfully glossy green heads on the scaled trunks which will twist and corkscrew depending on how you turn it into the sun. Sometimes the trunks are thin and get floppy and using heavy stakes to prop them up helps. I suspect it's leggy due to not enough light or being pot-bound, but I'll re-pot it eventually and see if that changes anything.

I've had my plant for two years. I had to repot it into a heavier container since it got top heavy. In the summer I water once a week. In winter, I water once a month. I have two new shoots growing from each of the two main stems. I might try to grow outdoors.

Hi guys!! I just bought a plant and so did my friend. We need lots of advice. We don't live in FL, but in KY. We get a mix of all types of weather. We keep our plants inside near the window. First, what does it mean when the tips turn brown? My friend said it wasn't a big deal, but I think it means we are doing something wrong to the plant. My friend just trims the tips when they turn brown. Does anyone know of a sealant to put on plant leaves when torn or cut? Second, how many times do you guys water your plants? I water mine every 2 weeks, but my friend waters hers every other day. Third, is there a certain length of time when you know it's time to repot in a bigger container? My friend said every 4 years, is that right? My last and most important question. When we got our plant we noticed at the end top of each stump, there is a black material. It almost looks like black dried up tar. Seems like it was used as a sealant. Does anyone know what that is? It's at the top of each stump. Does anyone know what it is and the name of it. Thank you guys. Please email me at youcanemaillia@yahoo.com and also post the answers here too.

I, too, noticed about a year ago that my plant began to sprout these beautiful yet very pungent blooms. It was disturbing at first as I had had my plant for more than 20 years and never experienced anything like it before. I thought for sure something was wrong with my plant. The smell was so strong it penetrated throughout my home and in fact awoke me one night with nightmares so that I finally cut off the blooms.

Now almost a year later it has bloomed again with the same beautiful flowers and strong fragrance. This time it oozed a clear sticky sap-like substance. I decided to look the flowers up and found this website. I am very pleased to find that there is nothing wrong with my plant and look forward to seeing if it will bloom again.

I have really enjoyed my plant as it is very easy to maintain and seems to thrive with the occasional lack of attention that it receives.

Thank you all for the helpful information. I look forward to visiting this site regularly.

Hi Everyone,
I came to this site last year when my plant started flowering. My mother had this plant for more then 20 years when she gave it to me. I was actually very concerned that there was some type of parasite or something growing out of it, but when I came here and found out it was flowering. Much as people said in the past, the flowers were beautiful, white in color and the fragrance was strong and amazing. The flowers bloomed every night for about 2 weeks until finally dying off. I read more about this, and was lucky to have experienced it - since it apparently happens only once or twice in its lifetime to this plant.

Anyways, I came back again today, because it has started flowering again - for the second year in a row! I have done a little searching and cannot find another example of one flowering two years in a row. The plant has two stalks, and the only difference this year from last year is that only one of the stalks is flowering. Last year both did.

Our plant is about 7 1/2 feet tall, with two stalks. The flowers are attached to a branch of sorts that is comes out of the top of the stalk. Last year it was both stalks, this year it is only the tallest stalk.

For the first time last year my Janet Craig compacta flowered.This year for the first time in over 20 years my regular leaf Janet Craig flowered in it's life. Unlike my large 5' compacta ,my regular leafed Janet is a wall covereing giant with multiple blooms that..REAK! lol.Sorry,but that many blooms in 10X 10' room is overpowering. Good thing it's an extra room used for plants and my Aquariums. Ah, just a few more days and besides, the blooms are like an exotic bromeliad,maybe even orchid.
"fragans" is an understatement.

I'm atonished! I've known this plant forever, mom has had it in our backyard since before I was born, and never seen it bloom! What's the trick to get flowers?

I've grown this plant in my house for 3 years and it is doing quite well. It hasn't bloomed yet, but has great growth.

last spring, i set this plant in the ground under my hardy banana tree in full sun. the foliage quickly burned off, and looked quite ratty for a cupple weeks or so, but quickly recovered, and had a nice tropical effect under the banana. unfortunently i had to dig it up just before the first frost and bring it back indoors. im doing nothing about it, and it looks wonderful! its in more shade than thought possible for a plant to survive, and i havnt watered it scence october, heck, i didnt even care to put it in the pot right, its growing at a 45 degree angle as of now, and it couldnt care less! i cant wait to put it back in the ground this spring, and i wander if the foliage will burn off again.

We were amazed that the unlikely source of this honey suckle/rose type scent came from this plant, all of the input about this plant rung true here.
We have had this plant ten years and it bloomed in the east facing window in december.
My girl friend's coworkers joked that the plant liked me because the plant was set next to where I sit and thats why it bloomed and yes I could not explain where the sap on my feet came from.

I have had this plant for about 7yrs. I had no idea it bloomed. About 1 week ago (Nov. 1, 2007) I noticed the flowers and 3 days later realized that the strong scent I was smelling(honeysuckle like) was coming from the plant. Although, the smell is beautiful it is very fragrant & strong enough to permeat most of my 2 story home. I guess I don't need inscense any more!

We have several of these plants throughout our yard. We are in Florida. They grow well here in direct sun light. We were shocked to find that they fruited this year! They flower all of the time and I am thankful for Claritin. The fruit is orange and has a large seed in the middle like a cherry. The outer skin is a little tough but tastes very sweet. We started this from one plant and now have several over a twenty year period. Has anyone else had there plant fruit?

Hi
I live in southern Spain and have just been given a dracaena fragrans, I have no idea haow to care for it ,or if in these climates I can keep it outside. Our temp at the moment, March, is approx 35 C. The plant is about 3 ft tall and potted in a clump of 3, with a lot of heads on it. Can you help me. Many thanks

I just read everyone's comments regarding the blooms. I am so excited because mine has began blooming after about 3 years. This is just amazing to me. It looks and smells like honeysuckle. I did some research and discovered after the blooms, the plant produces fruit. I cant wait to see what they look like. This plant truely is indestructable. I am not the greatest at remembering to water it. Mine sits near an east window.

This plant is truly indestructable. I can't believe it is blooming. We water it when it's about to die and after 8 years of true neglect, it has now bloomed! My entire house smells of the blooms! Not sure that is a good thing yet...will let you know...it's very strong!

I have had my plant for about 15 years. We moved from California to Minnesota in 1992 and we brought it with us. It is now about 8 feet tall. It is getting too tall to keep inside and I want to propagate it but am hesitating, as I don't want to kill it. It has two stalks and does not have any leaves on the bottom. I did not know that it could flower until I found this website. I am open for suggestions.
Vicky

Zone 8b, Southeast, Texas:
Corn Plant is a slow grower? Mine has dark black tips.
Do not over water, Do not over feed. Sits in 5 gal. pot on east deck. Gets morning sun (indirect)

Why the black tips? Should I fertilize?
Thanks for any tips on how to make this one happy?

We got this plant from a friend several years ago but have NO IDEA how old it is... it was tall when we got it. It started blooming for the first time last week. The smell is very sweet and very strong. If you check out my pic, you'll notice that there is a small stalk on the right side of the pot. This is a piece that broke off the left stalk because it was too heavy. I just stuck it down in the dirt to see if it would grow, but I didn't expect it to because is has such a woody stalk. I really didn't think it would root, but it has new growth on it! This is a VERY good plant and doesn't require any special attention... just add water! :)

i have had one of these in a pot on my covered patio in orlando for about 2 and a half years, and it does very well. it blooms dec-feb, and shares its pot with some (very successful) philodendrin (sp?) (I bought it that way.) I water it about once a week, and of course in the summer it also gets some rain and a lot of humidity.

as for cutting back the blooms--i usually cut them off once they are done--not because anyone told me to, though :)

1-22-04 I have had my plant for about 3 years as a house plant. I didn't realise it would bloom, and don't know if I should cut off the bloom now that the flowers are spent. I thought the smell was beautiful and smelled up the whole area. It is in it's original pot, but I may transplant it and set it outside sometimes since it isn't cold here.

Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' (Makoy ex Ed.Morren, Belgique
Horticole 31: 327, t.16 (1881)). It is the most widely grown variegated
cultivar of Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawler.

BTW, Draceana fragrans has a much more extensive synonymy than just Aletris
fragrans L. See the reference below. Also, the genus Dracaena is presently
included in the family Ruscaceae not Agavaceae.


Bos, J.J.;Graven, P.; Hetterscheid, W.L.A. & Van Der Wege, J.J. (1992) WILD
AND CULTIVATED DRACAENA FRAGRANS. Edinb. Journ. Bot. 49 (3): 311-331.
-------------------------------------------------------

This information was sent to me by Cereoid-UR12-cereoid-youself@spam.net. In an Re: to my post (corn plant) on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens

I've had my corn plants since 1992. There were three "stalks" together. In the Summer of 2002 the paper "pot" finally had had it, so I removed the largest one and re-potted the 3 into 2 pots. I put the solitary plant in front of one of my Eastern-facing windows and it amazed me by blooming Dec 2002. I have posted a pic here.