Ficus trees are great house plants and very easy to care for after the initial trauma of being moved to a new location. They have a tendency to drop all of their pretty green leaves on the floor when you first bring them home as they seem to despise moving to a new environment. This is the Ficus benjamina or Weeping Fig.
Ficus Benjamina Interior Plant – Weeping Fig Tree
This type of Ficus tree is notorious for being difficult to acclimate to a new environment. In fact, I would have included it on the list of best house plants if it were not for the problems many people have bringing a Ficus tree successfully through its transition to a new home.
Even those that work in the interior landscape business know the trouble that a new Ficus tree can be. However, on the positive side, if you know that it will most likely happen (some Ficus trees barely lose a leaf), you may be a little more prepared to deal with it when it does happen.
I find that most indoor plants are very adaptable as long as changes are made slowly, whether it is a change in location, lighting, or watering. This even applies to the Ficus tree. Ficus trees are often difficult to acclimate because they are quite sensitive to environmental changes and will often react by dropping most of their still green leaves quite suddenly.
There are some members of the Dracaena plant family that have long been popular for use as indoor houseplants. Dracaena is sometimes called Corn Plant as a few resemble the corn plant. However, it definitely will not give you any corn! I have pictures of four common Dracaena houseplants below.
Common types of Dracaena that are used as houseplants are the Dracaena Marginata, Dracaena Warneckii, Dracaena Massangeana, and the Dracaena Janet Craig. These are some of the best indoor houseplants and make great additions to any home while requiring minimal care. Bright indirect light is best and they will take some morning sun. Most Dracaena houseplants will tolerate lower light levels for some time with reduced watering frequency
Dracaena Warneckii Houseplants
Dracaena is grown in a variety of forms including the tip, bush, staggered, character, and standard. This versatile plant can be anywhere from 1 foot tall to 20 feet tall. You will not often find Dracaena plants much larger than 6-7 feet tall except in interior landscapes or in nature.
Your indoor Dracaena plant will do best in a bright, indirect light situation. With good care, your Dracaena houseplant can be maintained in somewhat lower lighting. Do not place in hot, direct sun. Dracaena is prone to root rot if overwatered, especially in lower light. In very hot, sunny locations spider mites can be a problem as can leaf scorch.
If you have a Dracaena plant in a fairly large pot size (10 inches or more in diameter), it would be a good idea to check the soil with a soil probe or moisture meter to help you make the decision when it is time to water your Dracaena plant. Improper watering is the most common cause of houseplant death.
You will need to be careful watering your Dracaena houseplant. New plants with minimal roots should be watered around the cane only. Established plants with a good root system can be watered thoroughly then allowed to dry almost completely.
Some signs of over-watering may be yellowing leaf tips, root rot and pale new growth with dark tips. More to the dry side is better but don’t be extreme either. The first sign that your Dracaena houseplant needs watering will be a slight drooping of the leaves and leaf margins may start to curl.
Dracaena Marginata Houseplant
Dracaena Houseplant Care
Minimum temperatures for your Dracaena houseplants should be 50 to 55 degrees F. Dracaena is not a cold-tolerant houseplant. Average household temperatures will be fine for your Dracaena houseplant. Keep from direct sun.
Remove lower leaves as they yellow and trim brown tips to the natural leaf shape, as needed. It is normal for a new plant to shed some of its old foliage when it is moved to a new environment. Expect new additions to your home to do this. Given the proper care, it should acclimate and become a beautiful, trouble-free indoor plant.
Keep your Dracaena plant’s foliage clean and initially keep an eye out for insect problems. Mites, mealybug, thrips, and scale can sometimes be a problem but a good wash down with soapy water should be sufficient to control these pests. Just make sure you treat as soon as you notice a problem as they can and will damage your plant.
Dracaena Massangeana Houseplant
It is a good idea to quarantine any new additions to your houseplant family for a few weeks just to be sure there are not any insects that were not noticed at first. Wash down your new houseplant with a mixture of water and mild dish detergent. I like to add a few drops of Eucalyptus essential oil or Orange essential oil to my houseplant cleaning solution.
Apply to top and lower leaf and stem surfaces of your houseplants, being careful not to saturate the soil. You can clean by hand or use a spray bottle to apply your houseplant cleaning solution. I use a sponge moistened with my cleaning solution to gently wipe the top and lower leaf surfaces. Cleaning of your houseplants should be a regular part of your basic houseplant care.
Leave your plants in a nursery grow pot with drainage holes at the bottom and set that into the pretty container you purchased for your home. If you have no way to remove excess water from the roots and soil it is more likely that you will have a problem with overwatering your Dracaena houseplant.
Make sure you measure your pots properly as there should be an inch or two of room between the decorative container and the nursery pot. This will provide additional air circulation. If you must direct pot, use a clay pot as this is porous and will allow the root system of your plant to breathe.
Dracaena Janet Craig Houseplant
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There are quite a few members of the Dracaena houseplant family and Dracaena Warneckii is among the most colorful and easy care. Dracaena Warneckii makes my list as one of the best house plants for its ease of care and colorful foliage.
One new interior landscape account that I serviced a number of years ago had a Dracaena Warneckii in an out of the way office. I missed this plant for over 3 months and, although it had a number of dried up lower leaves on it, it was still alive and growing! I don’t recommend this, just a point about houseplant perseverance, especially Dracaena Warneckii. Another reason Dracaena Warneckii is on my best houseplants list.
Produced in a variety of forms, Dracaena Warneckii is grown as a tip, bush, staggered, character and cane. Dracaena plants can be anywhere from one foot tall to twenty feet tall or more. It is unusual to find them at that height except in interior landscapes or in nature.
Dracaena Warneckii Houseplant
Light for Dracaena Warneckii Houseplant
Warneckii does best in a bright light situation. Most Dracaena will do quite well under artificial lighting alone or a combination of natural light and artificial light. Keep your Dracaena Warneckii in bright, filtered light if available. Direct afternoon sun is not recommended as it can burn the foliage. Bright light is preferred and some morning sun will help keep your Dracaena looking good.
Most dracaenas can be maintained in lower lighting with reduced watering and Warneckii is one house plant that will tolerate lower light levels. It is prone to root rot if over-watered in lower light.
For more information on proper watering of your Dracaena Warneckii houseplant, see below and check out the page on general indoor house plant watering practices.
Watering Dracaena Warneckii
Houseplants should be checked for watering needs once a week. They may not need water every week but it is best to check the soil and groom your plant on the same day each week. That way you are less likely to forget about your plant. In lower to medium light, water when potting soil has dried down at least 3/4 of the depth of the pot. In bright light, allow Dracaena Warneckii houseplant to dry at least 1/2 – 3/4 of the way down and then water thoroughly. Please see watering indoor plants and information on importance of light for your houseplants as these two things will most impact your plant’s health.
Dracaena Warneckii Care Tips
Despite my story about not watering a Dracaena Warneckii for three months, I do not recommend this as a common watering practice. Dracaena can be let to go almost all the way dry but you also risk damaging the foliage by leaving your plant too dry for extended periods of time. You may find bumpy, yellow spots or blotches on your Warneckii houseplant’s lower foliage when it has been allowed to dry too much.
A few notes about Warneckii. It is best placed in a low traffic location. The foliage of Dracaena Warneckii is much more easily damaged than other Dracaenas. Handle with care. Dracaena Warneckii is also prone to damage from excess soluble salts (fertilizers) and fluoride (often found in your water). This can cause yellow blotches, brown tips and leaf margins. This is often made worse by allowing plant to dry too much. Leach plant occasionally and replace soil with fresh media to help alleviate the problem. Dracaena Warneckii can also have root and stem rot problems if kept too wet in low light.
Remove lower leaves as they yellow and trim brown tips to the original leaf shape using sharp clean scissors. It is normal for a new plant to shed its old foliage when it is moved to a new and different environment, so expect new additions to your plant family. Warneckii will lose some of its inner and lower leaves as time goes by.
Trim the leaf edges as needed but once you have lost more than half of the leaf it is best to remove it entirely. This will help encourage new vibrant growth for a great looking plant. Given the proper care, it should acclimate and become a beautiful, trouble free plant.
As your Dracaena Warneckii plant grows taller and loses its lower leaves, you may want to cut the stem or stalk back before the plant becomes too tall. When you cut back the stem, your Dracaena Warneckii will produce new “heads” or shoots from the stem from the leaf nodes below your cut. Keep your Warneckii house plant’s foliage clean and initially keep an eye out for insect problems. Mites, mealybug, thrips and scale can sometimes be a problem but Warneckii is, for the most part, not prone to many insect problems. Mealybugs are the most likely problem. A good wash down with soapy water should be sufficient to control any pests. If you do notice insects, be sure to address immediately to prevent population growth.
Apply to top and lower leaf and stem surfaces being careful not to saturate the soil. You can clean by hand or use a spray bottle to apply your plant cleaning solution. I use a sponge moistened with my cleaning solution to gently wipe the top and lower leaf surfaces. Cleaning of your house plants should be a regular part of your house plant care. Be extra careful cleaning Dracaena Warneckii as the leaves can be easily damaged.
Dracaena Warneckii Plant Care Question?
If you have a question about your Dracaena warneckii houseplant or other houseplants, you can send me an email and I will do my best to help you find an answer to your question or a solution to your problem. You can contact me here. Thanks for visiting!
