Dracaena plants have already won our admiration in the indoor plantation. We are introducing another one with all its beauty and resilience; the Dracaena Colorama plant. It is a hybrid of the famous D. marginata and belongs to the East African region. Slender upright Colorama plant stems are topped by tufts of long, stiff, sword-shaped leaves. These leaves are greyish-green, while a reddish tint on the margins giving a brighter hue to the foliage.
Besides being a nice option for homes and offices, it grows equally well outdoors. Want to know more? The spiky foliage will not only beautify your surroundings but also purify the air you breathe in. Moreover, you can grow it easily even if you are a busy peep or a beginner without a green thumb. Interesting? Let us know more about the care and propagation of the Dracaena marginata ‘Colorama’ Plant.
Dracaena Colorama Classification
Family: Asparagaceae.
Genus: Dracaena. (According to APG III classification system)
Species: D.marginata.
Cultivar: Colorama.
Genus Dracaena:
The name Dracaena is derived from the Greek language, meaning ‘female dragon. Around 120 plant species of different sizes and nature combine to form the Dracaena genus. The majority of these are trees and succulent shrubs. Members of this genus were formerly included in other genera and families. It was the APG IV system that classified them as Dracaena.
Most of the plants belong to Africa, Southern Asia, Northern Australia, and the areas between them. As far as outlook is concerned, members of the genus Sansevieria show close resemblance with these plants.
The genus is mainly divided into two categories;
- The shrub-like Dracaenas with underground rhizomatous rooting systems and surfaced leaves.
- The tree-like Dracaenas with above-ground stems and clusters of leaves on each stem. The Dracaena marginata and its cultivar Coloroma plant belong to this category.
Common Name
- Red margined Dracaena.
Features of the Dracaena Colorama Plant
Size:
A mature plant can get about 3 to 4 feet in size.
Leaves:
The thin and pointed leaves can get about 8 to 15 inches on maturity. The upper leaves remain upright. However, the ones on the lower sideshow a slight downward curve.
Flower:
The plant produces white to off-white Marginata Colorama flowers in the spring season.
Toxicity:
Dracaena peeps own the toxicity as their legacy. Ingestion of all the species and the cultivars is harmful to us and animals. So, avoid letting kids and pets mingle with the Dracena Colorama plant. Moreover, don’t ignore getting medical aid in case of emergency.
Air purification:
Dracaenas are fairly nice indoor air-purifying plants, according to NASA. They can convert the carbon dioxide gas into oxygen even at night time. Additionally, the toxins in the air like xylene, benzene, and formaldehyde are also targeted by your houseplant.
Dormancy:
You may notice a decrease in growth and foliage density on colder days. Don’t panic as your plant is just in a resting phase. Just water the soil sparingly about twice a month and don’t fertilize. Your plant will flourish again in the upcoming spring.
Dracaena Colorama Care
Just like the majority of Dracaena plants, this one too is ‘hard to kill’.
Quick Guide:
Water: Average to low (Water after the upper soil gets dry)
Sunlight: Indirect sun and partial shade.
Humidity: Average.
Fertilizer: Low concentration in the growing season.
Let us have a deeper look and learn to grow the D. Colorama plant.
Water Requirement
Water the plant generously and wait for the upper soil to get dry before you water again. Now, you might be thinking about the watering frequency. It depends on different factors like temperature, sunlight, and humidity.
In spring and summer, plants go actively. So, about once or twice a week will be enough for the flourishing Dracaena. On the other hand, a decrease in temperature makes the plant go dormant. A sleeping plant doesn’t need much water. Thus, about once every two weeks is generally enough for most of the regions.
All the members of this genus are highly intolerant towards over-watering. You may even kill your plant with excess water. In case of confusion, it is better to underwater instead of giving the extra sips to your Red margined Dragon plant
Sunlight Requirements
These plants like to stay in the dappled sun. While indirect light of medium intensity is ideal to keep the foliage happy.
Keep the plant away from direct sunlight as it may scorch out the foliage.
Soil Requirements
Dracaenas are highly vulnerable to root rot which possibly comes from any standing water in the soil. So, to avoid this, well-drained and loose soil are suitable for your Dracaena Colorama. It will ensure air circulation around the roots preventing the rotting possibilities.
Humidity Requirements
The average humidity of the growing zone is generally enough. Howbeit, occasional misting helps to enhance the health of foliage. Make sure the plant stands at a well-aerated place to avoid fungus and leaf rot.
Temperature Requirements
The Dragon Red-margined plant is happy to stay at room temperature. A simple strategy to understand is that the plant will like to stay at a temperature that is comfortable for you. An estimated temperature range of 65 to 80 °F is ideal for the plant. These peeps have poor tolerance towards low temperatures. Make sure you don’t let them stay below 60°F.
Fertilizer Requirements
Use a good quality houseplant fertilizer once a month. It is better to use half of the stated dose and avoid concentrated dosages. Salt formation is a common possible issue after fertilization. You can avoid this by fertilizing on wet soil.
Pot Requirement
The majority of Dracaenas have large rooting systems. So, spacious pots with drainage holes at the base are ideal for this plantation.
Growth Zone
The plant is hardy in USDA Zones 9a to 11. People of these regions can grow and let the Colorama plant stay outdoors all year-round.
Dracaena Colorama Propagation
Popular methods of Dracaena propagation include;
- Rootball division.
- Herbaceous head-cuttings.
- Air layering.
Propagation by Root Division
You can propagate by this method from spring up till the end of the summer. However, the middle of the spring is the ideal time and gives the best results.
- Select a well-grown Dracena Colorama plant. Loosen the soil and take the roots out of the soil. Be careful and be very gentle as you don’t want to damage the root ball.
- Now, divide the root ball and separate about 1/3rd part along with the foliage.
- Plant both of the divisions at your desired places.
- The baby plant needs low indirect light. Water mildly after the upper 2 inches of the soil gets dry. This new plantlet will get settled as an individual plant in a matter of around four weeks.
Propagation by Head-cuttings
- By the middle of the spring, you may notice fresh shoots on the upper part of the plant. Take gardening shears and cut the leaves which are around 7 cm in length. Cut in form of small heads and not individual leaves. Cutting the heads will destroy the outlook of your parent plant for time being. So, it is best to get these at the start of the growing season. This will give enough time to the plant to re-grow the foliage and get back its beautiful ‘palm tree’ look.
- Plant each leaf-head in moist well-draining soil. Water the soil mildly yet frequently. Make sure the soil remains mildly moist and never gets dry. You can cover the pot to avoid the loss of moisture from the soil and plantlets. Place the set up at a warm spot with indirect sunlight.
- The rooting system will develop in about two to four weeks. You can finally take out the plantlet with its baby roots and plant it at your desired place.
- The initial care includes warmth, mild frequent watering, and indirect sun.
Enjoy growing your Dracaena Colorama and don’t forget to share your experiences with us!
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Summary
Dracaena Colorama is a cultivar of the famous Dragon plant, the D. marginata. It is easy to grow and a hardy indoor plant, perfect for your homes and offices. Besides, you can grow them outdoors in temperatures above 60 °F. Numerous long and thin sword-like leaves grow on slender stems to form the plant body. These leaves are green with prominent reddish margins.
A mature plant can grow around 4 feet in height. Apart from ornamentation, this plant provides the additional benefit of air purification. Interestingly, all these benefits come with totally no-fuss growing requirements. Medium indirect light, average temperature, and low watering are what the plant needs. Water the soil after the upper half gets dry and avoid over-watering. Enjoy growing the beautiful Dracaena marginata ‘Colorama’ while being careful about the potential toxicity for kids and pets.
