Danae Horst for The Jungalow
Trees are pretty much the biggest plant investment you’ll make, so it can be a little nerve wracking to choose the right one. No one wants to watch a $$$ fiddle leaf fig die a slow death, right? Easy care trees to the rescue! One of our favorites for both it’s carefree vibes and its fun foliage is the Dracena. Growing up to 6 feet tall, Dracenas put up with a lot of neglect before showing signs of stress. They’ll tolerate low light, low humidity, and a missed watering every now and then. If you’re ready to add a tree to your plant collection, the Dracena is a great one to start with.
Dabito for The Jungalow
GET THE GREEN: Dracena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’ pictured’ though there are 40 species)
WATER: Plant in pot with good drainage. Water when top 2-3 inches of soil is dry to the touch. Make sure to drain any water from saucers or cache pots- the roots can easily rot if left in standing water.
SUNLIGHT: Bright to medium indirect light. If the edges of the leaves turn brown and crispy, it may be getting too much light. If the colors fade, too little.
PLACEMENT: Depending upon the height, Dracenas can fit into a variety of spaces where larger trees might not since the trunks are so skinny and the foliage grows upward.
EXTRA CREDIT: As with all broad leaf plants, wipe both sides of the leaves regularly to remove dust and promote healthy photosynthesis and good color. Dracenas were one of the plants included in NASA’s Clean Air Study, which showed them to be effective at removing benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air.
WORD OF CAUTION: According to the ASPCA, Dracenas are toxic to cats and dogs.
Is there a plant you want to learn more about? Leave a comment and you may find it in a future Plant-o-Pedia!
Thanks for sharing!
I would love a roundup of cat OK house plants (large and small). So hard to find great plants that won’t hard our favorite feline!
There is an eBay guide post about Pet Friendly Plants: http://www.ebay.com/gds/6-Pet-Friendly-Plants-for-your-Home-/10000000210514253/g.html
Hi Meg- Mel beat me to it! Yes, we have an eBay guide with some of our favorite plants that are pet friendly. We get asked about this a lot, so I’m working on a separate Plant-o-Pedia that’s just about pet friendly plants as well. :)
Used about 8 of these for my event last weekend! SO pretty. Thanks for sharing. They look bomb in the baskets too :)
So fun, Mel! Can’t wait to see photos!
I just bought a dracena and didn’t know that they didn’t like direct sunlight! Unfortunately I put it in a sunny spot and burnt half of it! Still, all is not lost. Lots of TLC should bring it right.
Oh man, that’s so hard when that happens! Glad to hear it’s on the mend- they can definitely recover from extreme situations, so I have hope for it! :)
Love the basket – where is it from?
I bought a basket just like this at ikea.
Hi! I have a few of these and some of them came from Ikea (like Samantha mentioned), but I’m not sure they’re carrying them in store any more. The other came from a flea market, but I’ve seen them in a number of shops online lately. Here’s a link to one: http://rstyle.me/n/bwrcwmmcdn. You can also search ‘sea grass belly basket’ to find lots of options all over the internet. ;)
It looks lovely, flower pot is particularly beautiful! Great photos!
Thank you, Larissa!
Wonderful tips thank you! I currently have a pachira aquatica, also known as a money tree. I would love some care tips for this. :)
Thank you Aziza! I’ve added that one to my list for future posts!
I am looking for something like this cover that is on the couch. Where did you get it or did you make this yourself?
Thanks!
Hi Amber! It’s just two pieces of vintage West African indigo cloth that I used to cover the existing upholstery. This is a trick we rock all the time at The Jungalow- using fabric to change up the look of furniture. ;) If you’re looking for this kind of indigo cloth specifically, I did a post about it awhile back on The Jungalow that links to an Etsy treasury with some of our favorites. The items may not be there anymore, but many of the shops specialize in indigo. I picked mine up a flea market from a guy who brings it over directly from West Africa.
My dracena, Bergita, has been hanging on for 3 years now. But she doesn’t look as good as these.
Ha ha- love her name!! Sometimes it takes time to find the right spot where a plant will be happiest- have you tried moving her? Regardless, 3 years is a solid track record- I think she’ll be just fine. ;)
Please do a post of low light plants! :)
Thanks for the suggestion, Jen! We’ve done a number of our favorite lower light plants in the past, but I’ll work on a round up of them all!
It looks fabulous with the mud cloth!! I just ordered 3 mud cloths from Morrissey Fabric. I am so excited! Love Jenny
How fun, Jenny! I love playing with new textiles and seeing what looks good with them! I also saw your note about low light plants, and I’m working on a post for that- stay tuned! Thanks for commenting! ;)
PS. Also agree with Jen above, I am struggling with low light in more than half of my house…
I need to absorb all of your plant knowledge and turn my thumb green! :)
>If the edges of the leaves turn brown and crispy, it may be getting too much light.
I’m not gonna lie, I had no idea that plants even could get too much sunlight. You taught me something today!
Can you do a post on yucca canes. I love the way they look.
I am thankful for the inspiration and motivation it has instilled in me to Heardle pursue continuous learning.