Because of its lovely appearance and delightful aroma, dracaena is adored by everyone. However, poor care practices could cause your dracaena to lose its ornamental appeal.
If you’re concerned about why your dracaena’s leaves are dropping off, read on. Not to worry! I’ll explain the root of the issue and how to save your lovely plant in this article.
The most frequent reason for dracaena leaves is Overwatering or underwatering results in falling off. Additionally, excessive fertilizer use, heat exhaustion, or a chilly draft can all contribute to this issue. Losing dracaena leaves is commonly caused by illness and pest infestation. The issue must be resolved as soon as feasible.
You may already be aware of the dracaena’s hardiness and resistance to numerous environmental factors. Despite this, your dracaena leaves may be dropping off due to care errors.
The dracaena leaf has a two-year lifespan. As a result, dracaena leaves frequently fall off on their own. But the significant loss will result in the plant’s demise.
Do the leaves on dragon trees regrow?
All trees and plants periodically lose their leaves and sprout new ones. Any leaves lost as a result of a brief shock should gradually come back if your Dracaena marginata is generally healthy or can be resurrected.
To improve the appearance of the plant, carefully clip any brown or damaged leaves. As the plant heals, new leaves will sprout in their place. The dragon tree should regenerate its fallen leaves if the trunk, roots, and other structural components are in good condition.
Leaves falling off
Don’t panic if you notice your Dragon Tree’s leaves are dropping off. The leaves of the dragon tree naturally fall off, therefore it’s not unusual to discover them on the ground or at the soil’s surface. You may simply prune your dragon tree once or twice a week by removing any dead leaves to prevent them from falling to the ground. To ensure that there are adequate nutrients to cover the numerous leaves, think about fertilizing your plant in the spring and summer.
You might actually have a problem if your dragon tree is losing a lot of leaves, seems to be getting scarce, or exhibits other signs of distress. The soil should dry out between waterings, so be sure you are not overwatering initially. More serious illnesses may result from overwatering, which may finally necessitate changing the soil.
How can a dragon tree plant be revived?
When determining the nation of origin of this plant, its name is definitely a bit of a giveaway. In order to accurately reproduce growing circumstances, it is usually helpful to know what kind of place the plant evolved in.
You must exercise caution in Madagascar because it is a diversified nation with a wide range of climatic and environmental variables. The Dragon Tree actually originates from the country’s forested regions, which indicates that it won’t withstand direct sunshine.
Too Much Light
Bright light is necessary for your Dragon Tree to thrive, but even a small quantity of direct sunlight can cause the leaves to droop and turn brown. Browning typically starts on the leaf tips and edges but gradually spreads to the entire leaf. If the plant is not moved to a less sunny position, they will soon stop growing.
If you move your plant to a more shady location, it will probably recover even in the worst-case scenario where it begins to lose leaves. The tall, beautiful stems of this plant store a large portion of the reserves it needs to thrive. The plant should begin to shoot new leaves eventually, though it might take some time.
Too Little Light
Problems can also arise from insufficient lighting, though they are far less severe. The margins of the leaves of many dragon plants are pink or white. The plant will lose that color and turn completely green if it senses that it is not receiving enough light. Usually, it is feasible to locate a brightly lit area indoors that does not actually receive any direct sunlight.
Your Madagascar Dragon Tree will grow more slowly in low light settings, becoming more sparse and stretched over time. The chance of overwatering issues will rise due to the low lighting, which can also make the plant more vulnerable to pests and illnesses that can quickly destroy it.
Watering
It’s very likely a watering issue if the lighting is ideal and your plant is exhibiting signs of stress. Most indoor plants prefer their soil to be moist but not wet, especially those that are native to tropical or subtropical environments.
These plants frequently experience stress because well-meaning owners mistakenly believe that extra water will make their indoor plants happier. Rarely is such the case.
In contrast to many other home plants, your Dragon Tree can endure quite dry circumstances. That is because the prickly stems have a limited capacity to hold water. Allowing the plant to gradually dry out in between waterings is okay.
By touching, you can verify this. The plant probably needs water if the top inch of the potting soil is dry. Give it a good soak until water begins to drain from the holes in the pot’s base, and then let it air dry once more. Avoid leaving the plant submerged in a water saucer.
Watering Frequency
In comparison to winter, summer requires more frequent watering because the plant is growing more quickly and more water evaporates due to the warmer weather. The amount of water a plant needs will vary depending on its size in proportion to its pot, the material of the pot, the underlying temperature, and the humidity level.
Over time, you will become much more skilled at determining the moisture content if you learn to rely on feeling the top inch of soil. For additional useful watering advice, read my guide to watering houseplants.
Drooping leaves can be caused by both excessive and insufficient irrigation. The difference is that the leaves will turn dry and brittle if there is an excess but insufficient water. The leaves will turn limp and wet if there has been an excessive amount of watering, and root rot is considerably more likely. The long-term health of your plant is considerably more seriously impacted by overwatering.
Fertilizer Problems
Problems with fertilizer are significantly more likely to be caused by too much than not enough fertilizer. If you give your plant food on a regular basis, fertilizer salts may accumulate in the soil and harm the roots physically, obstruct water absorption, and negatively impact the pH of the soil.
Look for indications of salt buildup from fertilizer on the soil’s surface if your Madagascar Dragon Tree is wilting and producing brown leaf tips and edges. Put an end to fertilization and thoroughly rinse the soil with water to help remove extra fertilizer. Repotting your plant into new soil should only be done as a last option because it can put the plant under more stress.
These plants only need a balanced general-purpose liquid house plant food. Since they develop slowly, you will only need to feed them once a month or less in the summer and you can completely stop feeding them in the winter when they are dormant.
By reducing the fertilizer to half its recommended strength, fertilize with caution. Giving your plant a little fertilizer on a regular basis is preferable to giving it a lot of fertilizer seldom. For help with this crucial part of houseplant maintenance, read my guide to fertilizing houseplants.
Humidity
In homes with air conditioning or in the winter when central heating dries the air while keeping us warm, low humidity can be a concern.
Your plant may dry out more quickly and develop brown leaf tips and edges due to low humidity. Although it won’t harm your plant, it could detract from the Madagascar Dragon Tree’s attractiveness.
Here are some helpful suggestions to increase the humidity in your house:
- Maintain the plant upright in a dish filled with water and rocks. Instead of resting in the water, the bottom of the pot should be on the pebbles. The amount of local humidity will rise as a result of the water evaporating.
- Put your indoor plants in a group so that their combined transpiration will raise the humidity level for all of them.
- To rapidly and simply increase the humidity in your house, use a humidifier.
- To keep track of the humidity levels, purchase a digital humidity meter. This allows me to view the range of humidity in my home and make adjustments as needed, which I find to be quite useful.
Overpotting
The plant might have been overpotted or outgrown its previous container, which might both have an impact on the potting soil’s ability to retain moisture. When the plant is put in a pot that is far larger than the root ball, overpotting develops. The plant becomes saturated due to the excess potting soil absorbing a lot of water, which causes root rot.
This is a pretty typical reason why a Madagascar dragon tree dies since you may really trigger root rot by only watering your plant sparingly. Most indoor plants require appropriately sized pots, especially Madagascar Dragon Trees, which detest being overwatered.
Repotting
The root ball will fill the pot if the plant is growing too large for it, leaving little room for soil. Water will just flow through the pot if there is no soil to hold onto moisture, starving the plant. Your Madagascar Dragon Tree will sluggish down over time, getting less and less colorful and healthy.
Use a general-purpose houseplant mix to repotter the plant into a pot that is marginally bigger than its present container. A third of perlite added to the mixture will significantly improve drainage and alleviate many overwatering problems.
Pests
One of the causes I’ve already discussed is most likely to blame if your plant begins to appear unhappy. These plants are susceptible to assaults from mealybugs, spider mites, or scale insects, much like all indoor plants. It is doubtful that the bug itself is the reason your Madagascar Dragon Tree is dying because typically these pests attack plants when they have been weakened by other environmental issues.
Vigilance
Vigilance is the first and most crucial line of defense against pests. These people don’t just materialize out of nowhere. They cannot accomplish this if you are committed to regularly monitoring your plants because they gradually accumulate over time.
Nevertheless, they are skilled at hiding, so you won’t be able to identify them at first glance. To be sure they are not covertly assembling their forces, you will need to look carefully inside leaf joints and underneath leaves.
Early detection will likely allow you to simply blast them away with a water jet or wipe them off with a moist towel. You could require additional firepower if they are more firmly established than that.
Any infestations should be quickly eliminated by spraying the plant with diluted neem oil (95% water). But keep in mind that the plant was likely stressed when they arrived, so that problem will need to be resolved. A healthy plant can defend itself against pests much better.
How frequently should your dragon tree be watered?
The Dragon Tree is the ideal plant for you if you would love to have a stunning, tall plant like a fiddle leaf fig but detest the thought of maintaining it. Its distinctive appearance and ability to reach heights of up to 6 feet indoors and up to 70 feet outdoors (yeah, that’s pretty crazy tall) make it a favourite choice among plant parents.
Fun fact: The Dragon Tree is the subject of an ancient legend. A hundred-headed dragon was once slain, and where its scarlet blood flowed, hundreds of trees sprouted. At the time, these trees were known locally as Dragon Trees.
One of the easiest indoor plants to grow and the most difficult to kill is the dragon tree, also known as the dracaena marginata or Madagascar dragon tree. The Dragon Tree, a well-known relative of Dracaena Draco, is a plant native to Madagascar and a member of the Asparagaceae family. It is distinguished by a thick tuft of red-edged, spiky leaves that resemble a sword. During the spring, outdoor Dragon Tree plants produce fragrant little white blooms and oblong yellow-orange fruit. Meanwhile, indoor Dragon Tree plants rarely produce flowers or berries.
Drought-tolerant plants with aggressive root systems like dragon tree plants make excellent starting plants because they are hard to destroy.
Dragon Tree Plant Care Tips
This elegant indoor plant looks equally stylish in any space of your house or even in your office. One thing to keep in mind when caring for your dragon tree is that it needs to be planted in a loamy, well-draining soil that has been peat moss-modified. During the growing season, consistent watering is also necessary.
One of the simplest plants to maintain is the dragon tree. It needs little upkeep and is also a fantastic air purifier and piece of furniture! Here is a comprehensive guide on caring for your dragon tree, including everything from sunshine requirements to common issues and how to fix them.
Sunlight
Giving dragon trees the appropriate quantity of light is the first thing we should do to take care of them. Despite the fact that a Dragon Tree plant may thrive in low light conditions, it loves bright, filtered light. Lower light conditions cause dragon tree plants to develop more slowly and generate leaves that are less vividly colored. Your dragon tree’s foliage will be burned if you ever set it in direct sunlight.
The presence of pale foliage, poor growth, or tiny new leaves on your dragon tree are all symptoms of inadequate light, which is a common problem.
Place your dragon tree in an area with four to six hours of filtered indoor light or in a position with some shade.
Water
Comparatively speaking, your Dragon Tree needs less water than other indoor plants. As a general rule, water only when the topsoil is dry, which is typically once per week. But keep them hydrated by constantly spraying the foliage.
Frequently Occurring Problem: If the tips of your Dragon Tree leaves are brown or drooping, you are overwatering the plant. A plant needs extra water if its leaves are yellow.
Solution: Delay watering until the topsoil has dried out. Although the dragon tree can withstand droughts, it still requires water to survive. Consider giving it at least one weekly watering.
Common Issue: You should examine the water quality if the leaves of your dragon tree start to turn dark brown with yellow margins.
Solution: Because tap water includes fluoride, which can hurt and ultimately kill your plant, it is not advised to use it for your dragon tree. Overnight, filter the tap water in a visible container.
Humidity & Temperature
Checking the humidity and temperature of your area is the next item on our list of how to take care of your dragon tree. Although the dragon tree may survive in conditions with ordinary humidity, it prefers conditions with higher humidity. Additionally, it enjoys temperatures between 70 and 80 °F. Avoid damaging the plant with drafts and low temperatures below 55°F.
Brown leaf tips on your dragon tree indicate dry or chilly air, which is a common problem.
Solution: Regularly mist your dragon tree or set it on a tray of stones, and check the relative humidity in the room.
Food
A water-soluble fertilizer that may be diluted to 50% strength and applied once a month in the spring and summer is another tip we have for caring for your dragon tree. During the winter and autumn, stop fertilizing them.
Common Issue: If your Dragon Tree’s leaf tips and margins are dark brown or yellow, you’ve likely used too much fertilizer.
Solution: To prevent overfeeding your dragon tree, follow a fertilizer schedule or plan.
Pests & Other Problems
It’s simple to take care of a dragon tree indoors. Mealybugs, scale, and, in particular, spider mites, should be avoided. Use a pesticide that contains pyrethrin to get rid of these pests.
Additionally, if you see that the leaves at the base of the plant begin to wither and fall off, do not become alarmed because this is normal. For fresh growth, the Dragon Tree loses its lower leaves.
The maintenance of your Dragon Tree is complete. It’s pretty straightforward, right? It’s no wonder this plant is popular because it requires little maintenance, adapts to any environment, and enhances the beauty and elegance of any setting.
Expand your knowledge of plants. For additional information on various houseplants and advice on how to keep your plants alive and healthy, visit our blog on plant care.