Dragon Series Dracaena Part 2

Clockwise from top left. Dracaena Surprise, Lemon Surprise, White Surprise.

This is the second post on Dragon Series Dracaena, highlighting three more of the varieties. You can check out the last post here to get the basic care info on these plants. Not mentioned in the last post, is that all of these varieties were bred, selected and produced in the Netherlands by Dracaenakwekerij 'De Plaats' B.V. under the Dragontree name. Though they are branded under the Dragontree name, you will often see them sold as the Dragon Series or as the individually named varieties. All of the varieties are plant patent protected so propagation for commercial use is prohibited unless you have the licensing for it.

Lemon Surprise is one of the most prevalent varieties on the market and has a distinct twisting growth habit. The plant has large lemon/lime colored margins along the edges of the leaves. The color is slightly variable depending on how much light the plant receives.The inner portion of the leaf is a greyish green with a slight white line between that and the lime green margins.

Dracaena Lemon Surprise.

White Surprise is very similar to Lemon Surprise except that the white portions of the leaf are much larger and the lime green margins are much smaller. This variety is also slightly smaller in form most likely due to the extra variegation on the leaves. It is also one of the slowest growers out of the series. Light levels that are too high will cause the lighter portions of the leaf to burn.

Dracaena White Surprise with slight burning on the leaves.

Surprise has much less of a twist to it, though it is still slightly there and the white margins on the interior of the leave are very minor. The lime margins on the edges are similar to that of White Surprise. The inner portion of the leave has a grey/green streaked pattern. I have found in my own experience that Surprise has lots of variation between specimens in terms of expression of color, specifically with the lime green margins.

Dracaena Surprise

Random Plant Updates

One of several plant racks in the basement.

Its that time of year where all of the plants that were brought outside for the season have to come back in. They go through a week of spraying to reduce any insect or pest problems. Then I let them all dry out and then start bringing them in. At the moment I am about halfway done but by the end of tomorrow ninety percent will be back inside, hopefully...

Some of the plants from previous posts have been doing some exciting things. The Scadoxus has developed two large size fruits that aren't ripe just yet. From what I've read online they'll turn a bright red color when ready and they're currently a yellow green. I dont know yet if there will be multiple seeds per fruit or just one, but either way I will be starting them, that can be a future blog post.

Scadoxus multiflorus fruit.

The epiphyllum seedlings haven't been doing much of anything. they have grown a little and some are starting to randomly flatten or twist in the stems, but others have done absolutely nothing. Next year I'm definitely bringing them outside for the summer, hopefully the humidity will prompt some new growth.Until then they'll probably still look like this..

Epiphyllum seedlings.

In addition to the epiphyllum seedlings I recently started a batch of schlumbergera seedlings aka Christmas cactus, a batch of rhipsalis seedlings, and a batch of Easter cactus seedlings. The first two sets of seeds were from another blogger who was nice enough to share them. As soon as they're a little more developed i'll post an entry on them as well.

Currently I'm working on several new posts, Dragon series Dracaena part two and three, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Dracaena Whitney, Crinum lily, Bougainvillea and one or two more. keep an eye out for them.

Dracaena Janet Craig Compacta and Variegated Compacta

Dracaena Compacta Variegata and Janet Craig Compacta.

Dracaena Janet Craig Compacta has long been a staple in the foliage industry. This varieties compact form combined with its simple elegance makes it a must have item. Its great for an office or a small space in the home. Janet Craig Compacta should only be watered when dry and does best in medium to high filtered light. Occasionally tips will brown due to salt accumulations in the leaves, switching to distilled water will  reduce this problem. Or the tips can just be cut off. This variety is often grown as a specimen or in groups of two or three.

Dracaena Janet Craig Compacta

Variegated Compacta is a variegated compact dracaena that is believed to be a mutation of Janet Craig Compacta due to the similarities in form and structure, but may possibly just be a random mutation of another deremensis variety. When viewing the image at the top of the post you can see the similarities in structure between the two but also that the variegated form is slightly smaller with smaller leaves. Variegated plants are often slightly weaker than their normal counterparts so this would explain the smaller growth habit.

Dracaena Variegated Compacta

Among the three variegated compacts i have, each is unique. One has a slight twisting growth habit, one has a denser growth habit with more leaves and the third most closely resembles Janet Craig Compacta.

A trio of Variegated Compactas, each slightly different from one another.

Schefflera Soleil

Schefflera Soleil

Schefflera Soleil is a vibrant, relatively new introduction to the houseplant and interiorscape world. This Schefflera is an Amate type with golden-chartreuse colored emerging foliage. The color will be brighter and more vibrant in higher light settings. As the foliage matures it will fade to a green color. Sometimes in the right light, the entire upper portion of the plant will remain a lime green. Soleil requires medium to high light and should only be watered when dry. Over-watering can lead to rot and potential leaf drop. Low light can also lead to leaf drop. This variety is a relatively steady grower and is great as a specimen or in a grouping.

New leaf emerging on Schefflera Soleil

Side view of Schefflera Soleil

Prince of Orange Philodendron

Prince of Orange Philodendron

Prince of Orange is a great hybrid philodendron for the home or office. The new foliage emerges a bright orange color and then fades to green as the leaves mature. Besides the benefits of the foliage, this philodendron is self heading so it requires minimal to no staking. Prince of Orange does best in medium to high light and will have better leaf color in locations with higher light levels. It should only be watered when dry because over-watering can cause the plant to rot. This philodendron grows relatively quickly and can ultimately have leaves ten to fifteen inches long. It is often sold in smaller sizes such as 4 and 6 inch pots. This variety is plant patent protected so propagation is prohibited.

Newly emerged leaf.

A group of 4.5 inch Prince of Orange Philodendrons.

10 inch Prince of Orange Philodendron.

Epiphyllum Seedlings

Back in March, I received seeds from four different epiphyllum mother plants. For those who don't know what they are, epiphyllum are a family of tropical jungle cacti that are epiphytes and grow in trees with little to no soil in the wild. Sometimes they're also referred to as orchid cactus due to their ornate blooms. I started all of the seeds at the end of the month in peat pots(big mistake) and within just a week they started to sprout.

After they developed their first true stems they just stopped growing, which from what I've read, should be expected.They usually don't start sending out lots of growth until after the first year. Then it came time to re-pot each seedling into a larger container, and this is where the peat pots were a mistake... Every plant had to be removed without damaging the roots. In all there was about 120 seedlings, that were all re-potted into four inch pots. Smaller pots would have been better but they were hard to find and using the larger pots will eliminate the need to re-pot again in a year. Within three years the seedlings should be developed enough that they'll produce their first bloom. Every seedling should produce different results with flower form, growth habit and vigor so it'll be interesting to see what happens. Once they do bloom any plants with undesirable characteristics can be culled out.

Seedlings in peat pots.

Close up of a seedling.

Whole shelf of seedlings under grow lights.

Just started a second batch of seeds at the end of July, in a seed starting mix. So far a lot of the seeds have sprouted and hopefully they'll be easier to work with in the seed starting mix than in the peat pots.

Second batch of epiphyllum seedlings.

Dragon Series Dracaena Part 1

Clockwise from top left: Dracaena Dorado, Dracaena Green Jewel, Dracaena Malaika.

Dragon Series Dracaena are a group of compact Dracaena deremensis varieties that have recently emerged on the mainstream market in the US. The entire group is known for its compact form and easy care requirements. Most of the varieties will not exceed ten inches in width, with the exception of Dorado which gets slightly larger. That makes this group a great option for small spaces like desks, tables and shelves and are vibrant alternatives to Dracaena Janet Craig Compacta. These plants look great as specimen plants or when planted in groups of twos and threes. The care requirements are similar to other Dracaena varieties; these plants need medium to high light and should only be watered when the soil is dry. Most of the varieties are relatively slow growers and have few cultural problems. Sometimes the plant will exhibit minor tip burning due to salt accumulation in the leaves, this is due to minerals in our tap water and can be prevented and/or reduced by using distilled water, watering just prior to the soil drying out, or by cutting of the tips of the leaves at an angle when damaged. Another potential issue is mealybugs which like to feed at the bases of the leaves; using an insecticidal soap or broad range insecticide will solve this problem. Systemic insecticides can also be used to offer longer protection if insect pests become a recurring issue.

The largest variety in the group is Dorado, which has a slight twisting growth habit and lime green margins on the edges of the leaves.

Dracaena Dorado

Green Jewel is a solid green variety that has larger, brighter leaves than Janet Craig Compacta and has a slight upright growth habit.
 

Dracaena Green Jewel

Malaika also has a slight twisting growth habit and has a green cream colored center bordered by white and then dark green margins on the edges of the leaves.

Dracaena Malaika

Many of the varieties in the series are available at private garden centers and are even starting to pop up in large box stores. In my experience the varieties in the box stores tend to be mislabeled so don't always trust the packaging.

Macho Fern, Nephrolepis biserrata

Macho Fern, Nephrolepis biserrata

Macho Fern is a great accent plant for a part shade spot in the yard or as a specimen on a front porch or patio. The plant is as tough as the name implies and handles heat and humidity extremely well. It is a great alternative to Kimberly Queen Ferns and delivers a bolder impact. Macho Fern is native to southern Florida, Texas and parts of the gulf coast.. So if used outside it must be brought in before any danger of frost and placed in a high light location. The plant should be watered just prior to the soil drying out and misting or the use of a humidity tray will help reduce leaf drop in the home. In ideal conditions Macho Fern can reach up to four feet tall and spread just as wide.  Fertilizing over the spring and summer months will help promote growth but should be reduced in the fall and winter to allow the plant to go into a resting period.

Side view

In the three weeks since this picture the plant has doubled in size, I'll have to update the post with newer pictures.

Edit: This is the current size of the plant as of 7/26/13

Macho Fern

Scadoxus multiflorus, Blood Lily

Scadoxus multiflorus

Scadoxus multiflorus is a flowering bulb from the Amaryllidacea family and is native to South Africa. Each bulb produces a brilliant red globe of many flowers. After blooming the flowers set seed and the plant sends up leaf tissue to rejuvenate the bulb for the following season. Scadoxus prefer part shade and do well in planters. They often look better when planted in groups and are a great porch plant. Due to the fact that they are tropical, they must be brought in for the winter and sheltered from cold drafts and frost. This often is not an issue because the plant tends to go dormant for several months and then reemerges in the spring. When the plant dies back, the tissue can be cut back to the soil line and stored in a cool dry place. The bulb should be allowed to dry out and should only be watered one or two times over the winter until the bulb is ready to emerge in the spring.

Scadoxus in bloom.

Bulbs sending up leaf tissue after blooming.