Dracaena sanderiana (Dracaena sanderiana) is a perennial herbaceous plant from the genus Dracaena , as an indoor crop, has long been grown in China and the countries of Southeast Asia, from where it spread throughout the world.
Dracaena Sandera: general information and photos
The homeland of the species is the tropical forests of Africa, but it became popular after it came to China and other Asian countries. For 4 millennia, the flower has been cultivated there in culture, considered a symbol of happiness and prosperity, and is known by the names lucky bamboo, good luck bamboo, or Chinese bamboo. It is under these names that Dracaena Sander is most often sold in flower shops and is known among amateur flower growers.
The plant really resembles bamboo, it has an upright, densely leafy stem, rising to a height of 80-120 cm, unlike real bamboo, it easily branches when pruned, with sessile leathery leaves of an elongated-lanceolate shape, up to 20 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. In nature, it rarely blooms, with small pink flowers collected in capitate inflorescences. In culture, it practically does not bloom. The color of the leaves is gray-green, there are a number of variegated forms with decorative white and yellow stripes.
So, the Moonshine variety has dark green leaves with white and gray stripes;
The recently bred forms Lucky Gold and Golden Lotus are yellow, and the latter form also has unusually wide leaf plates;
The Whiskers variety is characterized by numerous narrow green leaves with a white border, there are varieties with a dark green border.
Another photo of Sander’s dracaena and some of its decorative forms.
The growing interest in Asian culture and Feng Shui ideas, according to which the presence of luck bamboo in a home or office is sure to bring success and happiness, makes the flower popular all over the world. In China, many small farms specialize in growing and exporting its shoots, including in the form of original floristic compositions with bizarre trunks. Dracaena Sandera twisted in the form of a spiral can serve as a decoration for any interior.
It takes a lot of time and patience to form flower stems like this. To get the shape of a spiral, Sander’s dracaena is grown under one-sided lighting, while it leans towards the light. Sometimes the position of the stem is fixed with a wire, the direction of the light is periodically changed. It takes about a year to create one coil.
Growing and propagating dracaena Sander
The popularity of this room culture is explained not only by its original appearance and beneficial, according to Feng Shui, influence on the atmosphere of the house. It is difficult to find another such unpretentious flower that can grow for years in a vessel with water, with almost no lighting and with minimal care. Dracaena sandera survives even in windowless bathrooms and office spaces, only the color of the leaves becomes paler and more monochromatic. Optimum for her is diffused bright light without direct sunlight, illuminating the flower for at least 6 hours a day.
Shoots can grow in water, the rules of Feng Shui even recommend placing them in a transparent vessel with water. With this method of growing, the liquid level covers the roots by no more than 2 cm, otherwise the trunk may rot. Water is changed every 7-10 days, be sure to defend it to remove chlorine, boil in the presence of fluorine. Once a week in summer and after 2-3 weeks in winter, the flower is fed by adding a highly diluted complex flower fertilizer or special for aquarium plants.
When grown in the ground, the culture feels better, its leaves become larger, the stem is taller. In this case, a loose permeable substrate is used from equal parts of compost, sand, peat and leafy soil, taken equally. Good drainage is required to avoid standing water.
The flower requires regular watering in the summer and limited watering in the winter. Watered after drying the top layer by 2-3 cm, do not allow the complete drying of the earth. Fluoridated water must be boiled. Feed once a month, adding fertilizer to the water for irrigation.
The plant tolerates dry air well, does not require regular spraying, it is enough to wipe the leaves from dust from time to time.
The temperature range at which this type of dracaena can grow is unusually wide, from 7 to 35 ° C, outside of which shoot growth stops. The flower suffers from sudden changes in temperature and direct sunlight.
Transplantation is carried out in the spring, keeping the earthen room. If grown in water, at each water change, the roots are carefully washed to remove dead, damaged, and overgrown parts.
For propagation of Sander’s dracaena, apical cuttings and stem segments are used. They take root well in water or wet sand; when propagated by stem segments, the upper cut must be filled with paraffin. For better survival, the cuttings are covered with polyethylene or glass, airing from time to time. Young plants have densely leafy trunks, over time the leaves fall off, exposing the stem, after which they usually begin to form an unusual plant shape.
Sander’s dracaena is extremely rarely affected by pests and diseases – in more detail , subject to the recommendations for watering, fertilizing and regularly rubbing the leaves, it retains its decorative effect and healthy appearance for a long time.