What's killing this tree? Help Please.

Niblazed · Thu Oct 09, 2014 3:39 pm

Well a little backround on this tree. It's been at my uncles for the last 20 years or so. it was kept indoors till it got big, not sure how long that took. Anyway the Roots cracked open the plastic container it was holding it in, as it was definitely to small. I moved it into a 5 gallon bucket with some good dirt from the garden, and some not so great dirt as a filler.

The problem now is what insect or what is causing the tree to start having the problems that you can see in this photo album. https://imgur.com/a/gqAnT?gallery

Thanks for the help, as since I like to carry a knife I am being accused of doing it to the tree myself.

I'm located in SoCal.

imafan26 · Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:04 pm

try uploading the file on photo bucket. Your files say there is no public access.

Niblazed · Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:55 pm

Should work now

Niblazed · Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:57 pm

I see little bugs flying around when I spray it with windex like cleaner. I also have seen ones that look similiar crawling around the edges of the pot but they like more like mites. I captured one of the flying ones gotta upload that pic.

rainbowgardener · Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:23 am

Your tree is a dragon tree, dracaena marginata. Why do you say it is being killed? It looks pretty healthy except for the chunk of bark missing. Is it showing any other symptoms? Yellowing? Dropping leaves?

Is the area of bark that is wounded spreading? If not, I would think just some mechanical injury, something bumped in to it, etc. Or a cat or dog or some critter chewed it?

Niblazed · Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:42 pm

Well there's a bunch of flying bugs around the wound area. I thought it was my dog at first, but then the 2nd wound that's not as bad is higher than she would be able to reach. Plus we would see her doing this she's never out there alone. They're small black bugs that have 1 wing, I caught one yesterday, didn't look like a fly.

Also with the big wound, it didn't start off with that little bump in it, it was just the cut. The second higher up wound did appear after the first. Bottom leaves have been dying lost a couple, you can see what's happening to the others in the pictures. Thanks for you're reply.

rainbowgardener · Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:54 am

I'm just bumping this post so more people would see it. I didn't respond because I didn't know what to tell you.

Any update on progress?

In general the tiny fliers would not be causing that damage, would just be attracted to sap the wound puts out and damaged tissue.

imafan26 · Tue Oct 21, 2014 11:35 am

It is a dracena marginata. It is also called money tree. The bark is soft and it does look like mechanical damage, more like it was rubbing against something. The bugs look like there is a look of water around the area and they are around because of that and not because of what is going on with the tree. Dracena are pretty tough and can handle quite a lot of damage. The leaves look good and the bark should scar over time. If you want to shorten the tree you can cut the top and plant it, the base will branch. As long as the injury does not destroy at least an inch of bark all around the circumference of the tree, water and nutrients will still be able to get by.

A Happy Seedling · Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:24 am

Dracaena marginata is a dragon tree, not a money tree. They are different!

imafan26 · Sun Mar 01, 2015 11:09 am

Thank you for the correction. Here, I know them as money tree. In the sixties they were a very popular plant and made people a lot of money since they were so easy to grow and sell. It is a problem with common names.

A Happy Seedling · Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:57 am

Here at the IKEA close to me, in the plant section they have money trees and dragon trees. If you search it online (like I just did) you will see that Dracaena marginata is a dragon tree, while Pachira aquatica (the Guiana water-chestnut) is the money tree.

Niblazed · Fri May 29, 2015 11:32 pm

Sorry I didn't see replies to this until now. The tree is still alive. This did all happen after we transferred it to a 5 gallon bucket as the roots broke the smaller pot it was in. The owners of the tree think I did that with a knife since it is such a perfect square. Here is what it looks like now.

You can see that it developed a little butt crack hole but I have not seen any large bugs or anything chewing on it.