Help me identify this plant

Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:43 pm

Hello! I bought a plant at the grocery store (great place to buy, huh?) and there was no stickers of any kind on it. Even to ring it up! So ... I don't know what it is. I've looked through houseplant books, and found a couple that it could be ... but nothing definitive.

As you can see, the leaves are tinged in a reddish purple on the top side, and nearly solid purple on the underside. It is not on a raised stalk like Dracaena, and the roots are mostly green. There's a bit of yellow and orange on the roots, but they look mostly green. There is one brand new root shoot which is white. From the pictures in my houseplant book, it seems a bit more likely to be Cordyline, but except for that one small root, the roots don't seem to be white.

Any ideas?

Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:50 pm

Common name is spike plant, Dracaena I think.

Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:03 pm

Thanks for the rply, Alex. I was thinking Dracaena was the most likely, but it's not on a raised stalk like in all the pictures I see. ??

Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:31 pm

The young ones have not developed a stalk yet. I overwinter mine and by the second year the stalk has started to develop a bit as the lower leaves are shed.

Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:32 pm

Ok, thanks!

Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:09 pm

Most likely a Dracaena marginata. They do grow stalks over some time.

Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:13 am

Thanks bonsaiboy!

Yeah, I was browsing the plants at Walmart today, and noticed a bunch of them on sale, marked as Dracaena. So that does seem to be definitive! Thanks!

Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:29 pm

And BB is exactly right on species as well; most certainly D. marginata

http://www.plant-care.com/dracaena-marginata.html

This one can run a little drier than most of the genus...

HG

Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:52 pm

Drier meaning ... it needs more water? Or it needs less water?

Fri May 01, 2009 12:50 am

Drier meaning Madagascar is drier than where the rest of the genus comes from, so less water...

HG

Fri May 01, 2009 4:02 am

Ahhh ... thanks!

Sat May 02, 2009 11:22 pm

Yes, definitely a Dracaena like everyone has said and they do like to be on the drier side. Makes for a wonderful indoor plant as it requires no direct sun just a bright room.

I have a difficult time keeping mine alive here - my cats love to chew on the leaves... :roll:

So I keep it isolated on a plant stand out of reach from my furry friends. :wink:

Sun May 03, 2009 4:44 am

Good to know! I have two cats.