Dracaena fragrans
Dracaena fragrans (Corn Plant) Care Guide
Featured photodracaena-fragrans.jpgDracaena fragrans is the corn plant, an African forest dracaena with broad, arching, corn-like leaves on woody trunks. It is one of the most common office plants and tolerates very low light and irregular watering. The Massangeana cultivar with a bright yellow stripe down each leaf is the form most often seen in trade.
Care facts at a glance
- Light
- Medium light
- Water
- Water when the top 3 to 5 cm of mix has dried.
- Humidity
- 40–60 %
- Temperature
- 18–27 °C
- Soil
- Well-draining houseplant mix with extra perlite.
- Toxicity
- Mildly toxic. Saponins cause stomach upset if eaten in quantity. (humans) · Toxic to cats and dogs per ASPCA Dracaena listing. (pets)
- Origin
- Tropical Africa from Sudan to Mozambique.
- Mature size
- 1.5 to 3 metres tall indoors.
Overview
Dracaena fragrans was described in the 1700s and is widely planted as an indoor tree because of its low-light tolerance. Mature plants in tropical climates produce strongly fragrant white-cream flower spikes in winter.
Care Priorities
- Medium to bright filtered light; tolerates very low light but slows.
- Use filtered water to avoid leaf-tip browning from tap-water salts.
- Water on the dry side; corn plants tolerate brief drought.
- Wipe leaves regularly to keep them efficient at light capture.
Common Problems
Brown leaf tips are tap-water minerals. Yellow leaves are overwatering. Lower-leaf drop with healthy upper foliage is normal turnover; rapid loss signals a stress event.
Sources & further reading (3)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-28
- botanical-garden — accessed 2026-04-28
- toxicity-database — accessed 2026-04-28
Frequently asked questions
Massangeana vs Limelight vs Janet Craig — same plant?
All cultivars of Dracaena fragrans. Massangeana has a yellow-green stripe; Janet Craig is plain dark green; Limelight is a chartreuse-yellow form.
Will it really flower?
Mature plants can produce strongly fragrant cream-white flower spikes in late autumn or winter. Indoor flowering is uncommon but possible after years of stable conditions.
Why are the leaf tips browning?
Tap-water salts. Switch to filtered or rainwater and the next flush of growth arrives clean.
