There is a wide assortment of Dracaena Varieties that make excellent houseplants. In addition, some Dracaena types can be grown outdoors if you live in a warm tropical environment.
Dracaena is a very popular plant since they are very easy to grow, even for people who have trouble keeping houseplants alive.
The name, Dracaena comes from the Greek word, drakaina, which roughly translates to “Female Dragon”.
There are hundreds of different Dracaena species that inhabit almost every continent. In this article, we’ll focus on Dracaena varieties that are readily available for sale online and at most local plant nurseries.
Dracaena Varieties – Dracaena Types
Dracaena Fragrans
Dracaena Fragrans (Buy Online) usually goes by its common name “Corn Plant” since its slender leaves give it a passing resemblance to corn. This plant makes a perfect houseplant since it requires minimal maintenance, and it does well in low light conditions.
Dracaena Fragrans can also be planted outside in USDA Zones 10 and 11, and it will take on a more tree-like form when it is grown outdoors.
Dracaena Reflexa
Dracaena Reflexa (Buy Online) is a beautiful Dracaena variety that has variegated leaves with bright-green leaf margins. This type of Dracaena can grow to a height of 3-feet, and it also doesn’t get too wide. That makes Dracaena Reflexa an excellent houseplant since it doesn’t require much space to grow.
Dracaena Marginata
Dracaena Marginata (Buy Online) is one of the most popular Dracaena varieties. It has a tree-like growth habit, and it can reach a maximum height of about 4-feet tall. Dracaena Marginata prefers rich well-draining soil, but it’s very easy to grow since it requires minimal care, and it doesn’t need a lot of water.
Dracaena Deremensis
Dracaena Deremensis (Buy Online) also goes by its common name “Janet Craig”. This Dracaena variety has long dark green leaves that grow in compact clusters along a columnar main stem.
Dracaena Deremensis can grow to be 2 to 5-feet tall, which means it needs more space than most Dracaena varieties.
Dracaena Warneckii
Dracaena Warneckii (Buy Online) is a very popular plant, and it won the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. The leaves on Dracaena Warneckii are sharply pointed with chartreuse leaf margins. When Dracaena Warneckii is fully mature it can reach a maximum height of 3 to 5 feet.
Dracaena Sanderiana
Dracaena Sanderiana (Buy Online) is more commonly known as “Lucky Bamboo”. This plant is a very popular house plant that can be grown in soil, or Lucky Bamboo can be placed in a vase directly in water.
Dracaena Sanderiana will reach a height of about 12-inches tall, and it can be braided and trained into unique shapes. It’s also a very popular plant among Feng-Shui practitioners since it’s thought to bring good luck and fortune.
Dracaena Lemon Surprise
Dracaena Lemon Surprise (Buy Online) is one of the best Dracaena varieties for indoors. Lemon Surprise has shiny leaves with a dark green center and a bright green margin. It will grow to a height of 3 to 5-feet, and it makes an excellent houseplant for an office, home, or apartment.
Dorado Dracaena
Dorado Dracaena (Buy Online) is a tropical plant that’s native to Africa. It has broad dark green leaves and it requires very little care to grow. However, Dorado Dracaena does prefer rich well-draining soil. You can expect Dorado Dracaena to grow to be about 4-feet tall, but it can take years to reach that height since it’ grows very slowly.
Florida Beauty Dracaena
Florida Beauty Dracaena (Buy Online) is a compact Dracaena variety that has broad leaves and a more compact bushier form. The leaves on Florida Beauty also have light yellow speckles juxtaposed against a dark green background.
Florida Beauty one of the most stunning Florida Dracaena Varieties that you can grow indoors. It’s also perfect for tight spaces since it will only reach 2 to 3-feet tall.
Hawaiian Sunshine Dracaena
Hawaiian Sunshine Dracaena (Buy Online) is similar to “Corn Plant” but it has slightly different leaves. The leaves on Hawaiian Sunshine are longer and they have a light green stripe that runs down their center. Hawaiian Sunshine is related to Dracaena Deremensis Lisa, and it’s actually a brand new cultivar derived from the Dracaena variety “Hilo Girl’.
Lemon Lime Dracaena
Lemon Lime Dracaena (Buy Online) is another variant of Dracaena Deremensis; It’s long pointed leaves have a dark center with light green leaf margins. This Dracaena variety will also grow to be a large tree indoors, and it can reach a maximum height of 5 to 6-feet tall.
Lemon Surprise Dracaena
Lemon Surprise Dracaena (Buy Online) is similar to Lemon Lime Dracaena, but it has darker leaves that tend to twist and curl. That gives Lemon Surprise a little more visual appeal especially if you’re looking for a Dracaena variety that will add a little texture to your home décor.
Limelight Dracaena
Limelight Dracaena (Buy Online) is one of the best Dracaena varieties if you want to brighten up your home. This low maintenance houseplant has long lustrous light-green leaves that will make this plant a focal point in any room.
Malaika Dracaena
Malaika Dracaena (Buy Online) is a variegated Dracaena variety that is very easy to grow indoors. The leaves of Malaika Dracaena exhibit a nice balance of dark green and light-green accented with thick white stripes.
Rikki Dracaena
Rikki Dracaena (Buy Online) is one of the newest Dracaena varieties on the market. Rikki has beautiful leaves that have chartreuse centers accented with dark green margins. You can grow Rikki Dracaena indoors, or outdoors in USDA zones 10b to 11, and it can reach a maximum height of 8 to 10-feet tall.
Song of India Dracaena
Song of India (Buy Online) is one of the most popular Dracaena Reflexa varieties. This plant has large showy leaves that have a dark green center and a cream-colored margin. The leaves on Song of India plants can also have a natural twist or curl when they are young. Song of India can grow to be 3 to 4-feet tall indoors, but they can reach 6-feet tall when planted outdoors.
White Jewel Dracaena
White Jewel Dracaena (Buy Online) is a low maintenance houseplant that will bring a touch of nature indoors. This Dracaena variety has dark green leaves that are accented by bright white streaks. You can grow White Jewel Dracaena in a small pot on a desk or table when it’s young, but it will eventually grow to be 3 to 4-feet tall.
Jade Jewel
Jade Jewel (Buy Online) is one of the newest Dracaena Fragrans varieties. The dark green leaves have narrow white stripes that are the real stand out feature of Jade Jewel Dracaena. The young leaves also have a slight curl that starts to straighten out as the leaves mature. Jade Jewel makes a wonderful houseplant, and it can even be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 10.
Dracaena Draco
Dracaena Draco (Buy Seeds Online) is one of the most iconic Dracena plant types. This plant is native to the Canary Islands and Morocco, and it is a slow-growing tree that can take ten years to reach a height of 4-feet (1.2 meters). Dracaena Draco is also a very long-lived plant with some wild trees reaching an age of 250 to 360 years old.
