How to Grow and Care for Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ in Containers
Intro: Most often kept in indoor gardens, Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ is usually planted with several stalks to a plant container and has leaves all over the stalk. Mature Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ plant specimens (such as the one in the illustration above) looks like a small tree. Young plants have leaves all over its stalk, but older plants have a tall stalk with a tuft of dark green leaves at the top.
Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ can grow to 10 feet tall, but the ‘compacta’ variety is a great container plant that grows only to about a foot. If you don’t want this plant to grow too tall, prune it at any point on the cane (new leaves will come out) in the early summer. Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ is also called the corn plant in reference to its cornstalk-like flowers. It was given the species name fragrans due to its fragrant flowers. The Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ has multiple white or purple flower clusters that cascade down on a stem, and this Dracaena produces an orange-red berry.
Scientific Name: Dracaena fragrans ‘Janet Craig’
Plant Type: Succulent shrub
Light: Moderate indirect light
Water: Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ does not need a lot of water. Let it dry out slightly between waterings. Do not overwater.
Zone: Hardy to Zone 9
Temperature: Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ does best about 75 degrees (keep it at a comfortable room temperature). This plant does well in indoor gardens.
Fertilizer: Fertilize Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ once a month with diluted liquid fertilizer (use about half the recommended amount).
Pests and Diseases: Mealy bug and scale are some insect pests that may become a problem with your Dracaena ‘Janet Craig.’
Propagation: To propagate Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’, take stem cuttings (4 to 8 inches long) in the springtime, and plant them in moist potting soil.
Misc. Info: A study by NASA claims that Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ helps remove formaldehyde from the air when kept in indoor gardens. Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ will accumulate dust on its leaves, so wipe this plant's leaves off with a damp cloth regularly.
