ISLAND PLANTS
DRACAENA
One of the commonest plants around, Dracaena needs little care or attention once planted in fertile soil. It's a fast-growing plant in the beginning, then slows down in middle age. Its spiky leaves ooze tropical ambience and a tall, multi-limbed specimen always draws attention.
The name Dracaena means female dragon and you can see how that came about. There is a vitality and fierceness to the plant and, even though the leaves are not sharp or prickly, they look so.
Dracaenas are easily grown from cuttings. A two inch section planted laterally just below the soil surface will, by a miracle of nature, produce roots at one end and foliage at the other. As the cane-like plant grows, it will divide naturally. If you give it a little more impetus by pruning regularly you can create a real monkey-puzzle of a tree.
Dracaenas really come into their own when they get big. Until then they are much like Ti plants, pleasant and shoulder high. When they get up to 12-15 feet in height, Dracaenas command attention. A mature Dracaena deserves consideration as you view it against a deep blue Bahamian skyscape.
Nematodes and anthracnose sometimes affect Dracaenas and it is not at all happy when planted too near to the sea. Flowers are produced now and then but they smell bad.
Dracaenas make a wonderfully complex loose hedge but are still best viewed when planted as specimen trees.
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