Dracaena fragrans
Handsome, palm-like tropical shrubs, corn plants or mass cane (Dracaena fragrans), are popular broadleaf evergreens grown houseplants or out in the landscape and much loved for their attractive foliage and low maintenance care needs.
The bare, unbranched woody stems, known as canes, are crowned with fountains of fabulous foliage.
The long, lance-like leaves are vibrant shades of green and often feature variegations of cream or yellow.
New foliage grows upright and straight, then as the leaves mature, they develop a slight wave and start to bend over, giving them an appearance similar to edible corn, Zea mays – the common name “corn plant” is an apt moniker!
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Although it’s rare for corn plants to flower indoors, in the right conditions you might be treated to clusters of small, fragrant white flowers followed by orange berries.
The handsome foliage and stately silhouette suits any decor style, and since they are able to adapt to almost any lighting conditions, corn plants fit in anywhere.
From a dimly lit corner nook to a bright kitchen – as long as they’re not in direct sunlight, mass canes are happy.
They also handle pruning well, so it’s easy to keep them a manageable size – and you can quickly propagate new specimens at the same time!
Lush, tropical, and wonderfully non-fussy, are you ready to try your hand at cultivating D. fragrans?
Then let’s get right into the details of how to grow easy care corn plants!
What Are Corn Plants?
D. fragrans, also known as Chinese money tree, corn plant, cornstalk dracaena, fortune tree, and mass cane, is a species in the Dracaena genus.
Slow growing broadleaf evergreens, they are perennial shrubs in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) with tree-like growth, native to tropical Africa.
Often confused with yucca and some cordylines, corn plants are among the most popular types of dracaenas.
Highly prized as interior specimens, most potted varieties are sold as standards, often with multiple heads of foliage on a single cane or in groups of two or three canes per pot.
Growing wild in their native environment, they grow as much as 50 feet tall, but potted houseplants typically have a more manageable mature height of five to 10 feet.
The genus name Dracaena comes from the Greek word drakaina which means female dragon. The species epithet fragrans means fragrant and refers to the sweet smelling, vanilla-like scent of the flowers, which is used in the perfume industry.
The small, starry blooms are creamy white to pale pink, growing in demure panicles that are highly attractive to pollinators when grown outdoors.
Unfortunately, corn plants rarely flower indoors, but they might do so when given conditions that replicate their native habitat.
Young plants have a single unbranched stem with a rosette of leaves growing in a spiral, and the trunk won’t branch until flowering has taken place or it’s been injured in some way, such as from pruning.
The glossy green, lanceolate leaves measure up to five inches wide and can grow as much as 60 inches long, with the ends of longer leaves bending and drooping under their own weight, producing a dramatic, fountain shaped canopy.
As they grow and mature, corn plants naturally lose their lower leaves, giving them a distinctive, palm-like profile.
Along with their verdant foliage and regal form, mass canes are valued as houseplants for their adaptability to a wide range of lighting conditions from bright, indirect light to dark, shady corners – plus, they’re highly tolerant of neglect!
Please note that the high concentration of saponins found in all parts of D. fragrans are toxic to pets. Check our guide that covers dracaena toxicity in cats and dogs for more info.
Cultivation and History
Mass canes were discovered by European explorers in the 1700s during the Age of Discovery.
And thanks to their easy propagation, by the mid-1800s rooted cuttings of D. fragrans were available throughout Europe.
They were first marketed commercially in North America in the 1930s, and quickly became popular in homes and offices.
Today the popularity remains and corn plants are among a number of common houseplants studied for their air purifying properties.
They were shown to be effective at reducing certain airborne indoor toxins such as formaldehyde and carbon dioxide.
Corn Plant Propagation
Stem cuttings are the fastest and most reliable way to propagate D. fragrans, with spring being the best time to do this project.
Spring to early summer is also the best time to prune your plants, so you can use the parts removed from pruning for your propagation purposes.
Use clean, sharp snips to remove a six- to 10-inch section of stem, ensuring there are at least four leaves at the tip.
Remove any leaves from the bottom half and dust the cut end in rooting hormone powder if desired – rooting hormone isn’t mandatory, but it does improve the chances of success.
If you need powdered rooting home you can find Bonide Bontone II available at Arbico Organics.
Bonide Bontone II Powdered Rooting Hormone
You can also use a six- to 10-inch section of the woody trunk, but it must have at least one bud – which appears as a slight swelling just under the bark.
Insert the cut end into a six-inch pot filled with a moist potting soil mix amended with one part sand to improve the drainage. You can root multiple cuttings per pot, just ensure they are spaced about two inches apart.
Place the pots in a warm location – around 70°F is ideal – with bright, indirect light and keep the soil lightly moist.
Cuttings should root in eight to 12 weeks. Transplant into individual containers when they start to produce new growth.
If you’re new to this propagation method, our guide to propagating dracaena houseplants has all the details.
How to Grow Corn Plants
Corn plants grow well in a range of lighting conditions from to dimly lit shade to filtered sun, but a spot with medium, indirect light produces best results.
Also, they’re sensitive to strong, direct sun which can cause the leaves to burn – sheer curtains in the window are helpful to prevent sun scorch from direct light.
D. fragrans tend to grow towards the light. To encourage upright growth with a straight trunk, rotate container specimens by a quarter turn every few weeks.
They need a site with consistently warm temperatures and prefer a range of 60 to 70°F for daytime temperatures and slightly cooler nights.
Avoid locations that drop below 55°F and keep them away from drafty spots like cold windows or blowing air from AC and heat vents.
When you first bring your houseplant home from the store, you will likely need to repot it into a suitable container.
Choose containers with drainage holes and add some porous drainage material like pebbles or broken pottery shards if desired.
I like to add a two-inch layer of pottery shards to my houseplant containers to ensure the water moves freely and the roots don’t sit in wet soil.
Partially fill containers with a high quality potting soil that has a lightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.3, a loose texture for good aeration, plus organic materials like coconut coir to provide structure and nutrients.
Personally, I find that commercial potting soils with coconut coir or peat moss drain too slowly for many houseplants.
I like to amend these commercial mixes with some grit to keep the water moving freely, adding in one or two parts of landscape sand, perlite, or stone chips for a faster flow.
If the root ball is compacted or tangled, gently loosen the roots by carefully teasing them apart with your fingers.
Set the root ball in place, and after ensuring the trunk is straight, top up with more soil to cover the root ball and crown – the top of the root ball should be one to two inches below the soil surface.
Firm the soil gently in place then water your plant deeply.
If any water remains in the catchment tray after 30 minutes, pour it off to prevent the roots from sitting in wet soil.
During the growing season of spring to fall, keep the soil lightly moist, but not soaking wet.
In fall and winter, reduce watering but don’t allow the soil to dry out completely. Water when the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch.
If the air in your home is dry, mist the foliage regularly or place them on a tray with pebbles and water to improve humidity – they do best in a humidity range of 50 to 65 percent.
Houseplants can also be moved outside onto a balcony, deck, or patio for the summer months. Place them in bright, indirect light or a site that receives morning sun only.
After the specimen has spent the summer outdoors, remember to acclimate it properly to indoor conditions.
Growing Tips
Corn plants are easily cultivated and the following tips help ensure vibrantly attractive, healthy growth:
- Maintain even moisture during the growing season, and be sure to pour off any excess water that remains in the catchment saucer 30 minutes after watering.
- Because they go dormant for winter, reduce watering between November and March. In winter, water when the top two inches of soil dries out.
- To prevent brown leaf tips, maintain humidity by misting frequently or placing them on a saucer of pebbles and water.
Now let’s have a look at their easy maintenance routine.
Pruning and Maintenance
Although maintenance is minimal, a little regular care can keep your corn plants looking their best.
Pruning
Should your corn plant outgrow its space, spring is the best time to prune.
To reduce the size of your specimen, use clean, sharp garden shears to remove shoots close to the main trunk, or to lop off the top section of the trunk.
Reduce the trunk size by as much as two thirds and cut it on a 45-degree angle.
Lopping off the trunk also encourages new growth to sprout just below the cut, creating a lush, multi-headed canopy.
Use the cuttings to propagate new specimens and check out our guide to when and how to prune dracaena for detailed steps.
Cleaning
As houseplants, the generous leaf surfaces of mass cane accumulate their share of dust and household particles.
To keep your dracaena healthy and looking its best, be sure to clean the leaves regularly.
Use a cloth dampened with water, and starting at the leaf’s base or axil, gently wipe the surfaces all the way to the tip, cleaning both the top and underside of each leaf.
Use a light touch so that you’re lifting the dust, but not crushing or tugging the leaf.
An easier and faster alternative to cleaning leaves by hand is to move the pot outdoors and rinse them off with a gentle shower from a hose or watering can – you can also rinse small specimens in a kitchen sink.
Allow the foliage to air dry thoroughly before moving them back to their indoor locations.
To keep your dracaena strong and vital, repot D. fragrans every two or three years to refresh the soil nutrients and prevent them from becoming root bound.
The day before repotting, water your corn plant deeply to moisten the soil evenly, then prepare a container that’s two to four inches larger than the current pot.
Carefully slide the root ball out of its pot, gently loosen the roots with your fingers, then set the root ball into the larger container.
Straighten the trunk, backfill with soil, and carefully firm in place.
Water gently to settle your corn plant in its new home.
Cultivars to Select
Corn plants are readily available at many nurseries and online.
There are a variety of D. fragrans cultivars available. Here is a sampling of some of my favorites to get you started.
Massangeana
‘Massangeana’ develops multiple trunks and lush rosettes of foliage.
The striking silhouette features sturdy, upright canes with handsome, arching foliage – the long, strappy leaves in forest green with chartreuse center variegation.
‘Massangeana’
Container-grown specimens can reach a mature height of six feet or more with a spread of up to four feet, and with proper care, may produce clusters of small, fragrant white flowers followed by orange berries.
You can find plants in three-gallon containers at Fast Growing Trees.
You can also find this cultivar available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Janet Craig Compacta
Slim and elegant with a unique silhouette, Janet Craig aka D. fragrans ‘Compacta’ (syn. D. deremensis) features slender, branched stems with dense tufted canopies of short, dark green leaves.
The glossy foliage is wavy and deeply veined, growing in beautiful, lush rosettes that maintain a small, trim size as they grow – the perfect cultivar for any tight corner or spot with limited space.
Janet Craig Compacta
This cultivar reaches a mature height of three to six feet with a spread of three feet.
Nursery plants in four-inch containers are available at Nature Hills.
Lemon Lime
Colorful with fantastic striped leaves, ‘Lemon Lime’ has long, sword-shaped foliage for a lively tropical vibe.
The richly colored leaves are a deep, dark green with a mixture of cream, lime green, and butter yellow striations – ideal for lighting up indoor settings.
‘Lemon Lime’
‘Lemon Lime’ reaches a mature height of six feet and spreads up to four feet.
Container plants are available at Fast Growing Trees.
Other popular cultivars include ‘Dorado,’ which sports thick, dark green leaves and lime green margins with downward curling leaves.
‘Hawaiian Sunshine’ is a compact cultivar featuring glossy, forest green leaves with a crisp, narrow center strip of chartreuse or lime green.
A tricolor jewel, ‘Warneckii’ has beautifully striated leaves with dark, inky green centers, chartreuse margins, and a thin band of white separating the green colors.
Managing Pests and Disease
You’ll love the low maintenance and non-fussy nature of corn plants, but even easy care species can develop a few problems from pests and disease now and again.
Sapsucking insects like thrips, scale, and spider mites can be attracted to the lush leaves, causing disfigurement, leaf spots, a sticky layer of honeydew, and lack of vigor.
To banish sapsuckers, the most reliable method is to meticulously wipe the top and bottoms of leaves and stems with a damp cloth.
A natural pesticide like neem oil can also be used to spray plants, or you can easily make your own insecticidal soap by combining a teaspoon of biodegradable liquid dish soap with a quart of warm water.
Spray the tops and bottoms of leaves as well as the leaf axils and stems for complete coverage.
Corn plants cultivated as houseplants aren’t generally affected by disease, with the exception of root rot, caused by overwatering and perpetually soggy conditions.
Our guide to dracaena diseases gives the run down if your plant is looking sickly. If the stems are turning black, we have a guide to help you figure that out as well.
D. fragrans can also be susceptible to tap water toxicity from additives like chlorine and fluoride, causing tan to brown splotches, streaks, and tips.
If the leaves are browning, flush the soil with distilled water, then use only non-fluoridated or rainwater when watering.
Learn more about how to water dracaena in our guide.
Best Uses for Corn Plants
With their striking foliage, stout stems, and bold silhouette, corn plants are highly ornamental and work well in a variety of light settings.
This makes them ideal as indoor specimens for low to brightly lit locations.
They’re also highly effective when set in a row to create an indoor screen, room divider, or private nook.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: | Perennial shrub | Flower/Foliage Color: | White/green, variegated green/white, green/yellow |
| Native to: | Tropical Africa | Water Needs: | Moderate |
| Hardiness (USDA Zone): | 10-12 | Maintenance: | Low |
| Bloom Time: | Summer, but infrequent indoors | Tolerance: | Low light, some drought |
| Time to Maturity: | 5 years | Soil Type: | Loose, organically rich potting soil |
| Exposure: | Indirect, bright to low lighting | Soil pH: | 5.5-6.3 |
| Spacing: | 36-48 inches | Soil Drainage: | Well-draining |
| Planting Depth: | Top of rootball 1 to 2 inches below the surface | Order: | Asparagales |
| Height: | 5-10 feet indoors | Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Spread: | 3-4 feet | Genus: | Dracaena |
| Common Pests and Disease: | Thrips, scale, spider mites; root rot | Species: | Fragrans |
A Tropical Touch
Attractive and easy with their lush foliage, stately form, and no-fuss care, corn plants are a beautiful and reliable choice for adding a tropical touch to our homes!
They’re happy with almost any lighting from bright to dim but avoid direct sunlight which can scorch the leaves.
During the growing season, keep the soil slightly moist and feed lightly, then in winter reduce watering and withhold fertilizers until spring.
And remember to turn your potted plants a bit every few weeks to keep the stems growing upright.
After that, kick back and admire what a smart choice you’ve made for your indoor greenery!
Are you growing corn plants or thinking of adding D. fragrans to your houseplant collection? Let us know in the comments section below!
To learn more about the handsome plants in the Dracaena genus, add these guides to your reading list next:
