Dragon tree care: watering and light
The dragon tree has slender trunks topped with tufts of narrow leaves, sometimes edged in red. It handles indoor life well and slowly grows tall.
Dragon tree needs water roughly every 6 days in summer and every 13 in winter (east-facing window, in a 16 cm plastic pot with a drainage hole). Before watering, always check with a finger in the soil: if it’s still damp, wait.
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Dracaena marginata
- Also known as
- Madagascar dragon tree, Dracaena
- Preferred light
- Medium indirect light
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Tolerates drought
- No
- Tolerates shade
- Yes
- Where it lives
- Indoors
Where to put it
It does well in indirect light, medium to bright. It copes with darker spots, but grows little and its colours fade. Direct midday sun scorches the leaves.
How to water
Let the top half of the soil dry between waterings. It’s far easier to kill with too much water than too little. Even less in winter.
Common mistakes
Brown tips come from dry air or hard or fluoridated water — use filtered water or water left to stand. Lower leaves slowly yellowing and dropping is normal: that’s how it forms its trunk. Lots falling at once, with damp soil, means overwatering.
How many days between waterings, spot by spot
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| South- or west-facing window | 5 days | 11 days |
| East-facing window | 6 days | 13 days |
| North-facing window | 10 days | 21 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 14 days | 29 days |