John&Jacq~s Garden

Posted by Jacqueline on August 12th, 2009 in Plants database

Dracaena surculosa (Gold Dust Dracaena, Spotted Dracaena)

Stunning variegated foliage that sparkles among a crowd of greeneries.

Dracaena surculosa is a much-loved ornamental foliage plant in our garden that really thrives on neglect, once established.

Currently, we have the ‘Florida Beauty’ that is super slow-growing, just perfect as a potted plant as seen in the right image. Though a 7-year old plant, it is only about 90 cm tall and 76 cm wide. Simply fabulous for our small-sized garden where plants are mostly container-grown. We’ve yet to experience its flowering even once, though!

As compared for the same period of time, the green variety, Dracaena surculosa ‘Punctulata’, a much more vigorous-growing shrub that blooms frequently too, would have reached probably 3.5 m in height.

We no longer grow this since the late 90s but noticed that it was a haven for nesting birds like the white-browed bulbuls when we grew them then. Probably, this plant is favourable for nesting, with sturdier canes in abundance, darker foliage for camouflaging and raised on taller stems for protection against pouncing cats.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Dracaena surculosa (synonym: Dracaena godseffiana)
• Common Name: Spotted Dracaena, Gold Dust Dracaena, Gold Dust Plant
• Family name: Dracaenaceae (also placed in Agavaceae and Ruscaceae)
• Plant type: Ornamental foliage plant
• Origin: Africa (West tropical Africa)
• Features: Dracaena surculosa, though a species of the genus Dracaena, is unlike most dracaenas that have long straplike leaves.
  
  It is smaller, more shrub-like in appearance with branching and spreading stems that are thin and wiry, including bamboo-like canes that are fairly erect and slender, growing from the crown and forming a thick clump as it ages over the years.
  
  An evergreen perennial that is slow-growing, very hardy and typically reaches a height ranging from 76-121 cm.
  An exception is the vigorous-growing green-leaved cultivar, Dracaena surculosa ‘Punctulata’ that can reach 3.5 m or more under optimum growing conditions.
  
  Foliage of Spotted or Gold Dust Dracaena are beautifully variegated with white, creamy or yellow spots and blotches irregularly spread or marked with a white band along the midrib. Depending on the cultivars, these spots can be densely or sparingly seen on the dark green leaf blades. Mostly, the smooth and leathery leaves are oval or elliptical with mucronate tips, 7.6-12.7 cm long, simple and arranged in opposite pairs or in whorls of 3-4 along the wiry stems.
  Here again, ‘Punctulata’ differs in leaf shape, length and spots. Its leaf blades are slender, narrower and longer, up to 20.3 cm in length. Unlike the others, its background color is mostly medium to dark green and quite subtly spotted in yellowish-green or chartreuse and sometimes, none at all for some of its foliage.
  Dracaena surculosa also produces clusters of inconspicuous whitish flowers that are 7.6 cm long and sweetly scented in the late evenings. Flowers are followed by small and roundish berries in brilliant reddish-orange that contrast sharply with the foliage colour.
  Be aware that this plant is poisonous to cats and dogs.

• Culture (Care): Dracaena surculosa is a hardy plant that can be easily grown and need the least care.
  Light: Bright indirect light or filtered sunlight for best leaf colour and growth, but can tolerate lower light conditions. Insufficient lighting will result in greener leaves, dull variegation and weaker stems. A few hours of full sunlight is tolerable when acclimatized.
  Moisture: Medium water regularly, with soil kept evenly moist but not soggy. Overwatering or insufficient watering may cause leaf drop or yellowing. Occasional misting of its foliage is beneficial as it enjoys a humid envoironment.
  Soil: Any standard potting medium for houseplant with good drainage.
  Others: Remove discolored leaves to keep tidy. An occasional shower on their foliage to remove dust and a trim along old stems is recommended to rejuvenate growth. Or prune erect stems when there are one too many at various desired heights (new growth will readily emerge at cut levels) for a lovely aesthetic and ornamental display (this does well for the tall and green cultivar, ‘Punctulata’ from Sierra Leone). Feed monthly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. Repot or replant when the clumps become overly potbound. Nonetheless, it likes to be potbound, so do not repot it in an over-sized one. Generally, disease and pest free.
  For subtropical and temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 9a-11.

• Propagation: Propagation from tip or stem cuttings that root easily in a glass of water or soil is by far the easiest method. Easily propagated by division of clumps too. Can be done by germination of seeds if available, though success rate is very low – read online that the pulpy ‘berries’ have to be completely dried to be viable.

• Usage: Dracaena surculosa makes an excellent ornamental plant, both indoors and outdoors. Very ideal as an attractive specimen in homes, offices, shopping malls, etc. as it is tolerant of low light conditions. Outdoors in the garden, it is suitable as a standalone shrub or mass-planted as a back of border or bedding plant in sunny or semi-shaded sites, or used in informal hedges and landscaping. Excellent too for container gardening, located at patio, deck, porch or courtyard as a specimen or with a crowd of other foliage plants.
  Its beautiful variegated foliage are popularly used as fillers to add interest, sparkle and beauty in floral arrangements.

Some popular Dracaena surculosa cultivars/varieties are:

• ‘Florida Beauty’ (Spotted Dracaena) – leaves are so spotted and blotched in creamy white or creamy yellow that its base color of deep green is much reduced.
  
  

• ‘Gold Dust’ (Gold Dust Dracaena/Plant) – dark green leaves, randomly speckled yellow that fade to white as the leaves mature; an image here.

• ‘Juanita’ – olive green leaves with a broad central band of creamy white and white-spotted margin; an image here.

• ‘Punctulata’ – medium to dark green leaves up to 20.3 cm long, dotted numerously with yellowish-green or chartreuse spots that fade to yellow or lemon as they age. Tall and vigorous-growing cultivar that puts out a lot of bamboo-like canes, is very sturdy and hardy, and accepts heavy pruning and neglect too. It is a common and favorite shrub with Malaysians, and commonly named ‘Buluh Jepun’ in the Malay language, which translates to Japanese Bamboo.
  
  

Other External links:
ARS Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)
Book titled ‘The Tropical Look’ by Robert Lee Riffle
House Plants.com

Last edited: August 13, 2009

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Tags: foliage plants, green, indoor plants, outdoor plants, perennials, poisonous plants