Sansevieria has recently been reclassified to Dracaena.
Dracaena trifasciata is native to Nigeria and tropical Africa. A perfect plant for beginners. It will grow in bright sunshine or shade, withstand dry air, draughts and periods without water, and it rarely needs re-potting. It can however, be quite easily killed by prolonged over-watering in winter and prolonged exposure to near freezing temperatures. 'Black coral' has almost black colouring and wavy horizontal bands of grey-green.
Genus name comes from the Greek ‘drakaina’ meaning dragon.
Pot: ø 12cm.
Height: Approximately 45cm from base of pot.
Light: Bright indirect light, meaning the plant sees the sun for 0-4 hours per day - this could be through trees or a translucent curtain, it’s important for the plant to see the sky in order to thrive. Dracaena can tolerate periods of fairly low light but this means minimal growth and very infrequent watering. If exposed to direct sun, be mindful of colours fading on the leaves.
Water: Allow the potting mix to dry out completely between waterings, aerate the mix with a few pokes of a skewer or blunt stick, pour water slowly over the top and allow the water to pass through the drainage holes. If the leaves appear wrinkled the plant requires a thorough soaking.
Potting mix: A well draining mix composed of coco coir, perlite or vermiculite and horticultural sand.
Fertilising: Feed your plant every other watering during the growing season or when you observe active growth. You can dilute fertiliser to half the recommended amount but never add more.
Temperature: 15-30˚C. Dracaena can tolerate short periods of temperatures as low as 10˚C.
Humidity: Average home humidity is fine.
Dracaena trifasciata is toxic, keep out of reach of pets and children.