Looks like I found the right thread! Yesterday I rescued a Dracaena Tricolor from my girlfriend's work that I'd like to try nursing back to health. Apparently it wasn't really being watered very much. It has one cane with three stems that have completely flopped over about halfway up, but they still have alot of reasonably healthy foliage on them. With care, will the stems eventually right themselves? Should I stake them up? This is one of my first Dracaena so any advice would be greatly appreciated! I've treated it with a little miracle grow, super thrive, proteckt and physan-20 and am keeping it in my indoor flourescent light garden for now, which is pretty warm and humid. I also got another tricolor from my girlfriend's work that she says is at least 8 years old. It's healthy but only about 18" high and has never been repotted to my knowledge. I am guessing that it's probably pot bound? It makes for sort of a nice "bonsai," but would it be better to repot it soon. And one more thing, I also picked up another Dracaena recently at a plant sale. I'm not sure which species it is but it has thin white stripes on the edges of the leaves. Does anyone happen to know what this is off-hand? Thanks again Gardenwebbers!

Interesting thing about Dracaena names - no one ( I mean growers, botanists, collectors, researchers, etc.) agrees on what to call them. Mainly this is because the plants can change aspects (leaf coloration, size, growth pattern, etc.) more than once in the course of several years, based on the age of the plant as well as the cultural conditions. They also throw sports very easily. There are also many unnamed varieties in the wild, which can be introduced to the trade at any time. All of this is leading up to the observation that I don't think your plant is an 'Arturo' - those have yellow-green margins on the leaves, and it looks to me like yours has solid green leaves. Here's a link to the original patent information http://www.google.com/patents/USPP13814 and some color pics that show the margins more clearly, as well as loads of other dracaenas if you're interested. http://www.nieuwkoop-europe.com/downloads/Dracaena_brochure_spread.pdf Yours looks to be some form of Dracaena 'Janet Craig,' but as there are several varieties of that, you almost have to consult with the grower to identify specific cultivars. Even then, growers can have incorrect information, or at least information differing source to source. Until some energetic research facility undertakes a complicated genetic evaluation to determine which Dracaenas are related to which, the whole naming thing is a mish-mash.

next time.. 4 different posts .. for 4 different plants ... is probably preferred by most of us.. there is a house plant forum ... the philodendrons can be cut into 3 inch hunks .. left to dry .. then laid on media ..... and rooted very easily ... as well as the trunk resprouting.. to control size ... the dracena ... the one with browning tips.. is most likely TOO BIG!!! for a small pot.. as the potting media can not hold enough water for the plant to process .. in a house in IL in winter.. especially if dealing with a forced air furnace ... in other words.. your favorite babe has turned into an unruly teenager ... now that you know the name.. google: propagation of dracena ... and learn how to regenerate it into a smaller plant.. that can cope indoors in winter in IL .... in the alternative.. up-pot to a pot double the size.. and figure out where it will fit in the house. ... i see with your swiss cheese.. you have gotten a larger pot.. and that will buy you some years.. but a youthful younger plant.. will be better.. than a jungle vine that tarzan might be seen cruising on [or is this your plan to get to the fridge on commercials .. lol] ... a new pot.. new media.. and cut back to one foot.. and that thing might be just as tall by next winter ... since you want to learn ... i used to do this kind of stuff in early summer.. when the plants can finally go outside ... so that by fall.. when they are ready to come back in ... they are vigorous.. and ready for winter torture in MI .. lol .. [and of course.. that is one reason my vines never got too long.. cuz i couldnt get them out of the house ... lol] good luck ken

Thanks so much K and F , a bit of background Mistress Wilky and I are probably the worst gardeners the world has ever seen ,we wouldn't grow anything in the Amazon, we were dragged up in inner city Manchester UK and the only grass I saw as a kid was growing between the nicks in the flagstones and no ! We never touched and tbh never seen the other 'grass' So if ( when ) I ask something stupid please understand. it is definitely not standing in water Mrs W insisted it didn't need watering so if anything it's too dry ,we go have a hole in the bittom of the pot.It stands near to a patio with great light sometimes sunny ( well we are in Manchester) and obviously the central heating is on most days at least until August !!. Do we leave the leaves ?? Or cut the brown ones off ,it looks very sad ,thxs for identitfying it ,I am told my D in Law bought it from IKEA of all places ( she wants to be Swedish) so it probably had a similar upbringing to me ...neglected. Any advice will gratefully received ,have a great day, . john.