Agree with Dave- that is an outrageous price. That plant better be perfect. The pot is totally ridiculous for 80 dollars.

definitely returning the pot. absurdly priced. i cannot believe we paid that.

as to the plant, it is currently sitting in the original pot INSIDE the new pot.

also i am in the NYC region.

I'm afraid that those stems won't stand up on their own and have to be taped around that pot or they will topple.

The plant tissue will die under that tape if left on too long.

Holy buckets that's a lot of cash. It looks really healthy though so obviously your call. I'd definitely return the pot. You can find another one somewhere cheaper. Usually a silk tree would be around $80, FYI

80 bucks? I could of bought 10-20 plants for that price. I'd probably return both the pot and plant.

I think what Rhizo might mean is that the plant maybe top heavy for the original pot which might be why the other pot was taped there- unless you had it shipped then it could be a stabilization thing. I think we need Al in here to help them with the 80 dollar tree.

That's why I rescue sick or dying plants that no one wants. Before I moved I had 377 plants in one tiny two bedroom house. And 85% of them I either found, or were dropped on the curb to be destroyed. I remember finding a tiny jade stem in the alleyway when I was out searching for curb plants, which led me to finding an aloe vera, and a 15+ year old jade plant torn up from its pot. The aloe vera was too far gone, but most of the Jade cuttings rooted and I gave them all away, except for three. One of them is that very same fragment that laid in the alleyway, abandoned.

Jake, the op stated that this was their first houseplant and they don't want to kill it. Granted they spent more then they should have but they are willing to take care of it. They don't even know how to root a plant. Took me many years of trial and error to even know what I know about them and that is not that great. I remember way back when I would just walk into a plant store and buy an overpriced plant just because I Iiked it with no idea of what I would do with it.

You have to know what you're doing with rescues. And the success rate is lower than with healthy plants bought new. In addition, there is sometimes a good reason why the plant was thrown out (pest infestation, fungus, mold, other contagious diseases, etc.). Not everyone wants to hunt though things thrown out, take those risks, and wait years for a lovely mature plant (assuming that even happens). As Caro123 says, sometimes you just want a nice plant.

If I were getting a first plant, I'd want to know it was healthy so as to give myself and the plant the best chance at a happy relationship. Also, when you're new to a field, it's hard to know what a good price for something is. And that is a beautiful, big, healthy-looking plant. I don't think we should be too hard on No Thanks, just help them along as requested.

No Thanks, it's good that you came here. This site has lots of friendly, knowledgeable and experienced plant lovers that are happy to help. Welcome, and good luck with your beautiful plant.

thanks all for the replies. so the pot is going back today. we're going to probably grab a cheap, 12" terra cotta planter from Home Depot - thoughts on that?

also, i just watered it until water ran out of the drainage hole. i then dumped the water and put the plant back on top of the little plastic dish.

lastly - for future reference - where can i find plants more affordable? i assume just the big box stores?

thanks all!

The problem with taking a plant back is many places will not be able to sell it again so they will just chuck it. It's a shame, but they don't know whether or not you sprayed something on it or exposed it to other plants that may be infected with something.

Yes, big box stores, but this time of year garden centers will also have them.

Start with HD, check out what they have while you are there! Yes, TC would work. It would be heavier and would not topple over as easy with the tall plant. If you choose TC, you will want to find something to set it on, either new or something you already have, because it could leave a ring (actually any pot has the potential to do that). I have a TC pot that left a ring on a windowsill because the coaster was too thin, I never would've thought it was possible or that moisture was even near it, but it happened.

I hope your plant continues to be healthy- it's very nice looking and I can see why you chose it. :)

A terra cotta pot is a good choice.

You can find pretty much the same plant at Home Depot or Lowes usually for about $19.99. If they've been there a while, you'll find them marked down to $12.99 or less.

I got my ficus benjamia at Lowes over a year ago. It was 4' tall and $20. It's now 7 feet tall and about to go into an 18" pot.

Just in case you don't know this- you can also type dracaena into the search box above and get tons of older posts about this plant to help you keep it in good condition. A terracotta pot is perfect. If you want a fancier look you can check out ceramic pots at the bbs or osjl even the assorted dollar stores and put the tc pot in that after it has drained well as a cache pot.

I hope everybody didn't discourage you. It really is a nice plant and not everybody has access to $20 plants. A lot of us are jaded and know we can get plants cheaper, that doesn't change the fact that the plant is a pretty nice one and it is a competitive price for most high end greenhouses. You definitely want to give it as much light as possible and you did come to the right place to get info on how to care for it. Welcome to the world of houseplants.

If I in any way sounded rude I do apologize. I don't want to discourage anybody from such a great hobby. I

If you like this plant, you can find similar sized draceana's (many types) and other tropicals at both home depot and lowes in the new york area for somewhat less money. There are usually a bunch of larger tropicals (draceanas among the most common) at Lowes and Home Depot in Gowanus, Brooklyn - haven't spent any time in Manhattan locations. Just mentioning it as I'm sure you will soon want to expand your collection/hobby :)