Today I went to the store again and the Dracaena is gone. What a relief! As I saved 37,99â¬, but I saw a big variegated Dracaena that sold at 144,99â¬. Below is its photo. However I received a reply from my plant expert "pen-pal" who lives in the Netherlands. This is what he said: 'Massangeana' is a rather amorphous cultivar -nowadays we mean broad-leafed with a white stripe in the middle, but originally D. massangeana was described as a species from the Belgian Congo. I assume it was originally not variegated but this trait later became associated with the name. Unfortunately the original Belgian publication is rather obscure, I can't find a copy, but I assume it was distinguished from normal fragrans due to it's wider leaves and thicker stems. The plant at the home improvement store looks like regular old Massangeana. The price is high for Dutch standards. As far as I can tell, 'Cintho' is a new cultivar (or just a trademark?) exclusively marketed in Europe by Ammerlaan of the Netherlands. The trunks are grown in Costa Rica for 2-10 years then exported bare, the trunks are resprouted over here. It is not available in the USA. All places selling this plant in Europe and Russia buy it from Ammerlaan at the Dutch auction houses, or have it remarketed to them from the same source. I suspect it may be the medioaureovariegated form of one of the East African 'steudneri' forms of D. fragrans (and not a real steudneri), but it may just be a mutant (more petiolate and with clearer/more stable mid-stripe) sport of 'Massangeana'. The leaf aspect is not a good characteristic - the difference in droopiness in your plant is likely environmental.

It's awesome! It's perfectly normal for a specimen of its' age in a pot inside. The foliage near the top could be a bit sparse from being above the window, getting less light. Sorry for the delayed reply, errand day yesterday. There's a bunch of pics of older plants here: http://allthingsplants.com/plants/view/76304/Corn-Plant-Dracaena-fragrans/ Even in a 3-story atrium, the lower parts of the trunks become naked over time, as older leaves are lost, similar to the growth of any large tree. Whenever a trunk becomes too tall, it can be cut where one would like to see a new side branch. New growth usually comes from a spot near the cut. So, the lower the cut is made, the more room a new branch has to grow before getting too tall again. Sticking the cut piece(s) back in the pot can help yield a more full look, but trying to hide the trunks isn't necessary, under the umbrella of "normal" but perfectly fine if that's just what you prefer to look at. If you go in the house plant forum and search for Dracaena within that forum, you'll also see tons of other, similar discussions, with many more pics. If none of this is appealing, you can "make" your own new plant from this one. Cut off the pieces that are the most attractive to you, stick them in a pot, pushing the trunks all the way to the bottom of the pot so they will be sturdily upright. Using an uneven number, cut to different heights, would yield an instantly bushy-looking "new" plant. Some of the existing leaves are usually discarded when doing cuttings like that, but I've never had one fail to take root and start growing great new leaves within a few months. A nursing home or university would probably love to have the rest of it, if you prefer that idea & want to ditch the stump/root ball. Keep asking questions (here or in house plants,) if you have more of them, until you feel confident & can decide on a plan that's right for what you want to end up with.

They're very easy plants so you shouldn't have any problems getting it into top shape. Providing the soil is fast draining and you keep up the warmth it will respond. Middle of day direct sun tends to yellow the leaves, but still keep it in a bright spot as they don't like too much shade.

I guess they are native plants somewhere in the world - probably think of them as weeds at these locations. I think we all learn through experience, mistakes, and outright neglect. At least the cold didn't kill the plant so it may have made it stronger? My sister-in-law and her husband bought a corn plant when they visited us about 35 years ago for our youngest daughter's 5th birthday. Middle of January and it was in the 70's. My wife took them to the major family owned (at the time) chain nursery in the Atlanta area and her sister bought a corn plant. The weather changed from 70's (short sleeve weather) to single digits overnight. Their vehicle at the time was a Chevy S-10 with a cap on it. They put the corn plant in the bed and my BIL said he watched that plant turn black on their return trip to Nashville (normally a four hour drive but longer this trip due to snow). It was dead (at least that is what they surmised). So I can see how your plant could get some cold damage carrying it around outside in freezing weather even if only for an hour. Sensitive aren't they? I don't know if Dracaena is monocarpic or not. The ones in Maui certainly didn't look like flowering ever hurt them? The couple who owned the garden (six acres?) provided lunch for the tour van and sold cuttings and other Hawaiian hand made knick-knacks. Here is a sample of their cuttings (expensive if you ask me)