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dracaena sun scald

last year

Hello,

So I put my dracaena marginata (dragon tree) on the porch and sun scalded it. Brought it back inside but now the affected leaves (about 60%) are slowly turning brown. Can I lop off the top and a new plant will slowly grow back?

That may be too much at once and would shock it. Or should I slowly cut the leaves off and create a trunk? And don't yell at me, I realize my stupid error.

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Comments (4)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
Technically, you have sunburn (photo-oxidation), not sun scald, which is caused by rising of sap on warm winter days, followed by night temps low enough to freeze the sap, which kills areas of the vascular cambium (layer just under the bark).

If you lop off the top (truncate), it will backbud (grow branches) lower on the trunk - near the point at which the plant was truncated.

Al
iochroma
last year
I agree with Tapla.

Also that is not D. marginata, but a form of massangeana or fragrans.
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do you have the latin name of the tree??? .. its cold tolerance might make a difference ... we usually have to buds from cold damage.. if we want a spring flower show ... sun scald.. on the other hand is a trunk issue ... i have used 4 inch corrugated drain pipe ... to protect from vermin and sun .. but it allowed a lot of empty space for air movement ... but you have a tight nestled trunk ... am i correct in presuming your noodle is tight on the trunk ... i worry about trapped moisture.. and bugs ... im also wondering .. if within that temp range ... whether temps are not really an issue ... WC is bulletproof in my MI ... but flower production can be variable due to spring deep cold affecting the flower buds ... and i am positive it get a lot colder than 26 ... and if i could spell it.. i would tell you i have a kwanzan cultivar ... ken
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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beheading it seems a bit drastic ... but its your plant.. do whatever you want with it ...

i wouldnt want to be your kid.. and get a sunburn.. lol ...

ken
getgoing100_7b_nj
last year
If it was my plant, I would keep cutting off dead parts. Once it has stabilized, I would asess my options at that point. We can't see how tall this is and if there are siblings in that pot for company. Lopping off at the right height at the right time could give you another plant via propagation.

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