Draceana Deamage

I have quite a few Draceanas that are several years old and ranging from 12- 25 feet tall. My largest just broke off with the weight of the snow leaving a 6ft trunk and the others look like their crowns just froze out. I've seen them split at the top and continue growing, but some of the leaves are just falling out of the lower portion. Anyone have any ideas or experiences?

Hey! Good to see you here!

Mom's draceana outside the front door fell over in the snow as well, and we are not sure what we are going to do with it yet. It's been a rough winter on a lot of stuff.

I had one that was about 10 feet tall a few years ago that froze over a bad winter. I cut it off at the base, but didn't dig it up as I didn't have anything to plant in the area at the time. Was I ever surprised to see new growth there around mid summer! I would get rid of the ugly stuff and wait a while and see what happens. Hopefully someone else will have more knowledge or experience and can give you better advice. I will cross my fingers for you!

Julie

Azoria & Rarejem,
I'm in Anacortes, WA
If your draceana has broken off just trim the torn parts. Stick the broken off top in rooting compound and stick it in a pot of well draining soil. I usually put a clear plastic bag over the top loosly, to keep in some moisture. The bottom stem will probably produce one or two new shoots. I do this all the time to keep my Marginatas under control.
Mine are strictly indoor plants. What types are you growing that can stand snow? You have me really confused.
barb

Barb,

I am not good at anything other than the "common" names for a lot of things, and the draceana that both my mother and I grow are the simple kind that all of the box stores sell as basket stuffers or annuals this time of year. We have found that if you grow them in a sheltered area, they can get quite large, and survive quite a bit of cold (unfortunately nothing like this year!). If you buy the one gallon size and it is happy where it is at, it can reach 8+ feet in about three years--Mom's did, and I had one do that a few years ago. My big one froze in one of our colder winters (2005?), and I think that Mom's might have even been ok through this winter if the snow hadn't flattened it. In Anacortis you are warmer than I am, so you might be surprised if you try them outside...just don't get attached!

Rarejem,
See if you can get the botanical name for the ones you are growing. Just google draceana and look at the pics and see if you can tell which is which. DRACEANA, Corn plant looks very much like a corn plant w/ broad green leaves. DRACEANA, marginata has narrow,dark greeen, shiny leaves with a burgundy edge. DRACEANA, tricor has leaves about the same size as marg. but are colored lite green, pink and yellow. I'm guessing yours is probably the corn plant as that is the most common.
I'm on a bluff looking west to the San Juan Islands about 2 blocks from the water and get quite alot of wind. The really is no good sheltered place.
barb

Barb, Kind of tossed up between Draceana marginata and Dracaena indivisa. Both start out looking the same, but the ones that I have grown never develop a "bare stem" so to speak, but are fully leafed from bottom to top. Am leaning towards the Dracaena indivisa, but just went out and looked for a tag in the one that I bought for my new planter and was just listed as an "accent plant". I will see if Mom has pics of hers before it went down.

Rarejem,
I'm not that great at plant ID either. But did manage to ID all the house plants
I have. I doubt it's a marginata, they are much smaller and when I googled indivisa I would not have guesssed it was a drac. at all. It looks more like a yucca, aka spanish needle Much different that the ones I mentioned above. It mentioned zone 7 for indivsa and I'm in zone 5.
barb

Is it possible that you have a very young Phormium?

Here is a pic of Mom's at age 2 or 3. It is planted next to the house, which is about as sheltered as you get in our world.

The first pic was 2007, this was last year. Now it is flat on the ground :(

I believe this is Cordyline australis. Most of mine were at least 3 years or older and they grew very fast. They are supposed to be hardy to zone 8. I have dug one up and the root looked viable. Unfortunately I believe to tops have died out and they will probably start back at ground level.

I have a smaller one that the top froze on this winter. It's been in a large pot that I keep up close to the garage. Started as an accent plant (tag said draceana, but not which) in a color pot I made up. It's probably 4 yrs old, but we had a much colder (and snowier) winter than is normal. Really disappointed to loose it. But have another about 2 yrs that is fine.

Sally, Sounds like yours is the same as my Mom's and the one that I had. Mine that froze and died did come back from the roots, so don't totally give up on yours yet. It is really disapointing to lose the growth it spent so much time developing though!

I'll leave it awhile and see what happens. One good thing, I make up color pots every year, so I'll have another candidate in the wings.^_^