Gold dust dracaena is treasured for its exotic look with variegated foliage. That is why outside its jungle home, you can encounter it potted in homes, offices, and stores. Its common name, ‘Gold-dust,’ comes from the yellow dots on the leaves that turn white with age. When translated from Latin, its scientific name, Dracaena surculosa, means ‘Dragon shooting’ (or ‘shooting dragon’).
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Dracaena surculosa, called the gold dust dracaena and spotted dracaena, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to west and west-central tropical Africa, from Guinea to the Republic of the Congo. Its cultivar ‘Florida Beauty’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
A branched shrub or small tree that commonly grows less than 4 m in height but occasionally reaches 8 m, it has reddish brown tuberous roots that sometimes produce canelike shoots that are sometimes clad in thin greenish to white phrophylls. Leaves are concolorous or variageted, glossy bright to dark green above and sometimes infused with white to yellowish dots; they are arranged in pseudowhorls with margins that are sometimes rough or smooth, apex is acuminate and base is cunneate. Leaflets can reach up to 20 cm long and 7 cm wide and are elliptic in outline. Flowers are greenish to white. Fruits is orange to bright red in colour, globose and up to 2 cm in diameter.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Position your Florida Beauty Plant somewhere it gets plenty of bright but indirect light indoors to see the most impressive variegation on the foliage. Outdoors, the plant can handle a few hours of direct morning sun. Too much direct hot sun can result in leaf scorch and drop, and too little sun means the variegation will fade.
Temperature and Humidity
As you would expect for a tropical species, Florida Beauty Plants appreciate it if you keep them warm, humid, and away from drafts. If temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, you can grow them outdoors in a patio container.
They grow best in temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If your home is dry, it pays to increase the humidity around your Florida Beauty. Try grouping with other tropical species, investing in a humidifier, or adding a tray of pebbles with water under the plant’s container.
Watering
Compared with other indoor plants, gold dust dracaena requires less water. Watering once a week is enough and they may be watered again until the surface soil of the pot is dry. A tray should be placed under the pot. It is required to water the plants slowly until the water flows out from the pot bottom, and then drain the excessive water in the tray after 30 min. Too much water and poor drainage may cause the leaves to fall. At ordinary time, appropriate water mists can be sprayed toward the leaves to increase the ambient humidity and prevent the leave edges from drying.
It should be noted that gold dust dracaena is sensitive to the fluoride in tap water. With long-term use of tap water, there may be dark spots or yellow edges on their leaves, so it is recommended to use collected rainwater or pure water. Alternatively, the tap water may be stored in a container for one night, and watering can be done after the fluoride is reduced.
Soil
Florida Beauty Plants can handle a wide range of soils and potting mixes, provided they are loose and well-drained.
If you want to make your own rich and slightly acidic potting mix, add equal parts peat, loam, and perlite or vermiculite. Alternatively, try a cactus soil with a few handfuls of perlite or vermiculite added to ensure plenty of air circulation around the roots.
Fertilizing
Gold dust dracaena has little demand for nutrients. With available conditions, they can be fertilized once every two weeks in spring and summer. It is enough to fertilize them once a month in fall and no fertilization is required in winter. General water-soluble fertilizers can be applied and each time of fertilization should be subject to the recommended dosage on the package.
Planting Instructions
Among the dracaena plants, Dracaena surculosa is often planted outdoors as bushes in a partially-shady outdoor area. It is better to plant it in spring and summer. Other plants are often potted indoors, and the pots will limit their heights. The pots and soil should be replaced once every two or three years. For height control, the root system should be properly trimmed and a larger pot should be used.
Pruning
Pruning is seldom needed for gold dust dracaena . The old leaves under the stem will wither naturally and it only requires removing them in time; and new leaves will grow continuously. When the plants are tall, their height can be controlled by pruning. Pruning is generally done in spring with sharp gardening scissors (branch scissors) or knives to prune gold dust dracaena to the required height. The bud points should be reserved under the cut and new leaves will grow out several weeks later.
Propagation
Florida beauty plants are easy to propagate from tip cuttings, and you can do this when tidying up your specimen with a bit of pruning in the spring when active growth starts. Here’s how to give it a whirl:
- Grab some sterilized, sharp pruners and take a cutting of a healthy branch tip with three or four leaves on it.
- Plant the tip in a small pot (around three inches high) with moist potting soil. An equal mix of peat and sand works well.
- Cover the plant with a plastic bag to seal in moisture and humidity.
- Keep the container in a warm spot (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit) with access to indirect light.
- The plant shouldn’t need any additional water for the four to six weeks it takes for the cutting to root.
- Once the plant takes root, remove the bag and water whenever the top half inch of the potting mix is dry. Offering a feed of weak liquid fertilizer every fortnight can encourage stronger growth.
- Once you see roots appearing on the soil’s surface, transfer the plant to a larger pot with a potting mix suitable for Dracaena.
- Continue with care as per an adult Florida Beauty Plant.
Potting and Repotting
Florida Beauty Plants are slow-growing and like being slightly rootbound. This means they shouldn’t need repotting more than every other spring. When repotting, don’t select a pot that is too large, as it can make it difficult for the plant to absorb all the moisture in the soil, and they won’t be as snug and pot bound as they like. When the roots are creeping well out of the drainage holes, this is usually a sign they are ready for a change. Make sure the new pot has ample drainage holes.
Overwintering
Because they are less cold resistant, too low temperature should be avoided in winter. When potted plants are placed indoors in winter, water can be sprayed on the leave surfaces in case of heating and low humidity.
Pests and Diseases
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Florida Beauty Plants are rarely bothered by diseases, and pests aren’t a major issue. But mealybugs are sometimes attracted to these plants. Keep an eye out for these fuzzy white sap-sucking insects gathering around the base of your plant. They emit sticky secretions that are mold havens and can stunt plant growth.
Luckily, if you catch them early enough, spraying the bugs with water and wiping them off the plant with a cloth can be enough to get rid of mealybugs. Wiping down the plant with neem oil helps prevent these pests from returning.
Common Problems
Florida Beauty Plants might be low-maintenance, but no plant is no-maintenance. Thankfully, your plant often gives you early warning signs that you need to make changes to its care before it dies. Look out for these signs your plant has a problem.
- Leaves Turning Brown
Avoid overfertilizing. The first sign that you are overfeeding is often leaf margins turning brown. Browning and drooping leaves can also indicate your Florida Beauty is receiving too much intense, direct sunlight.
- Plant Leaves Falling Off
Look at the light your Florida Beauty is getting if you suddenly start seeing lots of leaves falling off. Remember they like bright but indirect light. Shade or intense sunlight isn’t this plant’s friend.
Still seeing leaves dropping? Consider whether the spot you have them is too drafty.
- Leaves Turning Yellow
If you’re overwatering your Florida beauty, you might notice the green foliage turning yellow before root rot kills it. However, yellowing leaves aren’t always a reason to panic. Older foliage will eventually turn yellow and drop to make way for new, healthy leaves.
Watch out for the yellow or creamy white variegation disappearing too. When the leaves turn back to solid green, this can be a sign your plant needs more bright but indirect sunlight.
III. Uses and Benefits
Gold dust dracaena is an ideal plant for garden areas with minimal light. It can be planted alone as a shrub or in a mass on a planting area border. In addition, this plant makes an excellent hedge in informal landscapes. It also grows well in outdoor container gardens on decks, patios, and porches.
