A number of years ago we purchased this tall houseplant with 3 stalks of drooping leaves from the clearance area at a big box retailer. I had transplanted pothos at the base to climb the trunk to add a bit of interest to the tall brown stalk.
This summer the tips of the leaves began to grow increasingly yellow and then brown, so I moved it away from the SW facing window to a space with more indirect lighting.
Suddenly Thanksgiving week we noticed some stalks emerging from the top that grew and eventually sprouted buds. Last night a strong, sweet fragrance noted as we passed by the plant, encouraged us to stop to take a closer look at the flowers that were beginning to open.
I was curious enough to begin some research online to ID the plant. It turns out this is Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' is commonly known as Corn Plant. Evidently most of the time you find Dracaena fragrans flowering it will be on very mature plants, usually over 6' tall. The flower stalks emerge out of the center of the leaf whorl and will grow to sometimes 3 feet in length arching to the ground. In the evening the flowers open giving off a strong, sweet fragrance that is noticeable for hundreds of feet.
Common Name: Corn plant
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Asparagaceae
Zone: 10-12
Height: 15.00-50.00 feet
Spread: 3.00-10.00 feet
Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
Bloom Description: White-yellow
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Leaf: Evergreen
Fruit: Showy
Tolerate: Drought
Corn plant is a popular houseplant. Although it may grow to 20’ tall or more in its native tropical habitat in western Africa, it grows slowly reaching 4-6’ as a container plant in homes. Rosettes of plain parallel-veined green leaves (to 2’ long and 3” wide). Over time, plants lose lower leaves revealing bare stems. Fragrant, tiny white-yellow flowers in round heads appear in terminal panicles in winter-spring. Flowers are followed by red berries. Flowers and berries rarely appear on indoor plants. Tolerates a wide range of indoor temperatures. Place in bright indirect light locations protected from direct sun and drafts. Tolerates some low light. Pot may be placed on a bed of wet pebbles to increase humidity. Use a loamy, peaty, well-drained potting soil. Keep soils uniformly moist during the growing season, but reduce watering from fall to late winter. Leaves may brown if soils are too moist or too dry. Root rot usually results from a soil mix that does not drain quickly or overly frequent watering. Dry tips and edges are usually caused by too little humidity. Round dry patches and streaks on the leaves may be caused by excessive sunlight on the foliage. A sudden loss of many leaves can be caused by changes in temperature, drafts, too much water, poor drainage or heavy insect infestations. Scale insects and mites are the most common insect pests of dracaena. Leaf tips and margins may burn or become yellow if plants are fertilized too heavily. Dracaena is very sensitive to fluoride. Symptoms include yellowing of the tips or margins of the leaf or dead, scorched areas. Avoid potting soils that have a high percentage of perlite and keep the soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 to prevent fluoride from causing injury. Do not use fertilizer which contains superphosphate since it often has high levels of fluorine.
Cornstalk Dracaena is one of the house plants identified by NASA research as an efficient air-filtering plant. NASA researchers suggest efficient air cleaning is accomplished with at least one plant per 100 square feet of home or office space.[1]
The first list of air-filtering plants was compiled by NASA as part of the NASA Clean Air Study,[1][2][3] which researched ways to clean air in space stations. As well as absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, as all plants do, these plants also eliminate significant amounts of benzene, formaldehyde and/or trichloroethylene. The second and third list are from B. C. Wolverton's book[4] and paper[5] and focus on removal of specific chemicals.
Air-filtering Plants
Plant, Top remover of:
|
(NASA)[1]
|
(NASA)[1] (Wolverton)[4]
|
(NASA)[1]
|
xylene and
toluene[4][5]
|
ammonia[5]
|
Poisonous or Edible?[6]
|
Dwarf date palm (Phoenix roebelenii)
|
No
|
Wolverton
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis')
|
No
|
Wolverton
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Kimberly queen fern (Nephrolepis obliterata)
|
No
|
Wolverton
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
English ivy (Hedera helix)
|
Yes
|
Wolverton
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
Lilyturf (Liriope spicata)
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
|
No
|
NASA
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureum)
|
Yes
|
NASA
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Poisonous if eaten or chewed by pets or children[7]
|
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa')
|
Yes
|
Wolverton
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Toxic to cats and dogs
|
Flamingo lily (Anthurium andraeanum)
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Poisonous[8]
|
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
|
Wolverton[9]
|
Wolverton[9]
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
|
No
|
NASA, Wolverton
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Broadleaf lady palm (Rhapis excelsa)
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Variegated snake plant, mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii')
|
Wolverton
|
NASA
|
Wolverton
|
Yes
|
No
|
Toxic to cats and dogs [10]
|
Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron cordatum)
|
No
|
NASA
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
|
(Philodendron bipinnatifidum)
|
No
|
NASA
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)
|
No
|
NASA
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena reflexa)
|
Yes
|
NASA
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Toxic to dogs and cats [11]
|
Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragans 'Massangeana')
|
No
|
NASA
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)[12]
|
No
|
Wolverton
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Poisonous if eaten or chewed by dogs, cats and horses[13]
|
Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
|
Yes
|
Wolverton
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Florist's chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
|
Yes
|
NASA, Wolverton
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Poisonous if eaten or chewed by dogs, cats and horses[14]
|
Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
|
No
|
Wolverton
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Toxic to cats
|
Dendrobium orchids (Dendrobium spp.)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
Dumb canes (Dieffenbachia spp.)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Causes oral inflammation in children[15] and animals[16] if chewed
|
King of hearts (Homalomena wallisii)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
?
|
Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis spp.)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Non-toxic to cats
|
I have this plant growing by my front window; it was a present from my aunt. Honestly, I hardly watered it or paid it any mind and I was really surprised when the fragrant little flowers started growing. I scoured the internet trying to figure out what it was lol. Thank you for this post!
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