Trees Planet: Dracaena Reflexa - Pleomele

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Dracaena Reflexa - Pleomele - Song of India

General Information

Common Name	Pleomele, Song of India
Scientific Name	Dracaena Reflexa
Sun Tolerance	Full Sun
Height	4 – 5 m(13 – 18 ft)
Spread	1 – 2 m (3 – 8 ft)
Growth Rate	Slow
Bloom Time	Winter
Color	Green with white Margin
Flower Color	White, Red
Type	Shrub
Native	Madagascar and Tropical Areas

Classification

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	Asteridae
Order	Solanales
Family	Asparagaceae
Genus	Dracaena
Species	D. Reflexa

Dracaena Reflexa - Pleomele - Song of India

Dracaena reflexa, commonly called Pleomele or the Song of India is a tender evergreen shrubs or small tree native to Madagascar and Mauritius. But this is a tropical tree. It may reach a height of 4–5 m, rarely 6 m in ideal, protected locations, D. reflexa is usually much smaller, especially when grown as ahouseplant. It is slow-growing and upright in habit, tending to an oval shape with an open crown. This is a full sun tree. In too much shade, plants may grow spindly with the variegated leaves losing their variegation. Plants like high humidity and consistent year-round temperatures. The shiny leaves are narrowly lance-shaped, green in the middle and bordered with pale yellow that frames each leaf. There is greener version. The leaves spiral upwards from the stems to tip in a wild fashion that creates the Song of India's messy and unpredictable crown.

It blooms greenish-white flowers in mid winter. Flowers are sometimes followed by orange-red berries. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are especially showy. Dracaena reflexa is a popular ornamental plant, both in the landscape and the home. People plant it in their home or garden as an ornamental tree.