Lemon Surprise Dracaena

Light Needs

Bright Direct Light to Medium Light

Mature Height

2 - 3 Feet

Mature Spread

3 - 4 Feet

Feature

Low Maintenance

Lemon Surprise Dracaena has whorls of lemon- and lime-colored leaves that spread out while the plant grows upward. Dracaena deremensis has the best color when grown in bright light but will tolerate lower-light levels, making this a great starter houseplant for apartment dwellers and new gardeners. The broad leaves of Dracaena are known to help clean the air of pollution and toxic gasses from new furnishings and carpets.

Best Locations For Growing Lemon Surprise Dracaena

Lemon Surprise is a houseplant that can be grown outdoors for the summer or in USDA zones 10-11 year-round. The bright leaves will brighten your office or bathroom. The petite size is perfect for small spaces or as a specimen on a table. All parts of Dracaena are toxic and should be kept away from children and pets.

Lemon Surprise Dracaena Sunlight Requirements

Indirect, bright light will keep the colors of the variegated leaves vivid. Lower light levels of a basement or north-facing window are tolerated, although the leaves will turn a darker green to compensate. Lemon Surprise will need dappled to part shade when grown outdoors. Direct sun during the hottest part of the day will burn the delicate leaves.

Lemon Surprise Dracaena Care

Lemon Surprise is a smaller and slower-growing Dracaena and will not need repotting often. When the roots begin to show through the drainage holes, it is time to repot. Use an indoor potting mix that has coconut coir or other non-peat-based ingredients. Use a pot that has good drainage holes in the bottom. Bad drainage can cause root rot and the eventual death of Dracaena. Pruning should only be needed to remove any older leaves that are turning brown. Older plants can begin to take on a palm tree look from having the older leaves removed, which is normal. To keep Lemon Surprise Dracaena bushy to the base, cut off the top section and repot it into its own container to grow roots and start a new plant.

Watering Lemon Surprise Dracaena

Dracaenas like to have consistently moist soil that feels like a wrung-out sponge. Let the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out between waterings. Using a container that has poor drainage will cause waterlogged soil and overwatering. Empty the cache pot or saucer within 15-20 minutes after watering, so the roots do not stand in water. Dracaena will go semi-dormant in the winter and slow its growth. Depending on humidity levels, Lemon Surprise Dracaena may only need watering every 1-2 weeks in the fall and winter. 

Feeding Lemon Surprise Dracaena

Lemon Surprise Dracaena will benefit from regular, light fertilizing during the spring and summer. Use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength. Once a month, from March to September, supplement watering with this fertilizer. Do not fertilize in the winter months, and be careful to keep the liquid feed off the leaves.

SKU:

Dracaena_Lemon.Lime-HP