The indoor Corn Plant has everything you might look for in a houseplant. To take the most obvious factor first - just look at it. That bright, bold and beautiful foliage with various tones of luscious green colours; it's a magnificently striking plant, that would look at home in all kinds of indoor plant displays.
Then there are all of the other positive attributes that you get with many other plants. They help to clean the air that you breathe, which in turn will help you feel more calm and relaxed. Having Dracaena plants around your home can even help you become more productive - in our opinion they should be in every home in the country!
Now, with all these benefits, you may think that growing Corn Plants is going to be quite tricky - well we're here to address that in this blog. We're going to detail exactly what you need to know about Corn Plant care to keep your plant alive, and really help them thrive.
Are Corn Plants easy to look after?
If you're worried about whether you will have the horticultural skills to master Corn Plant indoor care, then let us put your mind at rest now. You do. If you are capable of reading this blog and following some very simple instructions, then you are more than qualified to own a Dracaena Corn Plant.
These are easy going plants, able to cope with some drought and in some light shaded areas of your house. They have got a reputation of being a great 'beginner' plant, which makes a Corn Plant a great gift for people as you're not lumbering them with something that will take up a lot of their time.
What are Corn Plants?
Dracaena Corn Plants originally come from tropical Africa - countries like Mozambique, Côte d'Ivoire and Angola. They tend to grow high up in the mountains, where they can go for long periods without water - which is where they get their resistance to drought. They are slow growing plants, and the houseplant varieties can grow up to a height of around 1.5 metres. One quick word of caution - they are mildly toxic, so best to keep them away from pets and children. While Corn Plants flower in their natural habitat, with pretty fragrant white flowers, it's unlikely that you'll get any flowers indoors. It's their foliage, though, which is the main attraction.
They are known by a few different names; Dracaena fragrans is its botanical name, while it is also known as the Janet Craig plant (botanist Robert Craig named it after his daughter when he first discovered it), the striped dracaena, and the Dragon Tree.
How to care for a Corn Plant
Now we are going to run through everything you need to know about Corn Plant indoor care, covering all the main elements in detail, before providing you with our quick-fire guide.
We'll start with watering. As we mentioned above, a Corn Plant can go for a little while without water. In fact, it is usually much worse to over water Corn Plants than it is to under, as if it is left sat in soggy soil, it can cause root rot.
The best way to see if you need to water a Corn Plant is to check the soil moisture by gently putting your finger into the soil. If it is dry on the top few inches, it could do with a little water, and if it is wet, then you can leave it. The aim is to keep the soil evenly moist. Tap water is fine, but try to make sure it's room temperature, and not too cold.
To help with this, make sure you have sufficient drainage holes in your pot, as well as well draining loose soil so that the water can pass through easily.
When it comes to light, Dracaena fragrans plants prefer to be in bright light, but they can cope with more shaded areas. The only thing is, that if they are not getting the optimum amount of light, they may lose a bit of brightness in their foliage, which would be a shame, but not threatening to the health of the plant. They can have too much light as well - in which case you may see those leaves getting scorched and turning brown.
As your Corn Plant grows, you should aim to repot it once every couple of years or so. Find a pot that is a few inches bigger, and pot it in some fresh soil. It's best to do this during the growing season, in the Spring or Summer.
Here's an easy-to-digest guide to Corn Plant care:
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Origins: Tropical parts of Africa
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How much light: Find a spot in your home that gets plenty of bright indirect light
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Water requirements: Moist soil is the goal here, so if your soil is dry, give it a quick drink. Don't let it sit in excess water.
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Humidity requirements: Mist your plant regularly to really bring out the colour on those leaves.
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Soil requirements: Well-draining potting mix is perfect. If you see the roots force their way out of the pot, it's time to move to a bigger container with some fresh potting soil to ensure your plant's growth stays healthy. Feed sparingly with liquid fertiliser.
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Temperature requirements: 18°C to 23°C is ideal (your regular home temperature will be fine)
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Pruning requirements: Remove any dead or yellowing leaves - these are natural after two or three years. You can trim the top of the cane if it is getting too tall for your space.
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Pests: Look out for spider mites and mealybugs. If you see any, simply remove with a damp cloth
Propagating Corn Plants
The best time to propagate Dracaena fragrans is in the Spring or Summer, during the growing season. Take a stem cutting around 8 inches long and put it in a jar of water (room temperature), so half of it is under water. Put it where it can get plenty of light, in a nice warm room, and top up the water as it evaporates. Change the water entirely every couple of weeks, and you should start to see a root system develop. When those roots get over an inch long, you can plant your new Corn Plant in some soil, and the plant's root ball will develop from there.
Pick up your perfect plants from Prickle
There you have it - Corn Plant care is all very straightforward, so anyone could have this popular ornamental houseplant adorning their home. The other wonderful thing about them is that they work brilliantly with other houseplants as part of a display. Try them with some other evergreens or flowering plants - and don't forget to look at our range of plant pots for flowers. We also have a superb range of outdoor shrubs and plants to get the perfect look in your garden too!
If you have any questions at all about houseplants, then our team of experts are standing by to help you out. Get them on social media @prickplantsuk or email (contact@prickleplants.co.uk) - they are looking forward to hearing from you!