Japanese Bamboo Plant

Dracaena surculosa Punctulata

Family

Dracaenaceae

Native

Western Tropical Africa

Description

Gold Dust Dracaena has long stretches of bare stem, punctuated at intervals by whorls of two to five short, leaf-shaped leaves. It does bear a superficial resemblance to a thin ornamental bamboo

The leaves are covered in yellow dots, which turn white with age, giving the plant its common name, the “gold-dust plant” or “gold-dust dracaena.” Its leaves are a slender oval shape, up to about 20 cm in length and mostly medium to dark green, quite subtly spotted in yellowish green or chartreuse.Some leaves on the plant are usually unspotted. The leaf spots fade to a yellowish lemon as the leaves age.

Punctulata puts out lots of bamboo-like canes, is very hardy, and accepts both heavy pruning and neglect.

The plant produces clusters, 7-8 cm long, of whitish flowers that are sweetly scented in the late evenings. These are followed by small roundish berries in a brilliant reddish orange that contrast sharply with the foliage colour.

Environment

Japanese Bamboo will put up with moderate indirect light but would really prefer bright indirect, or even some filtered sun. Insufficient light will reduce the number and color-contrast of the spots.

D.Surculosa seems to prefer to be slightly wetter than other Dracaenas, but they also need a good, well-draining soil mix that permits air to reach the roots.

When these plants are grown in containers indoors or on patios and decks, an occasional shower is needed to remove dust from the foliage, and a trim along old stems will rejuvenate growth. Some gardeners prune the canes at various heights, and new foliage will emerge at the various levels to make the plant even more interesting. The plant likes to be a little pot-bound, so it should not be repotted in too large a container.

Basic houseplant fertilizer at quarter-strength with every watering should be fine.

Landscape Uses

Ornamental foliage, Green wall

Note

The plant and its fruits are poisonous to many animals, including cats and dogs.