Cornstalk Dragon Tree

The Cornstalk Dragon Tree (Dracaena fragrans) is a species of Dragon Tree that is native throughout tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d'Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 meters altitude.

The English name derives from a perceived resemblance of the stem to a corn (Zea mays) stalk.

The Cornstalk Dragon Tree is a slow growing shrub, usually multistemmed at the base, mature specimens reaching 15 meters with a narrow crown of usually slender erect branches. Stems may reach up to 30 centimeters diameter on old plants. In forest habitats they may become horizontal with erect side branches. Young plants have a single unbranched stem with a rosette of leaves until the growing tip flowers or is damaged, after which it branches, producing two or more new stems; thereafter, branching increases with subsequent flowering episodes.

The 150 centimeters long leaves are glossy green. Small leaves are erect to spreading, the larger leaves usually drooping under their weight. The highly fragrant flowers are produced in panicles 15–160 centimeters long, the individual flowers are about 2.5 centimeters in diameter, pink at first, opening white with a fine red or purple central line on each of the lobes. The fruit is a small orange-red berry, containing several seeds.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, fragrans, is from the Latin fragrantem 'sweet-smelling' and is ultimately the present participle of fragrare 'smell strongly, emit (a sweet) odor'.

In Africa, the Cornstalk Dragon Tree is widely grown as a hedge plant. Its scented flowers makes it a popular house plant. Several cultivars are available with variegated leaves, while others have a more compact build.