Sander's Dragon Tree

Sander's Dragon Tree (Dracaena sanderiana) is also known as Ribbon Dracaena, Dracaena braunii, Belgian Evergreen or – erroneously – as Lucky Bamboo. It is certainly not related to bamboo and it certainly brings no luck to their owners. In some ads it is claimed that the plant will bring properity and happiness according to the 3000 year old Chinese philosophical system feng shui. The strange fact is that the plant does not originate from China, but has its historical roots in the tropical West African country Cameroon. Nowadays the plants are now grown on a large scale in China, but that's only for profitable exports.

Sander's Dragon Tree is a vertical, woody, evergreen shrubby species with slender stems and flexible strap-shaped leaves that grow as understorey plants in rainforests. It is an upright shrub growing to 1.5 metres tall, with leaves 15 to 25 cm long and 1.5 to 4 cm broad at the base. Branching - if it occurs - is from low down on the stem. Indoor height rarely exceeds 90 centimeters. It blooms with small white flowers. They are followed by small round, orange-coated fruits.

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, sanderiana, honours the German orchid grower Heinrich Friedrich Conrad Sander (1847-1920), who built his reputation in England and found it convenient to change his name to Henry Fredrick Conrad Sander.

As said above, the plants do not originate from China, but are grown there in large numbers. If they have grown to the required height, they are put into small containers filled with water or gel. Then they are put into sea containers and will arrive in their port of call a couple of weeks later.

The problem is that the water in these small containers constitutes a perfect breeding opportunity for the eggs and larvae of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). This mosquito can carry more than twenty different viruses, like dengue, yellow fever, chikungunja and the dreaded zika virus.