Question
QUESTION: I have had this dracena less than 6 months and purchased it from a nursery. It is less than 4' high and in a 10" pot. It's in an open area of the house, about 5' from diffused light on one side but in a room with good natural lighting. For the last 30 days or so, I am seeing more and more lower leaves that are turning yellow then brown. Some of the lower leaves also have dark brown spots on them before turning yellow. I water it well about once every week. This is a beautiful plant, but the loss of the lower leaves concerns me. What could the problem be?

ANSWER: Hi Karen,

Can you identify your Dracaena for me? Is it a Dracaena massangeana (Corn Plant) with wide, green leaves or is it a Dracaena marginata with narrow leaves with a slightly reddish margin?

What do you mean by 'diffused' light. Is the window that is 5 feet away partially covered with blinds or sheers?

I will be better able to diagnose the problem when I have this information.

Thanks,
~Will Creed

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Will, I think my plant is like the marginata. It has long narrow leaves that are light green in the interior along the vein and get darker green, almost reddish at the margin. The diffused light comes from the front door, which is stained glass. I also just noticed that I have brown tips on some of the leaves.

Answer
Hi Karen,

Thanks for the additional information. Your Marginata is losing its lower leaves because it is not getting enough light. It really needs to be within 3 feet of a completely uncovered, clear glass window.

When a plant does not get enough light, it gradually sheds older (lower) leaves so that it can continue to grow new leaves on top. Typically this process evolves slowly, but it may now accelerate unless you can improve its light. Even when light is improved, it will take a while for the lower leaf loss to stop.

You are probably also watering too much. In poor light, a plant uses very little water. Do not water yours until the top 2-3 inches of soil is quite dry.

Fertilizer and repotting are not substitutes for good light, so don't consider either of those as options.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC