How to grow and care for Gold Dust Dracaeana (Dracaena godseffiana) Indoors
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Botanical name: Dracaena godseffiana
Synonym: Dracaena surculosa
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Nolinoideae
Common names: Gold Dust Dracaena, Spotted-Leaf Dracaeana, Japanese Bamboo, Gold Dust Plant
Gold Dust Dracaena Description
Gold Dust Dracaena also called Spotted-Leaf Dracaeana, Japanese Bamboo, Gold Dust Plant is the odd one among the Dracaenas. The Gold Dust Dracaena is distinctly shrubby rather than palm-like and the leaves are broadly oval not long and grassy.
The leaves in Gold Dust Dracaena are bright green and spotted with yellow speckles. Unlike other Dracaena it grows to a height of about 2 ft only.
Gold Dust Dracaena is easy to care for and highly tolerant to a wide range of growing conditions. However, it does not like to be exposed to intense sunlight.
Gold Dust Dracaena plant is a very hardy houseplant which tolerates heavy pruning and neglect.
Gold Dust Dracaena Origin
Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) is native to west and west-central tropical Africa, from Guinea to the Republic of the Congo.
Gold Dust Dracaena Varieties
Several varieties of Dracaeana godseffiana are available. They include Dracaena godseffiana Florida Beauty which is more cream than green, Dracaena godseffiana kelleri which bears more thicker leaves and Dracaena godseffiana Milky Way which has a creamish stripe in the middle of the leaf among many others.
Dracaena godseffiana for Sale
Buy your Dracaena Plants from Etsy.
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Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) Care Indoors
Gold Dust Dracaena Light Requirements
Gold Dust Dracaena grows best in bright, filtered light; close to an east- or a west-facing window. In low light the plant will lose its variegation.
Keep your Gold Dust Dracaena away from direct sunlight as it leads to sun burn on leaves. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.
How to water Gold Dust Dracaena
Water Gold Dust Dracaena thoroughly and allow the top 1-2 in. of soil to dry out between waterings. Reduce watering in the cold months and maintain the soil slightly moist.
Avoid soggy soil for your Gold Dust Dracaena as it can lead to root-rot disease. Ensure the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining.
Use water that is at room temperature that is free of chlorine, flourides and other chemicals for your Gold Dust Dracaena to prevent brown leaf tips. Read more on how to water houseplants.
Temperature for Gold Dust Dracaena
The best temperature for Gold Dust Dracaena is cool to average warmth with a minumum of 100C.
Protect your Gold Dust Dracaena from cold draughts to prevent brown leaf tips. Check out this guide on understanding temperature for houseplants.
Humidity for Gold Dust Dracaena
Gold Dust Dracaena requires high humidity inorder to thrive. Mist the leaves regularly or set pot on a wet pebble tray to raise humidity for your Gold Dust Dracaena. Check out these techniques on how to raise humidity for houseplants.
Clean the leaves of your Gold Dust Dracaena by damp-wiping to get rid of dust. Read more on how to clean houseplants.
Fertilizer (Feeding) for Gold Dust Dracaena
Feed Gold Dust Dracaena every 4 weeks during the growing period with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.
Withhold fertilizer in the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time can lead to fertilizer burn in your Gold Dust Dracaena.
Regularly flush out accumulated salts in the soil of your Gold Dust Dracaena by running a stream of water through the soil until the water comes out through the drainage hole. Allow it to run for a few minutes and repeat several times. Read more on how to feed houseplants.
How to repot Gold Dust Dracaena
Repot Gold Dust Dracaena at the beginning of the growing season when roots begin to grow through the drainage holes; the plant prefers to be slightly root-bound.
Repot into a pot one-size larger than the current one and one that has drainage holes to prevent the soil from getting soggy.
The best soil for Gold Dust Dracaena should be free-draining and rich in organic matter. Never allow the roots to sit in soggy soil as it may lead to root-rot disease.
How to Prune Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana)
Pruning Gold Dust Dracaena involves removal of dead and yellow leaves to maintain your plant neat and tidy.
Regularly cut back the stems of your Gold Dust Dracaena to encourage a bushy and compact growth.
The foliage emanating from the pruning, can be used to propagate new plants. Read more on how to prune houseplants.
Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) Propagation
Gold Dust Dracaena can be propagated at beginning of the growing season either from stem cuttings or by plant division.
How to propagate Gold Dust Dracaena from stem cuttings
Take 2-3 in. long stem cuttings from your Gold Dust Dracaena. Ensure each cutting has some leaf nodes as this is where new growth will come from.
Dip the lower cut-end of your Gold Dust Dracaena cuttings in a rooting hormone.
Fill your rooting container with free-draining rooting soil. Lightly moisten the rooting mix.
With a pencil or similar object, make a hole in the moist rooting mix. The hole should be slightly wider than the diameter of the cutting.
Insert your cutting in the previously made hole in the moist rooting mix.
Cover the container with clear polythene sheet. Place the set up in a warm shaded place.
Maintain the soil moist through out until the new Gold Dust Dracaena plants are well established after which routine care can begin.
How to propagate Gold Dust Dracaena by plant division
Take out your Gold Dust Dracaeana from its pot and carefully divide the plant into sections by pulling apart the roots.
Pot the Gold Dust Dracaena sections in moist free-draining potting mix in individual pots.
Place the set up in a cool shaded place and maintain the soil moist until new growth emerges.
Allow the plants to be well established before transplanting the new Gold Dust Dracaena plants after which routine care can begin.
Photo Credit: Aylett Nurseries
Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) Problems Indoors
Gold Dust Dracaena brown leaf tips and yellow edges
There are four reasons for brown tips and yellow edges in Gold Dust Dracaena.
One reason for brown tips and yellow edges in Gold Dust Dracaena is dry air.
Raise humidity for your Gold Dust Dracaena by more frequent misting or set the pot on a wet pebble tray. Read more on how to raise humidity for houseplants.
The second reason for brown tips and yellow edges in Gold Dust Dracaena is underwatering.
Maintain the soil fairly moist and do not let the soil to dry out.
The third reason for brown tips and yellow edges in Gold Dust Dracaena is chemical accumulation in the soil.
Use chemical-free water to water your Gold Dust Dracaena and regularly flush out salts from the soil.
The fourth reason for brown tips and yellow edges in Gold Dust Dracaena is cold draughts.
Place your Gold Dust Dracaena away from cold draughts and maintain an average warmth with a minumum of 100C for your Gold Dust Dracaena.
Gold Dust Dracaena leaves soft and curled with brown edges
If the temperature is too low your Gold Dust Dracaena leaves become soft and curled and the edges turn brown.
Maintain a cool to average room temperature and protect your Gold Dust Dracaena from cold draughts.
Gold Dust Dracaena brown leaf spots
Your Gold Dust Dracaena will form brown leaf spots if it is underwatered.
Maintain the soil slightly moist at all times for your Gold Dust Dracaena and never allow the soil ball to dry out completely.
Gold Dust Dracaena leaves bleached with dry patches
Direct sunlight will cause bleached dry patches on the leaves of your Gold Dust Dracaena.
Move your Gold Dust Dracaena to a shadier spot or protect it from direct sunlight.
Gold Dust Dracaena sudden collapse and dying
Gold Dust Dracaena is prone to root-rot disease if allowed to sit in soggy soil for long.
Ensure there is free drainage of both the soil and the pot for your Gold Dust Dracaena and also reduce watering in the cold season.
Keeping your Gold Dust Dracaena too cold will also kill it; maintain a cool to average room temperature and protect your Gold Dust Dracaena from cold draughts.
Another reason for the death of your Gold Dust Dracaena is accumulation of salts in the soil; regularly flush out salts from the soil.
Gold Dust Dracaena Pests
Common pests in Gold Dust Dracaena are Mealy Bugs, Scale Insects and Spider Mites.
Isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to other plants and treat it appropriately for the pests.
Is Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) toxic?
Gold Dust Dracaena (Dracaena godseffiana) is toxic to both humans and pets.
The leaves and fruits contain alkyds which are toxic. If ingested they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, loss of appetite and depression.
