They grow fairly slowly from thick canes or stems that produce long, narrow leaves like stalks of corn, growing upward. This growth habit also makes them look a lot like palm trees, which is why they’re sometimes called “false palms.”

They make good houseplants because they are tall and narrow, typically only reaching around 4 to 6 feet tall in containers. These plants aren’t high maintenance once you get their growing conditions right. Springtime is ideal for starting new plants, though you can typically pot nursery plants indoors any time of year. if you have cats or dogs, pass on this plant; dracaena is toxic to both.

The dracaena corn plant (botanical name: dracaena fragrans massangeana) is a well known indoor plant which is grown in many homes and offices within the US, UK and Europe.

There are a few dracaena fragrans varieties that display different types of leaves such as the massangeana, lindenii and victoria. The one with the common name corn plant or cornstalk is the massangeana.

The corn plant produces fragrant flowers in it’s natural habitat, but it’s not likely to bloom indoors – although they can. It’s the foliage that’s the real attraction for this plant.

The corn plant is fairly easy to grow and quite tolerant of neglect (i.e., low light levels and lack of water), although it will start looking unattractive when neglected. The worst thing’s to do with this plant is over water it or let it stay in direct sunlight for too long, otherwise it’s a tough cookie.

We’ll be sharing more about this plant in future.