All About Cane Plants: Types, Care, FAQs, & Whether They’re Dracaena

These are the plants people think of when you say “cane plants.” Mainly because they have the word “cane” in the name.

The true dragon tree has dark red sap that looks like dragon’s blood. But there’s a lot of debate and confusion over which tree is technically the dragon tree. A lot of trees that are called dragon trees don’t even have red sap. (Posers. Everyone knows it’s what’s inside that counts.)

One fact that isn’t debated: dragon trees are all cane plants. In fact, they’re the OG. The Greek word "drákaina," meaning "female dragon," might be the origins of the word "dracaena." (There's a a huge overlap between dracaena and canes.)

These days, the Dracaena Marginata is considered the primary dragon tree, but we disagree because her sap isn’t red. There’s also some debate over whether she’s even a real cane plant.

But the original Dragon Tree went through a few different names. First, it was called the Socotra Dragon Tree. Then, in the 1600s, the British East India Company called it Pterocarpus draco. In the late 1800s, a Scottish botanist renamed it Dracaena cinnabari. It was also called the Dracaena draco, and these names still exist for a tree that grows mainly in Madagascar and Yemen and has deep red sap.

The sap of the real dragon tree has been called dragon’s tears or dragon’s blood. In the 1600s, dragon’s blood was believed to have medical uses for conditions ranging from dysentery to loose teeth.

These beliefs aren’t totally dead: In modern times, dragon’s blood sap is sometimes used in luxury skincare (not an affiliate link, we just think it’s amusing). Please do not use the Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Jelly Face Mask to treat dysentery.

The current reigning dragon tree, Marginata has very long leaves, green with red edges. They look sharp like they just battled a dragon, but they’re soft like normal leaves. The trunks are usually braided together, giving it a cool twisty vibe. It can grow 7-10 feet tall.

Is it a cane tree? Depends on who you ask. Depending on how you grow it, you can make it grow one straight stem and look like a proper cane. Or you can encourage characteristic branches and then it doesn’t look so caney anymore.

Marginata is low maintenance, but toxic to animals.

Like the Marginata, this plant’s leaves have red edges—but it doesn’t have red sap.

This dragon tree adds a third color: the leaves have a white stripe running from end to end.

Another Marginata variant, Colorama has pink stripes instead of red, along with the green and white stripes.

Actually a variant of the Warneckii, the Hawaiian Sunshine Dragon has a pretty baller name. It’s also beautiful, with the characteristic Warneckii stripes in shades of green. Its leaves curve gracefully, and it brings an aura of peace with it.

Despite its name, Mr. Sunshine prefers bright indirect light.

Want to get a cane without being too mainstream? Here’s your chance. These dracaena canes are rare and striking. They’ll make your home look special.

There are over 100 varieties, most of them rare, but since we didn’t reserve an entire day on your calendar, we’ll stick to just a few of our favorite rarities.

Dracaena Cane Arturo is a dragon tree, but it’s the rarest dragon. Maybe not rarer than an actual storybook dragon in your living room, but close. Its dark, wider leaves, growing along the whole stem, have bright green edges.

Dracaena Goldieana, or Queen of the Dracaena, is hard to find—but stunning. Also called the Zebra Dragon Tree, her variegated leaves really do look like zebra stripes. It’s not a creative name, but it’s sure an original look.

Goldie’s a bit on the smaller side, growing to about 2-3 feet inside. She has small white flowers that grow in bunches and smell amazing. If you ever wanted a pet zebra or a beautiful bedroom, this is your chance.

Many dracaenas are canes, and all canes are dracaenas. But not all of them are labeled that way. This category includes popular canes that aren’t called canes, even though they are. (They’re in denial.)

Technically it has cane in the name and technically it’s a plant, but sugar cane is actually a gigantic perennial grass—so it’s in a totally different category.

Also technically, the sugar cane has had a much more powerful impact on the world’s social and economic growth and development. But our canes were never involved in the slave trade, so no matter how much you like chocolate cake, we still think dracaena are the better plant.

Bamboo is not a cane. They’re totally separate categories: Bamboo is considered a grass, not a tree or shrub. Bamboo stems are hollow inside, whereas canes are solid. Canes also grow much slower than bamboo.

Technically it’s a plant with cane in the name, but it’s in a different category. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane’s other, prettier name) is a perennial in the Araceae family, whereas our canes are in the Asparagaceae family (along with asparagus!).

Dumb Cane is toxic. If you ingest it, your throat and tongue might swell so much that it’s hard to speak. “Dumb” is an outdated, offensive term for “unable to speak.” (“Mute” is now the preferred term for that condition.) “Cane” is not offensive, but it is misleading. So let’s just get rid of the name “Dumb Cane” entirely and stick with Leopard Lily, Dieffenbachia’s other pretty name.

They have thick stems and long, thin, sharp-looking leaves. Nearly all of them are low-maintenance and easy care. They’re drought-resistant and they tolerate most indoor temperatures. They're also called dracaena or corn plants. Unfortunately, they’re toxic to pets. 

One category of canes, Dracaena Fragrans, are also called corn plants, because they look like the plants that make corn. But they don’t grow corn. (They do, however, appreciate our corny jokes.) Examples include Mass Cane and Janet Craig.

Another difference: If you decorate your home with ears of corn outside of Thanksgiving season, you might want to hire an interior designer. Who will tell you to get a cane plant.

They're are basically the same thing. The main difference: Dracaena is an official plant genus, whereas cane is more of a casual category. But they all have thick, straight stems, with long, thin leaves.

Literally over 100. (The exact number is debated.) If you are interested in reading about 100+ plant varieties, check out our other blog articles. In this article, we’ve stuck to the ones that we find the most interesting.

We don’t carry all of them in the Pafe Plants nursery, because it can’t hold as many plants as Africa can. But we have a wide selection. 

Canes are low maintenance and unfussy. Really, they’re some of the most uncomplicated plants on Earth. They’re ok with a variety of indoor lighting, they’re pretty drought tolerant, and they’re happy with average indoor temperatures. Easy peasy.

Most of them do like higher humidity, so mist them or use a pebble tray, especially if you live somewhere dry.

According to the ASPCA, they are all toxic to dogs, cats, and kids. Ingesting part of one can cause drooling, vomiting, depression, or starvation. If your pet or child likes to nibble, skip these plants.

Most can grow at least 6 feet tall, even indoors, even without special care. Some grow slowly, like Dracaena Tarzan or Mass Cane, and others grow pretty fast, like Dracaena Rikki, but many can grow 7 to 10 feet tall!

It’s common for this plant to live 10 or 15 years or longer. In the wild, they can live for much longer. The oldest known Mass Cane (Dracaena Massangeana) is in Spain, and it’s about 700 years old, give or take a century.

They like moderately high humidity, between 50% and 70%. This is especially important in the summer or in dry climates. Mist often—or, for a simpler solution, you could try a humidifier or a pebble tray.

It’s unusual for these plants to flower, but definitely not impossible—in our greenhouse, canes bloom all the time. And the flowers smell soooooo good. Plus, a flowering cane means good luck.

Customers come into the nursery and say, “Omg, I’ve seen this type of plant before, but this one is flowering!” I tell them, “It’s your lucky day! Go buy a lottery ticket.” (Just kidding. Buy a cane instead.)

Although these plants are easy care, they still require some knowledge about their ideal conditions. For example, they’re drought tolerant, but they get root rot (or just get cranky) if you overwater.

Canes are happy in bright indirect light or medium indirect light. But some are also comfortable in lower lighting, like Lisa Cane. Others want some actual sun, like Warneckii Lemon Lime Cane. If you’re not sure, just ask us.

If your cane gets too much sun, it will burn. You’ll see brown, crispy leaves.

If it doesn’t get enough sun, the leaves will lose their variegation. Instead of having several different colors or shades of green on the leaves, the leaves will slowly shift to solid green. This isn’t a health problem, but it doesn’t look as cool.

If the lighting is too low, the plant will also get spindly or leggy. Instead of having thick clusters of leaves, it will have longer, thinner stems between leaves, because the plant is spending all its energy on reaching for the sun instead of filling out. It will also grow slower. Poor lil' planty, give him some more sunshine.

Even in medium or bright indirect light, rotate your plant every few days. That way, all the leaves get equal turns facing the sun. It helps keep them variegated.

Two things you have to know: First, don’t water too often. Let the soil dry out completely. Second, don’t use tap water. These plants are allergic to fluoride, which is often found in tap water.

Some people like to water canes by a schedule, but these people are not good plant parents. Instead, water when the top layer of soil is dry. How big is the “top layer”? Depends on the size of your pot.

If it’s a small pot, just the top inch is fine. If it’s a 12” pot, wait for the top 3 inches to dry out. You’d be surprised how long the proper soil can hang onto moisture.

If the top layer is moist, and you water anyways, your plant may get root rot. Canes aren’t overly susceptible to root rot, but any plant that tolerates drought is going to struggle when it’s overwatered.

To know when it’s time to water, the easiest method is just to poke your finger into the dirt. If it feels dry for about 2-3 inches, then water your plant.

To water properly, water slowly and thoroughly. For big shrubs or trees, this may take 2-3 minutes of slow, soft watering. Gently run the water across the entire surface of the soil to make sure every bit gets drenched. Stop when the water runs out the bottom drainage hole.

Fluoride toxicity can cause “leaf chlorosis,” and canes are particularly susceptible. Basically, the fluoride interferes with photosynthesis, so the plant struggles to turn sunlight into energy, and then it can’t sustain itself. The leaves may show brown stripes, or the leaf tips or other areas may turn yellow or look dead. It’s tragic!

To avoid this problem, you have three options.

• Use filtered water.

• Catch and use rainwater.

• Fill a container with tap water, then let it sit around (without a lid) for a day. The fluoride will evaporate out.

These plants are comfy at normal indoor temperatures, about 60 to 80 degrees. In cold months, keep them away from drafts (like vents, open windows, doors, or refrigerators). In hot months, maybe move them a little farther from the window. 

Just once a year—and dilute the fertilizer. Too much fertilization can burn the plant (she’s sensitive). When you’re buying a fertilizer, look at the NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) ratio. These are the plant’s primary nutrients. You want a 5-10-5 ratio.

If you want your plant to look bushy, let the leaves grow wild and dense, then trim them to make an overall round shape.

If you want a tree style, let the leaves grow long so they cascade down and look like a palm tree. Or, if you have the type of cane that has leaves growing along the whole stem instead of in bunches, you can basically create a pillar of leaves.

Propagating a cane is super easy: Just cut off the top 4-6 inches and then plant it in a new pot. In 2-8 weeks, it’ll start growing! Congrats on your new plant child.

Some tips: Cut right beneath a leaf growth. Trim some of the leaves at the bottom, so there’s some bare stem. After you put the cutting in a pot, firm up the soil and water it.

Then just treat it the way you’d treat any cane, except skew warmer. Temps from 70 to 80 and bright indirect light. Propagation works best in spring or summer, when the plant is actively growing and the weather’s not too cold.

Bonus: The original cane tree will probably grow more vigorously up top. Pruning sends a message that the plant needs to grow stronger, faster. You might have multiple stems coming out of the main stem.