Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans), Janet Craig Compacta

A Dracaena fragrans, Janet Craig Compacta, a small houseplant with dense, dark-green leaves growing in a radial pattern, a bit like leaves on a corn stalk but much denser

Jul 17th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

This is a Dracaena fragrans, Janet Craig, Compacta variety. I bought this houseplant at Lowe's in Lancaster, PA. I named this plant Gerald after former American president Gerald Ford. It was not labeled with the particular variety, but I am pretty sure of the identification of this variety as there is no other variety of Dracaena that I know of with leaves this small.

This plant has remained unchanged since buying it. I have placed it in bright indirect light. It uses up water, but very slowly. It has shown no visible growth, yet the leaves have remained vibrant green. This is the second plant of this particular variety that I have grown, and the first was nearly identical--very, very slow growth, but always remained healthy looking.

Dracaena fragrans is a plant native to upland tropical areas of Africa. It is a slow-growing plant, and has numerous varieties which are popular as houseplants. It is highly tolerant of neglect and can tolerate a wide variety of lighting conditions.