Dracaena Marginata HouseplantsPruning and Rooting

My Little Dracaena Marginata

Question from Gilbert:

  I have a marginata house plant, It's about 2 1/2 feet tall, my question is: can I cut it in half and if I do will It continue to grow or will it die? And can I replant the top half? Also, will the trunk grow in diameter? 

Answer:

Yes you can cut back the trunk of your Dracaena Marginata. It will put out at least one new shoot, if not three to four or more new shoots. It will not die as long as you are taking good care of it.

You can re-plant the cut-off top, but Dracaena can be a little harder to root than say, a Pothos plant that you can just leave in water and it will grow forever.

You can air-layer your plant.

Another option is to root in moist sand. You can lay the piece of Marginata trunk down on its side in moist sand and it should eventually root, although it may take some time. This has worked for me before. If you want to root it in its upright position, try some rooting hormone. It is a little more difficult to keep the piece standing upright but it can be done. Just use your imagination. Don't let the roots get too long before planting permanently.

Yes, the trunk of your Dracaena plant will grow in diameter. I recently saw some Dracaenas in Hawaii with trunks as big as the foot of an elephant! They were, of course, growing outside and were quite old. Thanks for your question, hope this is helpful! Read more about Dracaena Marginata....