Great New Houseplant

Here's a low-maintenance plant that will bring a new attitude to any part of your home.

Nothing does more to brighten a kitchen or living room than adding a plant with colorful leaves and interesting texture. Unfortunately, many houseplants require either plenty of sunlight or a beaming green thumb to keep looking good. Luckily for those of us with dark kitchens, a great new house-plant called 'Ricki' dracaena has been introduced recently.

Something Familiar

While dracaenas have been around for years (think corn plant and dragon tree), this new selection combines some of the best traits of all the other kinds into one great plant. 'Ricki' dracaena has colorful foliage that will not fade with limited exposure to sunlight. Its deep, rich green leaves are narrow and punctuated by yellow stripes running down the centers. The stems will remain unbranched. It will typically grow to about 4 feet tall indoors and has actually been shown to improve the quality of the surrounding air.

Caring for 'Ricki'

Besides being a great-looking plant, 'Ricki' is also particularly easy to maintain. It prefers bright, indirect light but can survive anything besides direct sun. You'll quickly notice yellow leaf burn if this plant is exposed to too much light. It will benefit from a month or so spent outside in the shade during the height of summer. Be sure to move the plant back inside as the weather cools.

'Ricki' can handle a wide range of temperatures but will look its best if kept between 60 and 75 degrees. The plant should be protected from temperatures of 50 degrees or below, as this can cause leaf drop. Keep it away from cool drafts coming from open windows or doors. Adding an all-purpose liquid fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, every two months will ensure that the plant has enough nutrients to continue growing.

Troubleshooting

Occasionally check the leaf axis for signs of mealybugs or red spider mites. These can be easily washed off or sprayed with soapy water. If the foliage is dusty, either wipe off the leaves with a damp sponge, or simply rinse them off in the shower. This will keep the plant looking good.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mid-Apr 2005
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