Like most things, plants go in and out of fashion and right now the Dracaena surculosa is proving a popular choice for the office. This spotted beauty not only looks fantastic, but also brings a lightness to the mood of a room with its sunny aura. What’s more, it can flourish in most indoor environments.

Splotchy leaves

The trending plant has the most beautiful, variegated foliage with the shiny, oval, green leaves sporting yellow or white splotches. You could say the leaves look like they have been sprinkled with gold dust, hence its more common name, Dracaena Gold Dust. In other settings, you might hear it referred to by its less imaginative title – Spotted Leaf Dracaena.

Origins

Not content with three names, Dracaena surculosa is also known as Japanese Bamboo even although it has no association with the orient. It does in fact hail from Central-West Africa. Unlike other Dracaenas it grows in a bunch of upright shoots similar to bamboo, hence the nod to the Far East with this name.

Air purifying

An added bonus, Dracaena surculosa is great for absorbing toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde, often found in the indoor environment.

Location and light

Filtered or indirect light is perfect for this indoor plant. The more light it receives the more spots will develop on the leaves, but it doesn’t like harsh direct sunlight as this can lead to the leaves becoming scorched, so be careful.

Easy care

Plants from the Dracaena genus or dragon family are relatively hardy and easy going making them ideal for an office environment. It is relatively slow growing, so doesn’t require a lot of pruning, will tolerate some erratic watering, although that won’t be an issue if GP Plantscape are looking after your indoor plant maintenance and should be fed from spring to autumn. When it comes to temperature it does prefer a warm environment but will cope with temperatures from 15 to 25°C.