Houseplants seem to get more attention during the doldrums of winter than any other time. Not much else is growing green now, or dare I say, flowering?
We had a surprise blooming from a houseplant that had spent its summer and part of autumn on a balcony outdoors. Once inside it was protected from the harsh weather, but it didn’t get regular watering or perhaps not enough water at some point. Some leaves have brown tips, but others are dark green and glossy. It’s in a room that’s cooler than the rest of the house. Maybe it sensed it wasn’t in the best of conditions and tried to reproduce.
I think it’s a type of Dracaena with short, wide leaves that are lance-shaped and pointed at the end. The base of the leaves overlap as they sheath the main stem. When the leaves eventually fall away, they leave behind a diamond-like pattern on the stem that is characteristic of Dracaena.
Dracaena flower stalk and foliage. Photo taken 11Jan2011.
Dracaena with many new white flowers in bunches along its flower stalk. Photo taken 26Dec2011.
A couple weeks later the flowers were still taking their turns blooming. Individual flowers are clustered into round groups.
Flowerstalk of dracaena. Photo taken 11Jan2011.
In the close-up below you can see the individual flowers that have already bloomed are turning brown. Flowers still blooming are creamy white.
Closeup look at individual flowers. Photo taken 11Jan2011.
I too was pleasantly surprised by buds on my “corn plant”. This is the third “topping” of a plant originally given to me over 25 years ago. It traveled with my husband & me from Anchorage , AK four years ago, when it had only six leaves and no roots. It presently stands 70 inches tall, in our garden tub, where the sun shines in through a large glass brick window (western exposure). Is this it’s “last hoorah”, or will the blossems die off and the plant keep growing????
Hey Arlene,
These plants seem rather hardy, don’t they? I think it really likes the place where you have it to have grown that tall! I think the blossoms will drop and the plant will keep going. If the blossoms were fertilized, the story might have a different ending.
Obviously, after 25 years of life in your house you seem to know how to care for it!
Good luck!