Dracaena Lemon Lime Care: Growing Dracaena Warneckii Lemon Lime

Dracaena ‘Lemon Lime’ is the bright one in the dracaena family. Its long, sword-shaped leaves carry a mix of cream, greenish-yellow and lime stripes, and it lights up a room without asking for much in return. It is one of several types of Dracaena grown as houseplants.

Its species is native to tropical Africa, and it belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae).

First, a name update. You will often see this plant sold as Dracaena deremensis ‘Lemon Lime’ or ‘Warneckii Lemon Lime’. Current references fold the deremensis plants into the corn plant species: ‘Lemon Lime’ is now listed as a cultivar of Dracaena fragrans (previously known as Dracaena deremensis), or as Dracaena fragrans (Deremensis Group) ‘Lemon Lime’. Both names are still in use on plant tags.

That makes Lemon Lime a close cousin of Dracaena Janet Craig and Dracaena Warneckii. All three are listed as cultivars of the same species.

Dracaena Lemon Lime Quick Care Tips

• Botanical name: Dracaena fragrans (Deremensis Group) ‘Lemon Lime’ (formerly Dracaena deremensis ‘Lemon Lime’)
• Common names: Lemon Lime dracaena, Lemon Lime Warneckii, striped dracaena
• Pronunciation: dra-SEE-nah FRAY-granz
• Family and origin: Asparagaceae, native to tropical Africa
• Growability: Easy and low maintenance
• Hardiness zones: USDA zones 10 to 12 (some lists say 10 to 11)
• Size: 5 to 10 feet tall at maturity, with leaves up to 2 feet long
• Flowering: Rarely flowers indoors
• Light: Bright, indirect light; protect from long periods of direct sun
• Temperature: Keep above 60°F; best at 60 to 75°F, though 70 to 80°F is also given as ideal
• Humidity: Low humidity can brown the leaf tips; a humidifier or pebble tray helps
• Soil: Well-drained commercial potting mix in a pot with drainage holes
• Water: Let the top inch of soil dry, then water thoroughly; never let it dry out completely, and water less from fall to late winter
• Water quality: Sensitive to fluoride; use distilled, rain or filtered water
• Fertilizer: Liquid foliage plant fertilizer once a month in spring and summer
• Pests and diseases: Spider mites, thrips, scale and mealybugs; leaf spot; root rot from soggy soil
• Propagation: Stem or tip cuttings, air layering
• Safety: Toxic to dogs and cats, and to people if eaten

Dracaena Lemon Lime Plant Care

Good news: Lemon Lime is an easy keeper. Get the light, water and water quality right and it will reward you with years of bright foliage.

Size and Growth

Missouri Botanical Garden says ‘Lemon Lime’ typically matures at 5 to 10 feet tall, with leaves up to 2 feet long. Each plant develops a tree-like stem with foliage on top, and side shoots form on mature plants.

You may read that this plant grows over 20 feet tall. That figure belongs to the corn plant species in its native habitat. As a container plant in the U.S. the species is more often seen at 4 to 6 feet.

Expect some bare stem with time. Dracaenas lose their lower leaves as they grow, revealing the stems underneath. That is normal aging, not a problem.

The species’ growth rate is slow, so be patient with a new plant.

Flowering and Fragrance

Don’t count on flowers indoors. The corn plant rarely blooms as a houseplant. When it does, the flowers are highly fragrant at night, and the species name fragrans refers to those sweetly scented flowers.

The Deremensis Group plants have yellow flowers that bloom periodically, but flowers and berries rarely appear on indoor plants. For more on the corn plant’s scented blooms, see our guide to Dracaena fragrans.

Light and Temperature

Bright, indirect light keeps those lime stripes looking their best. NC State Extension recommends bright to moderate, filtered light. It says direct sun can burn the foliage, and that the leaves will narrow if light levels are too low.

Choose a bright spot protected from significant periods of direct sun and from drafts. The plant tolerates some low light, and that too much sun may keep the best leaf color from developing.

If your plant has been sitting in a dim corner, Clemson Extension says moving it to a brighter spot gives thicker, stronger new leaves and faster growth.

Keep it above 60°F. UF/IFAS Extension advises keeping dracaenas above 60°F at all times. Beyond that, the ideal range varies a little: dracaenas are often said to be best at 60 to 75°F, corn plants to thrive at 70 to 80°F, and another range is 60 to 70°F during the day, with nights about 10°F cooler. In other words, normal house temperatures suit it fine.

Keep it away from cold drafts. Slimy, dead spots on the leaves and heavy leaf drop are signs of chilling injury.

Outdoors, Lemon Lime is a tropical plant, hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12 (some lists say 10 to 11). In cooler areas, containers can go outside in summer but should come back in during early fall. Bring yours in before nights drop below 60°F.

Humidity

Dry air shows up at the leaf tips first. Leaves can turn brown at the tips if indoor humidity is too low, and a humidifier may help, especially in winter when the heat is on.

Try setting the pot on a tray of wet pebbles and misting the leaves regularly. Plants benefit from an occasional misting when indoor humidity drops below 30 to 40 percent, which is common in winter.

Watering

This is where most dracaena trouble starts. The rule: let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings. Then add the seasonal nuance: keep the soil evenly moist during the growing season, reduce watering from fall to late winter, and never let it dry out completely.

Also avoid watering with cold water.

Leaves may brown if the soil stays too wet or gets too dry, so check the soil with your finger before you water instead of following a calendar. More tips are in our guide to Dracaena plant watering.

Water Quality and Fluoride

Dracaenas are fussy about what is in the water. Dracaena is very sensitive to fluoride, which yellows the leaf tips and edges or leaves dead, scorched patches. Try non-fluoridated water, and flush built-up salts out of the pot monthly if the leaves turn brown. The simple fix is to use distilled, rain or filtered water. Letting tap water stand overnight removes chlorine, not fluoride.

Brown leaf tips can come from several causes, including low humidity, poor light and water additives such as chlorine. Filtered water or rainwater may help.

There are two easy fixes on the soil side: avoid potting mixes with a high percentage of perlite, and keep the soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 to prevent fluoride injury. Damaged leaves will not recover, so the goal is to protect the new ones.

Feeding

Use a liquid foliage plant fertilizer once a month in spring and summer, or time-release fertilizer pellets. Follow the product label for the amount.

Go easy. The leaf tips and margins may burn or turn yellow if dracaenas are fertilized too heavily, and skip fertilizers that contain superphosphate, which often carries high levels of fluorine.

Just brought a new plant home? Wait about four weeks before repotting or fertilizing a dracaena that has just been moved indoors, so the plant does not take on extra stress.

Soil and Repotting

Use a well-drained potting mix in a pot with drainage holes. A loamy, peaty, well-drained potting soil is ideal, and a standard commercial potting mix works.

When is it time to repot? Move the plant to a larger pot when it starts to lift out of its pot or sends roots out of the drainage holes. Penn State Extension says the new container should be only slightly larger than the old one.

To repot, ease the plant out of its old pot, set the root ball in the new pot so it sits at the same depth as before, fill in around it with fresh mix and firm it gently, then water well.

Grooming and Pruning

Those big leaves collect dust, so wipe them with a damp cloth now and then to keep them clean and bright.

Trim off old lower leaves as they yellow. If your plant gets too tall or leggy, you can cut the stems at the height you want, and new leaves will soon appear. Use clean, sharp pruners.

How to Propagate Dracaena Lemon Lime

Stem cuttings are the recommended way to propagate this species, and tip cuttings work too. Dracaenas are easy to propagate by air layering, tip or stem cuttings, or by rooting basal shoots in spring or late summer. Air layering and cane cuttings are mainly used for large specimens.

A stem you cut back while pruning makes a ready-made cutting. Pot it in moist, well-drained potting mix, keep it warm and out of direct sun, and keep the mix lightly moist while roots form. Some growers dip the cut end in rooting hormone and cover the pot loosely with clear plastic to hold in humidity.

Dracaena Lemon Lime Pests and Diseases

Watch for small sap-suckers: spider mites, thrips, scale and mealybugs. Scale insects and mites are the most common pests of dracaena.

For mealybugs on a houseplant, UC IPM (the University of California Statewide IPM Program) says to hand pick them or dab them with a solution of 70% or less isopropyl alcohol in water, testing a small part of the plant first for leaf burn. For spider mites, spray or mist the undersides of the leaves with water, and use insecticidal soap or oil if a treatment is needed. More detail is on this spider mites page.

Leaf spot diseases can be a problem. In the home, though, plant diseases are very rarely a problem, and root rot usually comes from a soil mix that does not drain quickly or from watering too often.

Fluoride damage is not a disease. High fluoride, boron or soluble salts can cause leaf tips or margins to turn yellow or die. See the water quality section above.

Is Dracaena Lemon Lime Toxic to Pets?

Yes. The ASPCA lists dracaena as toxic to dogs and cats. It names saponins as the toxic principle, with signs including vomiting (occasionally with blood), depression, loss of appetite, drooling and, in cats, dilated pupils.

The poison severity is rated low, but the plant is toxic to cats, dogs and humans if eaten, and the sap may cause skin irritation. Keep it out of reach of pets and children. If you think a pet has eaten some, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. More detail: Is the Dracaena Plant Poisonous or Toxic?

Does Dracaena Lemon Lime Clean the Air?

You will often see dracaenas called air-purifying plants. That idea comes from a 1989 NASA study, which tested plants including Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckei’ and ‘Janet Craig’ in small, sealed chambers and measured how much formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene they removed in 24 hours. Lemon Lime itself was not tested. Read more about the Clean Air Study.

A sealed chamber is not a living room, though. A 2020 review of 12 published chamber studies, in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, found that matching the air exchange an ordinary building already gets would take 10 to 1,000 potted plants per square meter of floor space. Grow Lemon Lime for its color and easy care, not as an air cleaner.

Conclusion

Dracaena Lemon Lime gives you a lot of color for very little effort. Give it bright, indirect light, let the top inch of soil dry between drinks, watch the fluoride and keep it away from curious pets, and it will brighten a room for years.

Do you grow a Lemon Lime dracaena? Tell us where yours lives and how it’s doing.