It looks like a dracena marginata (which is not in the palm family).

Agree with juneroses.

Welcome to GW (and to Florida?) Dan!

It is a Dracaena marginata, also called Dragon Tree. First, that pot is way too small, and it looks like it was severely over or underwatered. This is what I would do, and have done, to save such a plant.

1. On the largest plant, trim back all the leaves to 1-inch from the stem except for the top 5 or 6 leaves. DO NOT rip them off the plant. They will die and fall off by themselves. On the two smaller plants, cut them back by half. Trust me on this. It will make the plant bush out and be prettier. The smallest one looks like it may have crown rot, so if you can't save it (if it's rotted all the way down) just pull it out.

2. Take it out of that pot and wash off all the soil. Discard the moss. Remove any rotted roots. If it's completely potbound, with a mass of circling roots at the bottom, slice the bottom 1/2 inch of rootball off the plant, and slice through the rootball (not too deep- about 1/4 inch) from top to bottom in 3 places. This will allow it to form feeder roots. This won't hurt the plant at all. It will help it.

3. Get some quality potting soil WITHOUT fertilizer in it and mix it 2 parts soil to 1 part perlite. You never want to fertilize a sick plant.

4. Replant the plant in a pot at least twice as large as the one it's in with the new soil, making sure the soil is tamped down firmly all around the rootball. Plant it only as deep as the top of the rootball. Sprinkle one teaspoon of Epsom salts over the top and water well JUST on the first watering. This will help it grow new roots. Don't fertilize until it starts to show new growth, then use 1/4 tsp. per gallon of something like Miracle Gro on it, or add a teaspoon of time released pellets around the top.

5. IMPORTANT: Dracaena like it dry, so only water when you can stick your index finger in down to the second knuckle and find it still dry.

I've saved many neglected plants like this, some that were lying in trash piles on the side of the road with no pots at all. Dracaenas are tough plants. If you live in 9b or 10, you can plant them outside and they will get HUGE.

Dan, may I use your picture on my blog? I'll give you credit. I'd like to make a post out of this about how to rescue these plants, since a lot of people seem to "inherit" sick dracaenas, or almost kill them themselves.

Once established, dracaenas are very tough plants. I rented a place with a monster dracaena in the courtyard, which I hated because they're very untidy plants. The owner told me to do whatever I wanted with the landscaping, so I had it chainsawed down, but in 6 months it was beating on the roof overhang again.

I had one in my backyard that died completely down during a freeze, and it came back from the roots stronger than ever. I took cuttings from it and kept them in a pot when I moved. Gave it away when I came to Gainesville, because I wasn't that attached to it, and it won't survive up here.

dg, I've learned so much from this. Thank you! Does this apply to most all plants? "1. On the largest plant, trim back all the leaves to 1-inch from the stem except for the top 5 or 6 leaves. DO NOT rip them off the plant. They will die and fall off by themselves."

irma, not really to all plants, but yes to all dracaenas or ti plants. Cutting back the leaves lets the plant put more energy into making roots and more leaves instead of supporting the leaves it has, but you have to have photosynthesis, thus leaving a few leaves on top for this purpose. ETA, you never want to rip green leaves off of a plant, because it can leave damage that makes a place where pathogens can get in. Always better to just cut it back and let the stem fall off by itself. This does also apply to Papayas. When the leaves start to yellow or a leaf gets shredded or broken, just leave about a 2-inch stem on the plant. It will eventually fall off.

Thanks! I never thought about a stem being vulnerable and clipped right next to it, or broke the leaf's stem off.

I stuck my 'money tree' in the ground last year and its huge now. These are tough plants and do like it dry. Don't overwater!

Jane

I'd skip that washing of the soil. Dracaenas are very sensitive to fluoride which is in city water. It is toxic to them and can kill them. My dracaenas only get rainwater.

Google search results: dracaena fluoride toxicity

Carol in Jacksonville

Adding my 2 cents on the "subtopic" of why you never want to just rip off leaves from the stems.

Each leaf, when it falls off naturally, leaves a tiny scar or inactive node along the stem. When you prune, you activate the nodes immediately surrounding the new cut. New branches will now grow from these nodes. Tearing off leaves can potentially damage these nodes.

It is best to prune diagonally, about 1/4" above an upper and lower node. New branches will develop from those nodes remaining on the stem. A key factor to generating the highest possible number of branches is to cut where nodes are stacked tightly together.

Maria Elena

All I can say is wow!

I stopped getting notifications about this thread and had NO IDEA it went this crazy. The plant is doing well. I had to get rid of the smaller 2 but the 1 is growing and beautiful!

DirtyGardner73, please feel free to use it if you still want/need to. No need for credit. You guys deserve all of the credit. PM me if you want more pics (I'll have to take them).

I know it's been 6 months but my life was turned upside down. Now I have another sick plant. Maybe that's my calling. I'll post pics and questions in a new thread this week.

Again, thank you all for helping me save a plant :)

- Dan

Excellent job, everyone. DG, why do you say marginata won't survive in FL? Is it because of the heat and humidity? I live in Puerto Rico where it's always about 86 degrees F and 86% humid and we have these (both types) all over the place, planted in-ground and in pots. They thrive in heat and humidity ... I used to spritz mine when I lived in NY. They also are quite rain and drought tolerant ... very adaptive little tree.

Thanks :)

I'm very grateful that everyone is here - I can take sir leave most people but plants and animals. Well they say a sucker is born every minute lol.

DG? Me? I don't think I said that...

Dan - You did a great job with renewing your plant. Everyone else who chimed in did a great job of giving great advice, especially Dirty Gardener. DG ... Dirty Gardener is the person I was posing my question to. Sorry ... That was not evident. Overlooked that the OP is also a DG! LOL

Latin Lady, DirtyGardener lives in N Florida and sometimes it gets too cold for dracena outdoors in the winter. She has deleted her profile and no longer posts on GW. She does still have a blog:

http://www.theconsummategardener.com/

OK ... Thanks, Sherry.