dracaena sun scald

4 years ago

Hello,

So I put my dracaena marginata (dragon tree) on the porch and sun scalded it. Brought it back inside but now the affected leaves (about 60%) are slowly turning brown. Can I lop off the top and a new plant will slowly grow back?

That may be too much at once and would shock it. Or should I slowly cut the leaves off and create a trunk? And don't yell at me, I realize my stupid error.

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Comments (4)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
4 years ago
Technically, you have sunburn (photo-oxidation), not sun scald, which is caused by rising of sap on warm winter days, followed by night temps low enough to freeze the sap, which kills areas of the vascular cambium (layer just under the bark).

If you lop off the top (truncate), it will backbud (grow branches) lower on the trunk - near the point at which the plant was truncated.

Al
iochroma
4 years ago
I agree with Tapla.

Also that is not D. marginata, but a form of massangeana or fragrans.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
beheading it seems a bit drastic ... but its your plant.. do whatever you want with it ...

i wouldnt want to be your kid.. and get a sunburn.. lol ...

ken
getgoing100_7b_nj
4 years ago
If it was my plant, I would keep cutting off dead parts. Once it has stabilized, I would asess my options at that point. We can't see how tall this is and if there are siblings in that pot for company. Lopping off at the right height at the right time could give you another plant via propagation.