New to me Plant, Not sure what steps to take

Question

I recently inherited this plant (was in an office and neglected for a long time other than sporadic watering over the last 10 years).
First of all - anyone know what plant this is? Dracaena was suggested to me, but I’m unsure as it doesn’t seem the same.
I’d love to know what this is so I can take next steps (currently long and always). I’m thinking of cutting back the plant to about 6” from the original cut. There is also new growth coming in from the stalk close to the bottom. Thanks!

Answer 1

Oh. Good thing this plant got a new home!

What you have is a Dracaena, but one that has seen so little light that it’s shade tolerance was stretched to the max - quite literally. It’s stretched itself so much in the vain hope of finding more light, a phenomenon known as etiolation. Fertilizer seems also have been no part of it’s regular diet, but the main problem is the lack of light.

You can use the standard procedure for cutting back and repotting the tips for new plants, and while you are at it, repot mother plant as well, using pre-fertilized soil should make sure those needs are taken care of for a while (read the label for details).

Now, while this plant needs more light than it has gotten before, it’s still a plant that doesn’t deal well with too much direct sunlight. Just follow the general instructions for Dracaena and it should perk up soon. (In short, Dracaenas thrive on a certain amount of neglect. So don’t kill it with kindness now, trying to make up for the not-so-good conditions it survived so far.)