Dracaena ghiesbreghtii (W.Bull ex J.J.Blandy 1862)
Dracaena americana, the Central American dragon tree or candlewood,[4] is a
neotropical tree in the
genusDracaena, native to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, and Colombia.[5] It is one of only two Dracaena species native to the Americas, the other being Dracaena cubensis.[6]
Description
Dracaena americana reaches a typical maximum height of 12 meters with a multi-stem habit; newer stem growth exhibits leaf scars, whereas older growth exhibits an
exfoliating bark. The bright green straplike leaves are soft, up to 35 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, and are borne along the length of the stems, rather than the tufted habit typical of Dracaena. While capable of attaining an arborescent form up to 18 m, in drier or more open areas D. americana is more typically a prostrate
understory shrub. D. americana flowers in spring with a creamy white
paniculateinflorescence 20–30 cm long, followed by yellow or red fruit in fall.[6]
With a wide distribution primarily in the humid
tropical rainforest of Central America and southern Mexico, Dracaena americana is notable for its broad elevational range from sea level to 1,900 meters in the Colombian
Andes.[6] It has also been
introduced to Ecuador.[5]D. americana is usually found as isolated plants growing in
rendzina soils, in areas that receive more than 1,500 mm of rainfall.[6]
D. americana has been cultivated as an
ornamental plant since the 19th century.[7]
Dracaena ghiesbreghtii (W.Bull ex J.J.Blandy 1862)
Dracaena americana, the Central American dragon tree or candlewood,[4] is a
neotropical tree in the
genusDracaena, native to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, and Colombia.[5] It is one of only two Dracaena species native to the Americas, the other being Dracaena cubensis.[6]
Description
Dracaena americana reaches a typical maximum height of 12 meters with a multi-stem habit; newer stem growth exhibits leaf scars, whereas older growth exhibits an
exfoliating bark. The bright green straplike leaves are soft, up to 35 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, and are borne along the length of the stems, rather than the tufted habit typical of Dracaena. While capable of attaining an arborescent form up to 18 m, in drier or more open areas D. americana is more typically a prostrate
understory shrub. D. americana flowers in spring with a creamy white
paniculateinflorescence 20–30 cm long, followed by yellow or red fruit in fall.[6]
With a wide distribution primarily in the humid
tropical rainforest of Central America and southern Mexico, Dracaena americana is notable for its broad elevational range from sea level to 1,900 meters in the Colombian
Andes.[6] It has also been
introduced to Ecuador.[5]D. americana is usually found as isolated plants growing in
rendzina soils, in areas that receive more than 1,500 mm of rainfall.[6]
D. americana has been cultivated as an
ornamental plant since the 19th century.[7]