Dracaena massangeana ( Happy Plant ) Mass Flowering

[greysrigging]

Our unusually warm 'dry season' has tricked ( although I think they are tricking us ) some local garden plants to put on out of season growth spurts and flowerings. 
The old time garden favorite, the humble Happy Plant, has decided ( all over the City and Suburbs ) to put on a mass flower display, complete with the intoxicating perfume. 
To flower profusely ( and often ), Happy Plants like to be 'happy' ie not too hot or cold or too shaded or sunny, or too wet or dry..... they sound very fussy, but can take a surprising amount of neglect. But rarely flower on neglect. But according to our local FB Gardening Group, everyone's specimens are flowering at the moment. 
Its been a strange 'dry season' so far this year, with a cold spell and light rain in May, and an above average warm June, including a record hot June day of 35c ( 95f ). 


 

[tropicbreeze]

Mine are starting to flower too. It's actually Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana". There are lots of varieties/cultivars of D. fragrans, some with virtually no significant difference between them. But mine generally flower in the dry season, when nights cool off. Same with other Dracaena. My D. surculosa have just finished and are fruiting now. D. thalioides is just starting. D. reflexa has started but Giant Grasshoppers, Valanga irregularis, are eating all the flowers before any can open. The other thing adding to the night fragrances is Sansevieria which is in full bloom now.

 

[piping plovers]

I am always curious to see how these Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana" or wild type grows in their native habitat.  They are such ubiquitous houseplants that I cannot imagine them growing in anything but a container. I did some image searching on them in past and all I get are houseplant photos or silk plants.

[greysrigging]

6 hours ago, piping plovers said:

I am always curious to see how these Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana" or wild type grows in their native habitat.  They are such ubiquitous houseplants that I cannot imagine them growing in anything but a container. I did some image searching on them in past and all I get are houseplant photos or silk plants.

Probably the least remarked upon tropical garden plant on our Social Media pages..... so easy to grow and possibly unremarkable and uninspiring..... until they decide to flower.... haha

[Really full garden]

These are used as fencing here in Guatemala, usually in coffee plantations. They make great windbreaks for my heliconia plantation. When in flower the air is intoxicating with their perfume.

[piping plovers]

7 hours ago, greysrigging said:

... so easy to grow and possibly unremarkable and uninspiring..... until they decide to flower.... haha

Yes, I agree.  They hold a special place in my gardening heart as it was the first house plant I really splurged on as teen many years ago.  At the time they seemed so exotic.

[piping plovers]

19 minutes ago, Really full garden said:

These are used as fencing here in Guatemala, usually in coffee plantations. They make great windbreaks for my heliconia plantation. When in flower the air is intoxicating with their perfume.

How interesting to read about that.  A Heliconia plantation sounds beautiful and colorful.  The dracaena windbreak must be like our arborvitae shrubs/trees in the northeast USA.  Whenever someone thinks they may not like their new neighbors they put in the ubiquitous arborvitae hedges.