Song of India
Dracaena reflexa
Also called Pleomele and Malaysian dracaena
Houseplant · Trees & big statementsThe stems bend and lean rather than standing up, which looks like a fault and is the species. Cut one back to a stub and it branches from the cut, which is how the shapely old ones get that way.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 10 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 1.5 m tall · 0.8 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Madagascar and Mauritius
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting, sometimes with blood, drooling, and dilated pupils in cats. Saponins.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-08-05.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Every leaf browns in the last few millimetres at once. Fluoride in tap water — this genus is the one that minds it. Rainwater or filtered.Brown leaf tips · disorder