Broken Dracaena Marginata Branch

Question:

I broke a branch off of my 3 foot indoor tree and I want you know if it can be fixed and don’t laugh but I don’t even know what kind of tree it is. Can you please help me I am so opposite of green when it comes to “a green thumb”.

Answer:

Your tree is a Dracaena marginata, sometimes called Dragon Tree.

Unfortunately, broken stems cannot be repaired or grafted. You can try to propagate it, but it is not easy. You would have to set the cut end of the top section in a small pot with damp potting soil. Then, put the pot and plant inside of a large clear plastic bag that you blow up and seal tightly. This will create a mini-greenhouse and after a couple of months, new roots will have formed and you will be able to remove the plastic “tent.”

The good news is that new leaf growth is likely to emerge on the lower section of the broken stem and grow upward from there replacing the part that broke off. This will happen automatically.