Dr. Phyto

corn plant / dracaena

Dracaena fragrans

Diseases & pests on this plant

• Pythium root rotPythium aphanidermatum

  Yellowing + wilting leaves despite wet soil (the diagnostic combination), brown mushy roots when plant is unpotted, foul earthy smell from rotting roots, plant easily pulled from pot with most root system left behind in mix, stem base softening + black at soil line in severe cases.

• Fusarium leaf spot of DracaenaFusarium proliferatum

  Reddish-brown spots with yellow halos on young Dracaena leaves, spots expand + coalesce killing entire leaves, white-to-pink sporulation visible in lesion centers under high humidity, severely affected plants lose lower leaves first then progress upward.

• two-spotted spider miteTetranychus urticae

  Yellow stippling on upper leaf surface, fine webbing.

• fungus gnatBradysia coprophila

  Tiny (3mm) black flies running on soil surface + hovering around plants, white translucent larvae visible in top 2-3cm of wet potting mix, young plants stunted with poor growth, mature plants tolerate moderate populations but become vulnerable to root rot.