Sculptured Corn Plant Dracaena fragrans Massangeana Sculptured

You choose this one for its outline. The leaves are the broad, arching, lime banded leaves of the ordinary corn plant; the difference is underneath, in canes grown on and shaped so the leaf heads sit in a more deliberate, architectural arrangement than on a straight caned plant. Sculptured is a trade description for that shaped form rather than a registered cultivar, and the shaping varies from plant to plant, so expect each one to differ a little. It belongs where it will be seen on its own: on a plinth, at the end of a hallway or beside a chair in a living room.

Because you are buying the outline, it asks for a different mindset from an ordinary corn plant: the job is to keep the form it came with, not to let it grow out of it.

Holding the shape over the years

A corn plant grows from the tips of its canes, and each head keeps extending slowly upwards, so over a few years a shaped plant drifts towards the plainer look of an ordinary one. Light decides how quickly that happens. In a dim position each head stretches towards the window and the whole plant leans; in steady, bright, indirect light the growth stays short and even. Give the pot a quarter turn every week or two so every side gets its share. If one head grows out of proportion, cut that stem back to where it sits in line with the rest. Dracaenas reshoot from just below a cut, usually with one to three new heads, so a trimmed stem fills out again rather than being lost. Seal larger cuts with a dab of grafting sealant or candle wax so the cane does not dry back.

Keeping every head healthy

A bright room away from direct afternoon sun through glass keeps the wide blades from burning, and enough light keeps the central band from fading to green. Water once the mix is dry a finger's length down, empty the saucer every time, and water less in winter. Overwatering rots the canes from the base, and a rotted cane takes part of the outline with it, so err on the dry side. Brown tips mostly come from the fluoride added to town water, so collected rainwater is kinder to it than the tap, and a light feed in the warm months is all it needs. Dust and mealybug collect in the joints between leaf and stem, so wipe the leaves and look into each crown every month. Keep it away from heaters and cold draughts, since a cold spot by an outside door marks the leaves. Placed low, it is easy for a dog or cat to reach, and chewing the leaves makes either of them sick, so choose its spot accordingly.

When a straight cane or a dragon tree suits better

For height and the classic look of staggered canes, the Corn Plant is the taller, easier plant to live with. If you want something sculptural that needs even less water and takes a sunnier spot, the Dragon Tree slowly branches into its own candelabra shape. If you are grouping it with other plants that cope with irregular care, Low Maintenance Plants has shapes that set off its outline rather than compete with it.

Choosing a size

This plant is supplied in one size, 300mm, at $199.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot it arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to low water gardens.