Dracaena bacularis
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Dracaena bacularis is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Sansevieria bacularis 'Mikado'. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Full shade, Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- During growth, water moderately and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength; give little water in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While growing, water moderately and give a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength each month; in winter water sparingly.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Repotting
- Move to a larger pot only once it is pot bound.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In spring, remove suckers or divide. From spring to autumn, root leaf sections over bottom heat.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Usually free of pests and diseases.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Dracaena bacularis, the rod‑leaved snake plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A rhizomatous geophyte eventually reaching 1.7 m, it can be distinguished from similar members of its genus by its cylindrical leaves, and by the purple sheathes at their bases.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- DR CongoWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- rhizomatous geophyteWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Tufted (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Dracaena
DracaenaBrown tips on the newest blades first
Lucky bambooCrisp margins that appear in winter
Snake plantBlades hang and feel thin between the fingers
African SpearSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Dracaena reflexaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Gold Dust DracaenaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
More of the Asparagaceae family
Asparagus fernBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Cast iron plantBlade tips go crisp and brown
HyacinthFlowering stops while the foliage carries on
Ponytail palmBlades hang and feel thin between the fingers
Spider plantEdges of the blades brown while the middle stays sound
Spineless yuccaBlade tips go crisp and brown
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.