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Species library › Dracaena › Dracaena ballyi
Succulents Partly documented

Dracaena ballyi

A dwarf, rosette-forming snake plant from coastal Kenya and northeastern Tanzania, formerly Sansevieria ballyi. It has short, banded leaves with sharp tips. It was collected by Peter Bally in 1963 but not formally described until 2004. It grows in soil pockets on rock outcrops in hot, seasonally dry lowlands, and is easy to grow as a small, drought-tolerant pot plant.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

It grows on rock outcrops in dry lowland bushland. A specimen from Kivuko Hill in Taita Taveta was 'in soil pockets on rock faces, amongst sedges, and in deeper soil'. A Tanzanian specimen from Handeni District was from the vicinity of rocks. The plants form small colonies in partial shade from sedges, shrubs and rock.

Only one elevation is recorded: 180 m at Kivuko Hill, Taita Taveta. The known sites are lowland.

Kenya (Coast Province)Tanzania (Tanga: Handeni)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.