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Species library › Dracaena › Dracaena cochinchinensis
Other Partly documented

Dracaena cochinchinensis

A slow-growing, tree-like Dracaena (to about 3 m) from southern China and Indochina, known as a source of dragon's blood resin and as 'huyết giác' in Vietnam. It grows mainly on limestone karst: cliffs, rock outcrops and dry limestone forest, including the islands of Ha Long Bay and Phang Nga. It needs bright light, sharp drainage and a drier, cooler winter, much like a caudiciform succulent.

Dracaena cochinchinensis
Photo: AnonymousUnknown author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets 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

Rock crevices and ledges on limestone karst cliffs and hills, and the understory to edges of dry limestone forest. Roots wedge into cracks in the rock, and the plant forms a thick trunk with red, resinous tissue.

Mostly lowland to mid-elevation karst, from sea-level islands in Ha Long Bay and Phang Nga up into limestone hills of northern Vietnam and southern China; field elevation data are sparse.

China (Guangxi)China (Yunnan)VietnamLaosCambodiaThailand

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 4.0 licence, unmodified.