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Species library › Dracaena › Dracaena masoniana
Succulents Partly documented

Dracaena masoniana

Whale fin

The whale fin or shark's fin sansevieria, formerly Sansevieria masoniana, grows from a thick rhizome and makes one or two huge, stiff, paddle-shaped leaves up to about 100 cm long and 18 cm wide, dull grey-green with paler mottling. It is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but its exact wild origin is unknown: it was grown for years as the cultivar 'Mason Congo' before being described in 2000. Grow it like other sansevierias: bright light, warmth and infrequent watering.

Dracaena masoniana
Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

The wild habitat is not documented; the species was described from cultivated material said to come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Related central African sansevierias grow in dry bush and open woodland, often in partial shade.

Unknown; no wild collection locality is recorded.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

🔒 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 CC0 licence, unmodified.