Find Your Ask the Expert: Grown in water with pebbles
Can Dragon trees/plants be grown in water with pebbles? If not, what plants can be grown in water with pebbles besides “lucky bamboo”? I would really appreciate your help!! Ains
Reply:
Ains,
Dragon trees (Dracaena marginata) is not one that I would grow in water. My suggestion is to use one of these four plants:
Equisetum hyemale – Horsetail
Juncus effusus spiralis – Corkscrew Rush
Lysimachia nummularia – Creeping Jenny
Acornus gramineus – Sweet flag
Horsetail
You should be able to plant these the same way you would lucky bamboo. My favorite is the horsetail because it texture, color and up right growth pattern. Horsetail is very versatile and can be used as a cut foliage as well as a potted plant or a landscaping plant.
This photo of Equisetum hyemale was provide by Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy through CalPhotos.
See what I mean about the texture and color. Horsetail is a very interesting plant. My aunt uses it at the edge of her pond and I love the unique element it give to the landscaping.
Corkscrew Rush
The next three images come from Ball Horticulture.
I have grown the Corkscrew Rush as a potted plant but not as a bog plant. However, I have known other who have and they like the curly yet smooth texture of the leaves.
Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny is another very versatile plant. My aunt with the pond uses it as a cascading plant at the top of the waterfall. Part of the plant grows in the water and part in the soil.
Sweet Flag
Sweet flag is another plant that my aunt uses along the edge of her pond in the shadier areas. It seems to like the water; but of all the plants, I find this one the least interesting. However, it will give you the fullest look.
Any one of these plants could be used in the same fashion as lucky bamboo. Your choice will depend on the texture, color and growth pattern you prefer. Some local flower shops and most nursery garden center will carry these plant varieties. Our nursery carries all of them and we usually sell the Horsetail as a water plant. Good luck and keep me posted. I’m excited to see which one you choose. Send me a picture when you make your choice and I’ll post it.
Papyrus is a great plant to grow in water. You can also get fresh Curly Willow that will do well in a water for a period of time. I have grown Dracaena in water before. It’s a hit and miss. I believe the Lucky Stick is a form a Dracaena. The Marginata I have grown and seen grown in water as well as pebbles. I had a friend that had Giant Papyrus that he grew in large containers in his apartment that reached 7-8′. I find most of these plants to have problems with spider mites. I have even grown Snake Plants in water even though they are plants that like dryer soils. My thing is to experiment and learn.
Scott,
I love the curly willow idea. About how long will it last? I haven’t seen Marginata grown in water is there a special acclimation process for it? When I grown it in the greenhouse, we have trouble with root rot if we keep it to wet. Do you think the wet soil rather than water is causing the rot?
Thanks for your input.