How to care for Corn Plant
Dracaena fragrans · Asparagaceae
Thick cane-like trunks topped with arching, corn-like leaves make this one of the most dependable indoor trees. It tolerates modest light and forgetful watering for years, asking only that you go easy on tap water and fertilizer. Water roughly every 9 days while it's growing (about every 16 in winter), give it a bright room away from the window, kept above 55°F (13°C) — average room humidity suits it.
Care at a glance
Water when the top half of the soil is dry; fluoridated or heavily softened tap water browns the leaf tips, so filtered or rainwater helps.
Medium to bright indirect light suits it; keep it out of direct sun, which bleaches and scorches the leaves.
Feed lightly — quarter-to-half-strength balanced fertilizer about every six weeks in the growing season.
Mistakes that kill this plant
- Overwatering a plant that would rather be forgotten.
- Heavy-handed fertilizing burning the roots and leaf edges.
- Cold exposure below about 13 C spotting and collapsing the leaves.
Seasonal tips
- Flush the pot with plenty of plain water a couple of times a year to wash out salts.
- A mature, happy plant may surprise you with intensely fragrant flower spikes.
- In winter it may need water only every two to three weeks.
Is it safe for pets?
We have Corn Plant recorded as toxic to cats and dogs.
Full pet-safety details for cats & dogsCare for your Corn Plant on autopilot
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Toxicity here is informational, not a safety guarantee. Those are our own records, compiled by following the ASPCA's published toxic and non-toxic plant lists and Pet Poison Helpline's plant poison list rather than copied from them — confirm anything that matters against the ASPCA's published lists, which this one is matched to, or with your vet. If your pet ingested this plant, contact your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.