Dracaena Tornado

This plant is tough and works in pretty much any indoor lighting. It does best in bright, indirect light, which keeps that lime-green edge looking sharp. It'll also handle low light, like a hallway or a dim office, but it'll just grow slower.

Keep it out of direct, harsh sun so the twisted leaves don't scorch. A spot a few feet from an east or west-facing window, where the light is bright but filtered, works well.

This plant likes its soil to dry out completely before you water again. Push your finger deep into the pot to check that it's dry all the way through, not just on top. Water slowly until it runs out the drainage holes, then empty the tray right away.

Use filtered, distilled, or rainwater if you can. Dracaenas are sensitive to the fluoride and chlorine in tap water, which can cause brown tips. Water it about once every two to three weeks in spring and summer, and even less in winter.

This plant is easygoing with regular household humidity, so you don't need a humidifier. It does well between 65°F and 80°F year-round.

Keep it away from cold drafts near windows or doors, and away from heating and AC vents. Don't let it sit below 55°F, or it'll get damaged and start drooping. Normal household humidity around 40% is plenty.

A regular, well-draining potting mix works fine here. Mixing in a bit of perlite or coarse sand helps drainage and keeps the soil from getting compacted.

This plant barely needs feeding. One dose of balanced liquid fertilizer per season, through spring and summer, is enough. Mix it at half strength so you don't build up salts and burn the roots.

The best way to propagate is with stem cuttings in spring or summer. Pick a healthy, mature stem and make a clean, straight cut with sharp, clean shears. Let the cut end callous over for a day or two in a dry spot so it doesn't rot.

Put the cutting in clean water, or straight into moist, well-draining soil. Keep it warm with bright indirect light, and change the water weekly until it grows new roots over the next few weeks.

This plant grows slowly and doesn't need much room, so only repot it every 2 to 3 years. Move up to a pot just 1 to 2 inches bigger, with drainage holes.

Loosen any packed soil around the roots before moving it into fresh mix. Don't go too big on the new pot, extra soil holds too much moisture and can lead to root rot. Water lightly after repotting to settle everything in.

This plant has compounds called saponins in its leaves and stems, which makes it toxic to cats and dogs. If chewed or swallowed, it can cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting, and dilated pupils in cats.

Keep it up on a high counter, table, or shelf, out of reach of pets.

This plant comes from the Dracaena fragrans species, native to tropical and subtropical Sub-Saharan Africa. In the wild, it grows across a range of wooded areas under different amounts of shade.

That's why it handles low light and irregular watering so well indoors.

The name Tornado comes from the plant's dramatic, clockwise spiral growth, which looks like a funnel cloud. Unlike most Dracaenas that grow tall and straight, this one keeps its tight curl and compact shape for a long time.

It's also a strong air purifier, known for filtering benzene and formaldehyde out of the air indoors.