Overwintering guide
How to overwinter dracaena
Winter watering
Cut watering right back — dracaena uses far less while growth slows, and cold, wet compost is the usual cause of winter root rot. Stop feeding until spring.
The mistake that kills dracaena in winter
Watering on the same schedule as summer. In winter that keeps the roots sodden while the plant is barely drinking, and dracaena rots from the base.
More dracaena care
- Overwintering corn plant — the species this cultivar belongs to
- Full dracaena care guide
- Dracaena temperature range
- How often to water dracaena
- How to prune dracaena
- Common dracaena problems & fixes
Overwintering dracaena — FAQ
Does dracaena need to come indoors for winter?
Dracaena is hardy to roughly USDA zone 10 — winter lows around -1°C. That means it will not survive frost and needs to come inside. Dracaena is frost-tender, so overwintering means bringing it inside and letting it rest rather than pushing it to grow. Move it indoors well before the first frost, give it the brightest spot you have (light levels indoors drop sharply in winter), and keep it away from both cold window glass and hot radiators — the swing between the two does more damage than the cold itself.
When should I move dracaena for winter?
Bring indoors when nights start dropping below about 10°C, ahead of the first frost.
How often should I water dracaena in winter?
Cut watering right back — dracaena uses far less while growth slows, and cold, wet compost is the usual cause of winter root rot. Stop feeding until spring.
What kills dracaena over winter?
Watering on the same schedule as summer. In winter that keeps the roots sodden while the plant is barely drinking, and dracaena rots from the base.