A dragon tree is generally a very easy-care and therefore quite popular houseplant. If the leaves of the dragon tree show symptoms such as yellow spots, an illness does not always have to be the reason.
What causes yellow spots on the dragon tree?
Yellow spots on the dragon tree can be caused by unsuitable location conditions, incorrect care, iron deficiency or pests such as mealybugs and scale insects. To treat the spots, the location should be adjusted, watered less, fertilized regularly and, if pest infested, the plant should be cleaned.
Stippling due to incorrect location conditions
The so-called leaf spot disease occasionally affects dragon trees, but it is not manifested by yellowish spots on the leaves, but rather by brown spots that look like feeding damage. But there are also other reasons conceivable, for example:
- unsuitable location conditions
- incorrect care
- Pests
In relation to the chosen location, drafts can be a factor with dragon trees directly at the window. Dragon trees should also be exposed to approximately the same temperatures all year round. Bright or yellow spots on the leaves can be an indication of a location that is too sunny and too cool at the same time, especially if the spots also form on older leaves.
Pests on the dragon tree
There are different types of mealybugs and scale insects that can be responsible for yellow spots on the dragon tree leaves. The infestation, which is visible to the naked eye, can be washed off mechanically with a sharp jet of water, and the plant should then be repotted. The clay balls of a so-called hydroculture hardly offer any refuge for pests and at the same time usually have a positive effect on the root he alth of the dragon tree, which can react very sensitively to persistent waterlogging.
Fertilize and water the dragon tree properly
Problems when caring for the dragon tree are often due to too frequent watering. Yellow spots on the leaves can also be the first harbingers of complete yellowing of the leaves as a symptom of an iron deficiency. Especially with dragon trees in hydroculture, you should pay attention to a regular supply of liquid fertilizer with the irrigation water, as with this form of culture the plants cannot absorb any nutrients from the soil in the usual way.
Tip
It makes a big difference in terms of light tolerance whether it is a dragon tree species with dark green leaves or with brightly marked or reddish leaves. The dragon trees with reddish and whitish-edged leaves have a lower chlorophyll content and can tolerate more direct sun than green-leaved dragon trees.
