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sarahbobarah_gw

blooming corn plant?

sarahbobarah
17 years ago

hi everybody :)

i THINK this is a corn plant... but i have no idea if the things on top of it are blooms?! can anyone help identify?

and let me know if there is anything i should be doing for it in this "stage" of it's life.

thanks!

sarah

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Comments (120)

  • Lorretta Westbrook
    8 years ago

    What kind is this? I've had this for about 7 yrs. First time blooming.


  • tropicbreezent
    8 years ago

    It's a Crinum, but don't know which species. There are a lot of species and quite a lot of cultivars.


  • Heath Parker
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago


  • Heath Parker
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Five years old, my place smells amazing!

  • Charlie Schenk
    8 years ago

    We have one also. It is thirty years old and blooms generally once a year. They have had babies which we've repotted, the first of which after several years just bloomed for the first time yesterday. We are always excited when she does this as we know what comes next.

  • Mike Turner
    8 years ago

    Fun thread! We inherited our corn plant at 2' tall from a friend in 2001. It is now about 15' tall and is just entering its second bloom. Last one was in 2007 I believe. Fills the whole house with aroma!

  • bielo83
    8 years ago

    So cool!


  • karan90_zhk
    8 years ago


    My plant is blooming at November.May i know its name by english?
    And plz add me daniel_karan90@instagram.com...

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    8 years ago

    Hi & welcome, Daniel! It's a corn plant (Dracaena fragrans.)

  • halocline
    8 years ago

    I read some of the beginning posts here then skipped down. Here's what I know: The flowers/blooms are awesome, they do drip quite a bit of a sticky substance, the fragrance is wonderful and strongest at night. After it get's 21/2 - 3 feet long, the flowers will begin to drop and fade, simply cut the Flower Stem and the plant will continue to grow same as it was. There's no need to cut the main stem/trunk of the plant, if you do; the plant will sprout two separate tops.

    Mine has bloomed twice so far, and is about 7+ feet tall (almost to the ceiling).




    For context, that's a 5 gallon water bottle sitting on top of a step stool in front of the plant.

    Rob

  • sleasure45
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    My corn plant is blooming, my grandma gave it to me, I've had it about 15 years, so its probably about 20 years old or so. Love it!! I cherish it, my grandma passed in 2003..

  • dahliagalvan
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Hi everyone .I live in Houston, tx . I too Inherited a corn plant ,accidentally, that someone had left behind when they moved out. I've had it for 2 yrs now. I have it out in my balcony of my apt. I thought it was dying at one point because it had little white bugs crawling on the stalk of the plant and the leaves were brown. My mom told me to spray tea tree oil mixture she says works as a bug repellant. Then, a week ago my husband woke me up one night and said, "there is a weird looking Schlong looking thing growing out of our plant!!" We noticed a sweet jasmine smell that filled the apartment coming from outside but I thought it was the neighbor's plants from downstairs. I must admit I thought it was weird looking at first because it didn't have any of the white little flowers we see now. I didn't think this plant was able to produce flowers especially jasmine smelling like flowers! We now enjoy the sweet jasmine smell at night ,because it only smells around 7pm, while we sit in the living room watching tv.

  • PRO
    Odyssey Homes
    7 years ago

    I have had my corn plant for 32 years - Moved 5 times and kept plant - it started blooming two years ago and blooms every year (May) - it is about 14 ft tall and i wait and dream to smell the fragrance again - Most amazing sweet smell


  • halocline
    7 years ago

    OH - Does your plant have more than one trunk?

    Rob

  • PRO
    Odyssey Homes
    7 years ago

    One Truck with Two Branches (Heads)

    Does anyone know the Value of these Aged Plants ??? Valued by Height? / Age? etc etc


  • Barry Senger
    7 years ago

    So, this is a second generation corn plant blooming for the first-time. It is a clone of the mother plant which I've grown indoors for over 15 years. The two smaller ones are younger clones of the same mother plant which I have to cut because of the height. Each time I shorten the mother, I cut the stalk into short pieces that I root in potting soil, thus giving me more plants to give to friends and family.

  • halocline
    7 years ago

    When using leafless sections of the stalk/trunk to root, don't forget which end is up. ;-)

    Rob

  • johnfields
    7 years ago

    We moved into a house in Glendora, CA about five years ago. The old lady who lived there before us, left us five or six good size (5-6 ft.) corn plants on the backyard patio that we have pampered since we we've moved in. Not one has bloomed. In addition, I've been around corn plants in various homes and apartments (mostly in Southern California) for the last 50+ years and have never seen nor heard of one blooming. Would they be more likely to bloom if I planted them in the yard? Would they bloom better in sun or shade or something in the middle. Would a particular fertilizer help? I keep hearing about this unbelievable fragrance and would love to experience it.

    Thanks,

    John

  • halocline
    7 years ago

    From what I understand; it's a semi rare event. I've had mine for about 15yrs., and it's only bloomed twice.


    Rob

  • tropicbreezent
    7 years ago

    Mine bloom every year and so do those of other people I know. Problem could be it's just too cold.

  • PRO
    Odyssey Homes
    7 years ago

    Never knew these plants bloomed till mine did after 30+ years - now it is blooming every alternate year - the house smells like heaven because the plants are indoor and the smells fills the whole house - even 26 yr old son and 22 ur old daughter inquired "what is that smell?"

  • halocline
    7 years ago

    Yeah; it is awesome. one of my favorite flower fragrances. Since it's most prevalent at night, it's a bonus at bedtime.

    Rob

  • obama098
    7 years ago

    In Costa Rica we use these for fence posts. Taste the sap or honey when it first appears. Very tasty. Just wish I could harvest it.

  • halocline
    7 years ago

    Update - My Corn Plant has finally reached the ceiling, and I thought I was going to have to cut it back. Fortunately, the plant's adjusted; and the trunk is bending on it's own to accommodate the vertical blockade.



    Rob

  • Linda Howard
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I bought a corn plant at a plant party almost 40 years ago. It lives in rocks, not soil. It just started to get buds for the first time. I also see some sap. Look forward to the blooms and fragrance.

  • Violeta Vargas
    6 years ago

    i have these plants since 2004... bloomed once in 2012 and this year... and only now i was made aware of the fragrance similar to cestrum nocturnum (dama de noche called here in the Phils, night bloiming jasmine).... and surely loving the scent filling the whole house specially at night.... and now, i know dracaena is the name.

  • Dogsrule Forever
    6 years ago

    I've had my corn plant 13 yrs and it came from my ofc. Don't know how long it was there. 3 weeks ago I noticed blooms and tonite the house has such a strong fragrance I thought it was gardenia. So blessed and happy to know this plant blooms.

  • Erlinda Mendez
    6 years ago

    I'm not very particular having a corn plant inside the house. Is it really fragrant though if its already starting to bloom? Wanna plant one inside our home, perfect spot in our entrance area I guess.

  • tropicbreezent
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    They're fragrant at night and can be quite overwhelming in an enclosed space. Of course, the more flowers you have the stronger it becomes. But if it's a small plant with few flowers then not so bad.

  • Dogsrule Forever
    6 years ago

    Like clockwork at 7pm blooms open and fragrance fills the air. I have small home so it's strong in back part. Wonder if I can cut part of blooms off without preventing damage to new growth.

  • jensenm400
    6 years ago

    My flowers were in full bloom a week and a half ago and the fragrance was wonderful. I even caught a whiff of scent during the day. Hope it blooms again next year.

  • clarkjenna74
    6 years ago

    My husband & I bought a beautiful home with a large central atrium 2 years ago. It was already full of 40 year old trees and plants, including a few corn plants. One of them began blooming yesterday! What a wonderful smell and a nice surprise

  • Irina Melamud
    6 years ago

    Hi
    all,

    I
    have Corn Dracaena plant since 1998, it was a present of my real estate agent
    when she assisted us to by house in St. Island. Sense than it lost one stock
    from three when moved to NJ, and then lost the rest two and almost dye in 2013
    when moved to another NJ location. But it regrows !!!! from its root after some
    time and NOW miracle happened; it start to bloom.

    Cannot wait to see flowers and feel the smell, people keep saying it is
    very strong, but I will keep updating on my plant journey.

    Irina

  • Irina Melamud
    6 years ago

    This is photo I missed to attach

  • Anthony Pomponio
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    22 years we've had this and just a few days ago.....the fragrance is spectacular!

  • Anthony Pomponio
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    !!

  • Deborah Neville
    6 years ago

    I purchased my corn plant last year from an estate sale for $5. It’s now blooming & has 3 stems


    of the most amazing smelling flowers! Took me a while to figure out where the odor was coming from and it’s only at night. I do periodically feed it with fish emulsion. Happy happy plant!

  • HU-504245
    5 years ago

    I have a 25 foot corn plant that has bloomed four or five times, Today the stem, about halfway up cracked nearly all the way through. Is this a plant that can be "dressed" with wet moss or anything to save the top? If not, can the broken half be rooted and, if so, how? I got her in 1985 when I moved in and am sad to see her broken! Thanks for any suggestions!

  • stewartsjon
    5 years ago

    25 foot! Wow!

    I don't know about repairing, but cuttings from these take reasonably readily.

    Prune it back to a joint (if there is one) beneath the damaged area.

    Take the cut-off section and cut all the damaged stem off. The rest may well survive if plunged into compost.

    Someone else here will advise on compost as I just use the same stuff that's made for me.

    A pic may help to give more precise pruning advice.


  • HU-504245
    5 years ago

    Thanks! Right now I have a towel that I am keeping wet wrapped around the cracked area and the leaves of the three different branches above the break are all still looking good. Obviously, not a long term solution (she looked so cool when she was upright in my townhouse stairway atrium with open area above 2.5 stories to a skylight!)... but is giving me some time to contemplate and learn. I will try pruning off the three different sections that branch out above the break and planting them. I have some root hormone I can put on the stems before planting...fingers crossed!

  • HU-266676898
    3 years ago

    I’m so excited, my corn plant bloomed tonight! I’ve had it for 2 years and it is 5 feet tall. Over the years I’ve had a number of corn plants but never had one bloom! What a great surprise!



  • Erika
    3 years ago

    Our 17 year old corn plant has bloomed for the first time! A happy event for 2020!!!

  • Cynthia Iannetta
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    ours has now bloomed twice in 3 years...and this time it has 2 blooms at one time...so beautiful and very fragrant!





  • HU-792575561
    3 years ago

    I live in sw Florida. I’ve had my corn plant for a year. All of a sudden it grew what I thought was a stalk of seeds. Then I started smelli the sweet jasmine like scent. I thought I had a night blooming jasmine on my property and searched it. Nope, it was this corn plant right behind me on my patio. It’s been giving me this beautiful smell for about two weeks now


  • HU-792575561
    3 years ago



  • Sylvia Morgan
    3 years ago

    Hello , i‘ve mine for over 13 years , and this is the second time theses have appeared.

    They sent is intense, and overwhelming at times .

    I usually have 3 -4 of these on the plant at anytime.

  • forever_a_newbie_VA8
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Our over 20 year old corn plants have bloomed twice. This year they got very leggy and I topped and rooted them. But my other younger plant is catching up and ready to bloom now! Happy gardening everyone and have a great season


  • HU-8107757
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    My office corn plant was neglected, and so I brought it home and loved it, and now it has some plant friends. I noticed the flowering bulbs and thought it was cool. I was very sad yesterday, and my friend said something SURPRISING will happen to brighten my day, and it did THIS! I had no idea it was going to bloom gorgeous white flowers with Jasmine-honeylike fragrance—so happy I found this thread and all you wonderful people and your stories! Thank you for sharing!


  • HU-8107757
    2 years ago


    Another view of this semi-rare event!! 💗