The striped dracaena is all line and movement: long strap leaves arching out from a single crown, each one running a pale chartreuse stripe down its length. Where most of what we make sits low and round, this one reaches. It is the piece that fills a corner of a shelf rather than anchoring the middle of a table.

It is also one of the most durable houseplants there is. Dracaenas handle low light, irregular attention, and dry indoor air better than almost anything, which is why they have been in offices and lobbies for fifty years. On a moss ball, that toughness matters. It waits well between waterings.

Kokedama means “moss ball” in Japanese, a technique of growing a plant in a bound sphere of soil and moss instead of a container. No pot, no saucer, no drainage hole to design around. Set it on a dish and it becomes the centerpiece.

One thing to know before you buy: this one is not pet safe. If you have a cat or dog that chews on plants, look at our peperomia instead.

Details

• Striped dracaena (Dracaena fragrans)
• Live moss ball, hand formed
• Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Keep out of reach.
• Display dish sold separately
• Handmade individually, so moss coverage, ball shape, and plant size vary from the photo
• Leaf span is wide and asymmetric. Allow room around it.

Care

• Light: bright indirect light brings out the brightest stripe color. Tolerates medium and low light better than most plants, though the variegation dulls toward green. Keep out of direct sun, which scorches the leaves.
• Water: use distilled, filtered, or rainwater. Dracaenas are sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water, and the result is brown, crispy leaf tips. This is the single most common problem people have with this plant.
• Soak 2 to 3 minutes, drain fully, then let the ball dry most of the way before the next soak. Roughly every 10 to 14 days indoors. Check by weight.
• Yellowing lower leaves are normal as the plant grows. Trim them off at the base.
• Temperature: normal indoor range, above 60F / 15C. Avoid cold drafts and heating vents.
• Average household humidity is fine, though the leaf tips stay cleaner with a bit more.

Every ball is formed and wrapped by hand, so the jute pattern and the shape of the sphere are unique to your piece. The plant varies too, in size, form, and color. Yours will not look exactly like the photo, and we think that is the best part.