Alert! Extremely Fragrant “Corn Plant” is blooming!
Originally published Dec. 16, 2012 The flower of Dracaena fragrans Massangeana is ugly-looking, no way about it, but WOW! it fills the nighttime air with an intoxicating, heady, narcotic, sweet scent. I opened the front door tonight to put check out the jasmine vine as I put on the light, and was enveloped in the incredible fragrance. I have a huge plant in the front garden, off to the side, partially hidden by other plants. That’s why I’m always surprised every December when it fills the street with this scent – yes, it travels about 100′ in every direction. You may know this plant and its unstriped cousins as ‘corn plant’, a common office plant. It takes total neglect – no water, fertilizer, etc. I used to harvest the flowers and tincture the petals for a perfume base, but no more. it’s just too labor-intensive. See, I have to pluck the tiny, tiny petals off the calyx, because the calyx stinks if put in alcohol. I still have a stash of it for custom perfume customers, and I’ll