I'm pretty sure this is a Dracaena but I'm not sure what type and so I have no idea about how to care for it. I've had it for a few months now and in that time I don't think it's done anything at all, doesn't appear to have grown but also not showing any signs of distress. What can I expect with this plant?

yup, a Dracaena.
Pretty tough plant, but don't expect exciting grow spurts, especially in winter, with shorter days and clouds. Where are you located?
The fact it looks the same is probably good news that it is happy enough with the light and watering.
Allow to dry some between watering, never let sit in a puddle.

apparently a new type of Dracaena compacta called Dracaena Needle, I wish I can have that....
https://www.fleurdirect.nl/dra...

Compare to 'Janet Craig Compacta'
Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans 'Janet Craig Compacta')

If it's something that can be grown from a cutting I would be happy to send you one or trade.

It's a nice plant and apparently hardy.

@sallyg I'm in nyc so yes, our winters suck and despite my big window it hasn't been sunny most days unfortunately. I'll report back this summer and let you know how it's doing

I don't think any Dracaenas are hardy. Protect from frost.

@Purpleinopp I think I used the wrong word. I meant it doesn't seem to need much when taking care of it. I water it about every other week. That's it. And it seems happy, although it hasn't really grown any

It is a Dracaena compacta 'Needle,' a new hybrid introduction. Provide lots of bright, mostly indirect sunlight close to a window. A few hours of direct sun each day is fine. You may want to remove some of the decorative stones so you can properly assess the soil moisture. I assume the pot has a drain hole. Water when the top half-inch of soil is dry.

It will stay in that pot for quite a long time. You may want to prune it back as it grows out so that it does not become too leggy.

@willc yes it has a drainage hole and I have a spot where I moved all the stones so I could check it. When it grows a bit I'll post again for pruning tips. Do you know if it grows big or is it Stays small

Aha, Plantobsessed. "Hearty" would work for what you described, and I agree that Dracs are among the heartiest candidates for potted culture if one is able to offer non-tap water at least most of the year.

If it is the newer cultivar, it must have been much more expensive than the other plants, a quick search showed that I could buy one for $40+. For this reason, the suggestion seemed unlikely because I would expect something so unusual &/or expensive to be tagged. The pics all looked like yours, with 3 tops.

But the minutiae about the specific cultivar has no bearing on its' culture, just fun to discuss for the collectors.

For how long has this cultivar been around? Who else has had the pleasure of seeing &/or finding one?

Plantobsessed - Available light, appropriate repotting and careful watering will all determine how quickly and how tall it will grow. I think it is a nice plant as it is and you should not try to grow it into a very large plant. Grown very large, I suspect it will look rather ordinary.

It was actually pretty cheap believe it or not. There is a small shop near my office (it shares space with a dry cleaner...#nyc) where I found it and it cost $20 with the pot. It's fun to imagine I found something unusual. I named her Becky with the good hair for obvious reasons.

purpleinopp said:Aha, Plantobsessed. "Hearty" would work for what you described, and I agree that Dracs are among the heartiest candidates for potted culture if one is able to offer non-tap water at least most of the year.

If it is the newer cultivar, it must have been much more expensive than the other plants, a quick search showed that I could buy one for $40+. For this reason, the suggestion seemed unlikely because I would expect something so unusual &/or expensive to be tagged. The pics all looked like yours, with 3 tops.

But the minutiae about the specific cultivar has no bearing on its' culture, just fun to discuss for the collectors.

For how long has this cultivar been around? Who else has had the pleasure of seeing &/or finding one?

Hi Tiffany, I found mine at a local garden center for $6.99 this summer. I ended up giving it to my sister for her office. I'll get another one later this spring.

I love the growth habit of that Dracaena 'Needles' and sure will be on the lookout around here for that new cultivar! I googled and only one place came up showing the plant; The Palm Centre which is in Richmond, U.K., southwest of London.

There is no Dracaena species compacta so I think 'Needles' is probably a cultivar of Dracaena fragrans. I see a database listing for Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans 'Janet Craig Compacta') which I'm assuming is a smaller version of the regular Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans 'Janet Craig') ?

I have also seen it listed as both Dracaena 'Needlepoint' and Dracaena compacta 'Janet Craig'

Awesome! So glad I asked. It sounds like it has been around long enough to not be prohibitively expensive, and another reason to add to the list of why I don't buy plants online. If I see one and it looks different enough from D. marginata & 'JCC' in person, I *need* one too!

Lin, yes that's what I've always read, that 'JCC' is a smaller version of 'JC.' D. compacta is not a species on any reference of which I'm aware to check.

Ahh, the Name Game, again! It has been my understanding that Janet Craigs, Compactas, Lisas and Warneckeis are all D. deremensis, not D. fragrans species. But I may well be a few years out-of-date.

aw heck, let's just call all Dracaenas 'palms' like so many people do...

Sally - see my post at "ID help for new plant friends" in this forum.