How to Trim an Anita Bush Plant

The tropical Anita bush (Dracaena reflexa "Anita") also goes by the names song of India and dragontree. The plant originated in Madagascar and Mauritius and is not hardy in most of the U.S., so it is usually kept indoors as a houseplant. Trim the plant to keep it from growing into a tall and scraggly tree of almost 16 feet in height and to keep the growth looking full and attractive.

Pruning shears
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Use a pair of clean and sharp pruning shears to cut a long stem about 8 inches from the main stem or from the ground. Two new buds will form from this cut, starting two branches.
- 2
  Wait several weeks to let the branches grow, until the two buds are each about 10 inches long.
- 3
  Trim the two branches back to 8 inches each to force four new branches to grow. If you do this with each of the branches, over time you will have a thick, full bush instead of one or two straggly branches.
- 4
  Remove any dead leaves by trimming them back as close to the stem as possible. If any leaf tips are browned from a lack of water, trim them back just beyond the dried portion with a pair of scissors.

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