The plant is also known by a few other names, most commonly the cornstalk dracaena, the mass cane plant, or Dracaena fragrans. The latin name contains the word "fragrans" because when it grows in the wild it produces highly fragrant flowers. As a houseplant, though, it rarely blooms so most of the time it's grown as just a green plant.
You'll also hear the plant referred to as a "Mass Cane", which is short for "Massangeana Cane", one of the most popular variegated cultivars that you'll find in most shops--typically the variegation will be a yellow stripe down the middle of each left. Mine was supposed to be a Mass Cane, but it looks like it pretty much reverted to its original form as mine doesn't have any yellow stripes.
The plant is native to tropical Africa, from the Sudan to Mozambique to the Ivory Coast to Angola. There, they're generally grown as shrubs or hedge plants, as they thrive in the warm, wet climate. That same hardiness makes them practically indestructible houseplants. I speak from experience; I bought the corn plant you see here from 1-800-Flowers
It's a versatile plant as well. Some let the cane grow long and tall, while others will cut the cane and cap it, letting offshoots grow off to the sides (which is what I have here). The Janet Craig and the Warneckii cultivars we've already talked about all have their roots (no pun intended) in the dracaena fragrans.
This is probably one of the best plants for someone new to plants to grow, because it's virtually indestructible as long as you remember to water it every now and again. While it prefers bright light, you can put it in a part of the house that gets almost no light and it'll be just fine. The plant is exceptional at removing formaldehyde from the air.
You can purchase a 6" version at Amazon
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