Friends I have what I call a Palm tree but I'm probably wrong. The plant has been loosing leaves and now I have one trunk? Can I cut it off or leave it along. ed
It's Dracaena marginata. http://www.gardenstew.com/plantstew/505867 Agree, I would remove the dead trunk. If you repot when doing that, it will be easier to remove. That should help the old soil fall away, then you can trim any circling or really big roots, replace with new soil. Dracaenas are sensitive to chlorination, fluoride, lime in tap water. Whenever possible, use rain, distilled, or condensate from a dehumidifier or A/C.
Stopping by again & realized you had also asked about trimming it, Ed. Yes, you can do that. The stump will grow 1 or more new stems, and you can stick the cut-off top back in the pot to take root as well. It would probably be most practical to cut after repotting. Then the cut-off top will slide down into the pot easily and shouldn't need to be disturbed for a year or 2.
