Dracaena angolensis is native to Angola, as its epithet records, and it is one of the more architecturally dramatic plants in the genus. The leaves grow subcylindrical rather than flat, tapering to a sharp point, and can reach up to 7 feet in length while remaining only about an inch wide. Gray-silver in color with longitudinal striping that echoes its close relative D. trifasciata, each leaf emerges from a basal rosette and holds its line with rigid confidence. The plants are often sold as rooted leaf cuttings, sometimes braided in groups of three, sometimes with painted tips — the leaves will live for a long time in this form, and new plants will eventually emerge from the base.

Care is straightforward. A well-drained cacti and succulent mix, water every two weeks through summer and monthly in winter, and a brightly lit window are the essentials. If moved outdoors in warm weather, morning sun only is best — the leaves can scorch in direct afternoon exposure. Bring it inside before temperatures fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Container plants bloom only occasionally, but when they do the flowers are small and pale pink. As a drought-tolerant architectural houseplant, African spear has few rivals.