How to Grow and Care for Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane Plant)

Dieffenbachia, also known as its more common nickname “Dumb Cane Plant,” is a popular houseplant that originates from the more tropical climates of the West Indies in the Caribbean, in Central America, and South America. Its stunning pointed leaves boast dark green foliage that are marbled with cream or white specked centers and punctuated with veins of green, yellow, or creamy white.

These low-maintenance plants are great for beginners and garnered popularity during the Victorian era which shows you how long they’ve been a favorite indoor plant of the more modern household.

These easy plants also have the amazing ability to purify the air, and on average, one 6″ pot size plant can remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air from up to 100 feet around the plant. The plant can reach up to 10′ high outside, but will cap out between 3-5′ when grown indoors.

Related: Learn to care for a Jade Plant, Money Tree, Parlor Palms, Peace Lilies, Chinese Money Plants, Calathea, Spider Plants, Fiddle Leaf Figs, Aglaonema-Chinese Evergreen, Golden Pothos, Snake Plants, Rubber Trees, Christmas Cactus, Orchids, and String of Pearls Plants.

Why are Dieffenbachia called “Dumb Cane Plants”?

Throughout the plant, the leaves, stems, and roots of the Dieffenbachia all contain raphide toxins (needle-like crystals) that can numb/swell/burn the mouth when consumed, causing confusion and rendering the person unable to talk.

While the name has fallen out of use for derogatory reasons, the sap should be avoided and precautions taken when caring for the plant. For this reason, it’s advised to use gloves when pruning the plant and to be very cautious owning this plant if small children or pets are present in the home.

How often should I water my Dieffenbachia?

Since this is a tropical plant, it wants a bit of a wetter environment to mimic the daily rains of the tropics. You’ll want to keep the soil lightly moist without fully drying out (you can stick your finger in the soil to check the moisture level), but avoid constant soggy soil as that will lead to root rot.

You can cut back a bit on watering in lower light as it will take longer for the water to evaporate, so expect to water a plant in a sunnier location more often. It’s best to use a pot with drainage holes and a saucer and empty out excess liquid in the saucer after each watering.

How much sunlight do Dieffenbachia Plants need?

While the natural habitat of the Dieffenbachia is more low light under trees, these beauties can also handle medium to bright indirect sunlight situations as well. While the plant prefers more indirect filtered light in the spring, summer, and fall, it can handle direct sunlight in the winter (although direct light during the rest of the year can burn the leaves).

Rotate your plant every so often to keep it balanced as it will reach for the sun as it grows. Some cultivar varieties like like Tropic Snow, Tiki, and Camille thrive under bright light so look for those if in a sunnier location.

Temperature and humidity for Dieffenbachia

The Dieffenbachia prefers temperatures between 65°-75°, so generally it will be pretty happy indoors. Keep Dieffenbachia away from vents or cold drafts to reduce temperature shock, and if your plants are in an area that drops below 60° they will sustain some leaf damage (so bring them indoors at that temperature if you keep them as outdoor plants).

As this is a tropical plant, it enjoys high humidity around 40%-50% so you can use a humidifier nearby (especially if your air is dry) or you can put some pebbles and water in a tray and simply place your pot on top. Just add water to right below the top of the pebbles and the pot will sit on top of the stones and the water in the tray will evaporate creating humidity around the plant.

Should I fertilize my Dieffenbachia?

Dieffenbachia plants do benefit from a diluted nitrogen-rich 20-20-20 fertilizer (dilute to half-strength) given every 4-6 weeks during the growing season of spring, summer, and fall. You can feed the plant less in the winter while it’s more dormant, but overall the fertilizer should increase the health and beauty of your plant.

Pruning Dieffenbachia Plants

To keep your Dieffenbachia healthy, you can prune your plant by cutting off any damaged or brown leaves to encourage new leaves to grow. Just use sharp scissors or pruning shears to remove dead leaves or stems as they appear to keep your plant looking tidy. Lower weak leaves can be removed as it grows as well to create more of a palm plant appearance.

You can also cut the top of the plant off if it’s becoming too tall and new growth will appear.

Remember to wear gloves when pruning because the plant’s sap can cause adverse reactions to the skin and throat.

Repotting Dieffenbachia Plants

To keep your Dieffenbachia from getting root bound, repot your new plant into planter about 2″ larger as needed. To see if it’s time to move to the a bigger planter, check the roots at the bottom of the pot to see if they are starting to grow out the drainage holes. If they are, that means the plant definitely needs more room for the roots to spread out and it’s time to move to a bigger pot.

You may not need to repot your Dieffenbachia as frequently in lower light settings but brighter areas will grow the plant faster and will need more frequent repotting. It’s best to use a planter with drainage holes and a saucer to ensure proper drainage, and pair that with a well-draining potting mix (peat moss and perlite can be ideal for Dieffenbachia).

Make sure to wear gloves when repotting to avoid getting the plant’s sap on your skin and repot in early spring when possible.

Propagating Dieffenbachia Plants

Making sure to wear protective gloves for any propagating, you can divide the plant by root division by dividing offsets with a sterilized cutting tool (so you don’t spread disease to the plant). Dip into a rooting hormone (optional but helpful) and repot your divided plants in separate containers with well-draining soil and water well.

To propagate from stem cuttings, use a clean cutting tool to cut a healthy stem right above where it offshoots from a main stem. Place the cut end in a few inches of water (remove any lower leaves that may sit in the water) and place in an indirectly sunny spot. Change the water every 3-5 days until healthy roots appear and then pot in soil and water well.

Related: How to Propagate Plants

How to get Dieffenbachia to bloom

Similar to the Peace Lily, it can be quite difficult to get a Dieffenbachia to show its small white spike-shaped flower. If you want to give it a try, place your plant outdoors in the warmer months in bright indirect light and there’s a chance you may see it’s stubborn bloom. If you are in USDA zones 11 or 12, there’s a higher chance of flowering than other climates.

Different types of Dieffenbachia

There are many variations of Dieffenbachia with the more common varieties being:

• Dieffenbachia Seguine: The most popular Dieffenbachia species, it features dark green leaves with creamy colored veins.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Camo’: This variety has a camouflage appearance with chartreuse leaves, cream veins and dark green flecks.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Tiki’: This is a great choice for lower light areas as it tolerates less sun more easily. This plant has more silver leaves with accents of green and white.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Panther’: This plant features longer green leaves with silver or creamy white colored veins. Tends to have a fuller appearance due to bushier leaves.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Compacta’: Also a fuller looking variety, this plant has creamy leaves with specks of darker green throughout.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Tropic Snow’: A striking variety, this plant has dark green leaves with white veins and is also more tolerant of low light situations.
• Dieffenbachia Maculata ‘Camille’: The Camille has silvery leaves dappled with green and white.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Snow Queen’: The Snow Queen has lighter yellow colored leaves with white veins and green edges.
• Dieffenbachia ‘Rudolph Roehrs’: This species shows off light yellow leaves with green spots and white colored veins.

Diagnosing common problems

• Pests: Spider mites are a common problem for this plant (and you can also get scale, aphids, and mealybugs too). Treat with a horticultural oil as pests appear and check the undersides of your leaves for bugs as well.
• Yellow Leaves: This can be a sign of both overwatering and under watering. If you stick your finger in the soil and it’s very dry, the plant is probably under watered, and if the dirt is very wet you are probably overwatering. If the soil is wet, allow the plant to dry out until almost dry and then water again. Prune off yellow leaves.
• Drooping Leaves: Leaves can droop from both too much and too little sunlight. If your plant is in a low light area, try a brighter spot for a bit, and if it’s getting a lot of sun, move it to a slighter lower light area. Leaves can also droop if the plant is under watered or is near a draft or cold spot, so keep an eye on that as well.