Dieffenbachias

How to choose a dieffenbachia

Choose by pattern and by size. Camille (Dieffenbachia 'Camille') is the best known, with leaves almost entirely cream inside a green margin, on a plant to about 90cm. Tropic Marianne is similar but larger-leaved and paler. Star Bright and Milky Way carry fine white speckling across a green leaf and grow a little taller, Milky Way to about 1.2m. Green Magic reverses the pattern, dark green leaves with a single white midrib, and Amy and Memoria Corsii have a soft grey-green marbling. For a small space, Compacta stays about 60cm tall and wide and keeps a tight, leafy habit.

Where dieffenbachias work

Indoors in bright, indirect light: a metre or two from a north or east window is ideal, and they tolerate lower light at the cost of smaller leaves and less pattern. Keep them out of direct afternoon sun, which bleaches the leaves, and away from cold draughts and air-conditioner outlets. They suit living rooms, offices and bathrooms with a window, and they sit well among our other indoor plants. Outdoors they are a plant for frost-free, humid climates only, in deep shade under trees or on a covered patio in Brisbane, Cairns and Darwin. Two cautions. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause intense mouth irritation and swelling if chewed, which is how the plant got its common name, so it is not a plant for a home with a toddler or a pet that eats leaves. And the sap irritates skin, so wear gloves when pruning.

Potting and repotting

Pot into a quality indoor mix in a container with drainage holes, one size up from the grower pot. Dieffenbachias grow fast in good conditions and want repotting every year or two in spring. A plant that has grown leggy can be cut back hard in spring to a stump 10cm to 15cm high; it resprouts from the cane, and the cut top roots in water or mix. Our guide to repotting plants covers the method.

Care basics

Water when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, usually weekly in summer and every two weeks in winter, and let the pot drain fully. Yellow lower leaves with a soggy mix mean too much water; crisp brown edges mean dry air or a missed watering. Feed monthly in the warm months with a liquid fertiliser. Wipe the leaves to keep the pattern bright, and turn the pot a quarter turn each week so the plant grows straight. Spider mites and mealybugs are the pests to watch in dry rooms; a wipe with soapy water deals with both. For the full indoor routine see indoor plant tips for beginners.

Common questions

Is dieffenbachia poisonous?

Yes. Chewing any part causes burning, swelling and sometimes temporary loss of speech, and it is toxic to cats and dogs. Keep it out of reach of children and pets, and wash your hands after handling the sap.

Why are the lower leaves turning yellow?

One or two old leaves yellowing at the base is normal as the cane grows. Several at once usually mean overwatering; let the mix dry out further between drinks.

How much light does a dieffenbachia need?

Bright indirect light keeps the pattern strong. It survives in a dimmer room but the new leaves come out smaller and greener.

My dieffenbachia has grown tall and bare. Can I fix it?

Cut the cane back to about 15cm in spring. New shoots appear within a few weeks, and the top you removed can be rooted as a second plant.