Dumb Cane

Dumb Cane 'Amy' (Dieffenbachia 'Amy') is grown for foliage that does the work of a light fitting. Each leaf is broad and paddle shaped, cream through the centre with a green margin, and a mature plant stands about 1m tall and 60cm wide. It handles the warm, dim, still conditions of an average room better than most tropical foliage. One caution before you buy: the sap is toxic.

Why you'll love it

• It brightens a dark corner. The cream variegation reflects what light there is, so it reads as light rather than another green mass.
• Comfortable indoors. Warmth and humidity suit it, and it tolerates the moderate light of a room set back from a window.
• A useful size. At about 1m tall and 60cm wide it fills a floor pot without taking over a living room.
• Very little work. Water when the top of the mix dries, feed through the warm months, wipe the leaves occasionally.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright room out of direct sun is ideal, and heated indoor air suits it far better than an exposed spot outside.

Balconies and courtyards in warm climates. In tropical and subtropical gardens it lives outdoors in a shaded, frost free position. Anywhere colder, keep it inside.

Out of reach. The sap is toxic to people and pets and causes painful mouth and throat swelling if chewed, so place this plant well away from children and animals.

Growing dumb cane in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the strongest variegation, deep shade dulls it and direct sun burns the leaves. It is frost tender and suited to tropical and subtropical conditions, which indoors means anywhere.

Soil. A good quality indoor potting mix with added perlite, in a pot with a drainage hole. Repot every two years, or once roots circle the base.

Water and feed. Water when the top 3cm of mix feels dry, then empty the saucer, since it sulks in soggy mix. A liquid feed at half strength every four to six weeks from spring to early autumn is enough.

Pruning. Cut the cane back if the plant gets leggy and it will reshoot from lower nodes. Wear gloves, since the sap irritates skin and eyes.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is sold as tube stock, so it arrives as a young plant with a few leaves rather than a finished floor specimen. Potted up into a 200mm container it fills out over a season and reaches full size in two to three years. Tube stock travels well, which matters with foliage this soft.

Some leaf marking after transit is normal and grows out with the next flush. Give it a bright, warm, draught free spot for the first fortnight. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse the full indoor plant range
• Why variegated plants behave differently
• Plants for rooms with low light

Common questions

Is dumb cane safe around cats and dogs?

No. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause burning, drooling and swelling of the mouth and throat if chewed, in pets and in people. Keep it well out of reach, or choose a different plant if your pet chews foliage.

Why are the lower leaves yellowing?

Most often overwatering. Let the top few centimetres of mix dry before watering again and check the pot drains freely. Losing the occasional oldest leaf is normal.

Why is the variegation fading?

Not enough light. Move it closer to a window, into bright indirect light rather than direct sun, and the new leaves will come through with better contrast.

Can I grow it outside?

Only in tropical and subtropical gardens, in full shade and away from any frost. In cooler parts of the country it is strictly an indoor plant.