Compact Dumb Cane

Compact Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia 'Compacta') is a small indoor foliage plant that holds at about 60cm tall and 60cm wide, suiting a desk or shelf rather than a floor corner. The leaves are broad and cream splashed on deep green, giving a tropical look without the size of the older dumb canes. It is easy to keep alive in low to moderate light, but the sap is an irritant and the plant is toxic to cats and dogs, so placement matters.

Why you'll love it

• Bold variegation indoors. Wide leaves marbled cream and green bring pattern to a room without needing flowers or a bright window.
• Stays genuinely compact. At around 60cm each way it fits shelves and bench tops where a full sized dumb cane would take over.
• Forgiving with light. It grows in moderate indirect light and tolerates dimmer rooms, though variegation is strongest near a bright window.
• Low maintenance. Water when the top of the mix dries, feed twice in the warm months, and it asks for very little else.

Where it works best

Indoors, anywhere in the country. Inside a heated or cooled home your climate stops mattering, which counts with a plant this frost tender. Bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms all suit it, since it enjoys humidity.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens it can live outdoors in a shaded, wind sheltered spot. Anywhere colder, keep it inside or move it under cover before winter.

Not at floor level with pets or toddlers. Chewing the leaves or stems causes painful mouth and throat swelling. A shelf, bench or plant stand solves it.

Growing Compact Dumb Cane in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the best colour and the tightest habit. Direct sun through glass scorches the leaves, and very dark corners make the plant stretch and lose its variegation.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix with a handful of perlite for drainage. The pot must have a drainage hole, because dumb canes rot from the base when the mix stays wet.

Water and feed. Water when the top 3cm to 4cm of mix feels dry, roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter, and empty the saucer afterwards. Half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer is plenty.

Pruning and handling. Wear gloves, because the sap irritates skin and eyes. Cut tired lower leaves off at the base, and if the plant grows leggy over the years, cut the cane back hard and it will reshoot from lower down.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as 125mm plants in packs of ten and 250mm plants in packs of three. The 125mm plants are young, a few leaves each, and suit filling several small pots or growing on. The 250mm plants are established and ready for a decorative pot.

Plants are packed upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. A little leaf marking after transit is normal. Give yours a bright indirect spot for a fortnight before repotting, and expect new growth within a month in warm weather, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Repotting an indoor plant properly
• Browse the full indoor plant range
• More variegated foliage plants

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals, and chewing any part brings on drooling, mouth pain and swelling in pets and people alike. Keep it above floor level in a home with pets or small children.

Why are the lower leaves turning yellow?

Usually too much water. Let the top few centimetres dry before watering again and check that the pot drains freely. A few older leaves yellowing at the base each season is normal.

Why are the leaf edges going brown?

Dry air, or salts building up in the mix. Group plants together or sit the pot on a pebble tray, and flush the mix thoroughly with water every few months.