Star Bright Dumb Cane

Star Bright Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia 'Star Bright') is the indoor plant to reach for when a corner needs presence rather than another small pot on a shelf. It grows to about 1m tall and 60cm across, on upright canes carrying broad leaves heavily speckled and splashed in cream. It does its best work in the filtered light most rooms actually have.

Why you'll love it

• Leaves with real scale. Each leaf is a hand span or more across, so one plant reads as a feature.
• Happy in partial shade. It is built for a rainforest floor, so an interior away from a window suits it.
• Slow and low maintenance. Growth is unhurried, which means it keeps its shape for years and rarely needs repotting.
• Comfortable in humidity. Bathrooms, kitchens and humid subtropical verandahs are easy for it, unlike most variegated foliage.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright corner out of direct sun, where one plant in a 400mm pot fills the space beside a sofa or a stairwell.

Balconies and courtyards. It is frost tender, so keep it under a roof or an eave. Outdoors it holds year round only in tropical and subtropical gardens, as an understorey feature.

One caveat. The sap is toxic to cats and dogs and irritates a mouth badly if chewed. Keep it above pet and toddler height, and wash your hands after pruning.

Growing dumb cane in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade or bright indirect light. Direct sun scorches the pale sections of the leaf first. Tropical and subtropical gardens can grow it outside; everywhere else it is an indoor plant.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix with perlite through it. The pot must have a working drainage hole, because roots sitting in water is the usual cause of collapse.

Water and feed. Let the top few centimetres dry, then water thoroughly and empty the saucer. That is roughly weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter. Feed at half strength monthly through the warm months only.

Pruning. Wear gloves. The removed section of cane strikes easily in a fresh pot, so a leggy plant becomes two.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in two pack sizes: 125mm pots in packs of ten and 180mm pots in packs of six. The 125mm plants are young, three or four leaves, and suit filling several rooms or growing on. The 180mm plants go straight into a decorative pot.

Broad soft leaves can arrive creased or marked at the edge, which is cosmetic and grows out. Give it a week somewhere bright and indirect before the first proper water. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read how to keep your indoor plants alive.
• Start with our indoor plant tips for beginners.
• Browse the full indoor plants range.
• Pair it with an indoor pot that drains properly.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats, dogs and children?

No. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause burning, swelling and temporary loss of speech if chewed, which is where the name dumb cane comes from. Keep it well out of reach of pets and small children.

Why has it gone bare at the bottom?

That is normal ageing rather than a fault: dieffenbachias shed lower leaves and gradually show their cane. Cut the cane back to about 15cm in spring and it reshoots from the base, usually fuller than before.

How much light does it need?

Bright indirect light gives the strongest variegation. It copes in dimmer rooms, though new leaves come through greener and the plant stretches toward the window. Direct sun through glass will burn it.

Can I grow it outside?

Only in tropical and subtropical gardens, in a shaded, sheltered position. Anywhere with a cold winter it needs to be a pot plant that comes under cover.