Camille Spotted Cane

Camille Spotted Cane (Dieffenbachia 'Camille') is the brightest of the compact dumb canes, with broad leaves that run almost entirely cream through the centre and finish in a narrow band of deep green. It settles at about 90cm tall and 60cm wide, so it fills a corner without taking over a room. Growth is slow and steady, and it holds its colour in moderate indoor light.

Why you'll love it

• Cream centred leaves that stay bright. The variegation is stable, so a plant bought today looks the same in three years.
• Built for indoor light. Bright indirect light suits it best, and it holds up in a living room or an office interior.
• A tidy, contained size. At 90cm by 60cm it works on a plant stand, beside a sofa or in a row along a hallway without constant cutting back.
• Slow growing and low maintenance. Water when the top of the mix dries, feed through the warm months, repot every second or third spring. That is the whole job.

Where it works best

Indoors. This is first and last an indoor plant, anywhere in the country. Inside, your climate stops mattering, which is the point with something this frost tender.

Pots and containers. A 250mm to 300mm decorative pot with a drainage hole suits one plant. Group three at staggered heights for a fuller display.

Balconies and courtyards. Outdoors it needs a frost free, sheltered position, so tropical and subtropical gardens only, and always out of direct sun.

Growing Camille Spotted Cane in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light, never direct sun through glass, which scorches the pale centres. Outdoors it is limited to tropical and subtropical gardens in full shade. Anywhere colder, keep it inside: growth stalls below about 12 degrees Celsius and draughts yellow the lower leaves.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix with extra perlite for drainage. It likes moisture at the roots but not stagnant water, so tip out the saucer after every watering.

Water and feed. Water once the top 3cm of mix is dry, roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. Liquid feed at half strength monthly through spring and summer. Dry indoor air causes brown leaf edges, so group plants or use a pebble tray.

Pruning. Remove tired lower leaves at the base. If the cane goes leggy, cut it back to about 15cm in spring and it will reshoot. Wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in 125mm pots and sold in packs of ten, which suits an office fitout, a hallway run or a set of matching pots rather than a single feature buy. Each plant arrives as a young clump, usually 25 to 35cm tall, ready for a 200mm pot.

Foliage plants travel well when packed upright, though a leaf or two may crease in transit. Give them a week somewhere bright and indirect before the first feed. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse the indoor plant range
• Compare variegated foliage plants
• How to repot an indoor plant

Common questions

Is it safe around pets and children?

No. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals and is a strong irritant: chewing a leaf brings on burning, swelling and temporary loss of speech, which is where the name dumb cane comes from. Keep it off floor level in a home with pets or small children.

Why are the leaf edges going brown?

Almost always dry air or uneven watering rather than disease. Raise the humidity, water on a steadier schedule, and the new leaves come through clean.

Will it lose the cream colour in a dark room?

The variegation is stable, but very low light produces smaller, greener leaves with long gaps between them. A position within a metre or two of a bright window keeps it compact and pale centred.