A popular house plant, the Dieffenbachia plant has an upright, bushy growth form. Dieffenbachia is an attractive plant with large leaves and it is fairly easy to keep and grow once it has been acclimated to your home or office environment. Dieffenbachia 'Camille' and Dieffenbachia 'Tropic Snow' are two types most commonly used as indoor potted plants.
Also known as Dumb Cane plant, the sap can have an adverse effect on your ability to speak if ingested. The Dieffenbachia plant's sap can also cause irritation to the skin and eyes so be sure to wash thoroughly after working with this plant. For this reason it may not be advisable to keep a Dieffenbachia plant if you have very small children or pets in your home.
My first experience with a Dieffenbachia plant was with the large variety, Tropic Snow. Dieffenbachia Tropic Snow can grow to be over 5 feet tall in an interior environment. With good lighting and proper watering the main stem can grow to be as thick as your arm and quite strong. In lower light, Dieffenbachia will become weak and break or bend to the side.
There are a few smaller, compact varieties of Dieffenbachia that can be used as table plants and in dishgardens. The Dieffenbachia Camille is one of the smaller types and is a very nice looking plant with a wide cream colored center and green leaf margins.
Dieffenbachia house plant care questions? You can send a houseplant care question but before you do, please read this information on watering your indoor houseplants, how to help keep your houseplant's root system healthy, lighting for your houseplants, and basic houseplant care. These are most important for your houseplant's health and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an email.
Over the years, I have had many animals and plants in the same house and have not had too many problems. I always make my best effort to keep houseplants out of the reach of pets. That can be difficult, especially with cats, as they seem to be able to get just about anywhere they please! Being an animal lover, as many people are, I thought it would be helpful to add a link for those with questions about pets and houseplants, as I have received a few emails with questions on the subject. Do not allow pets to eat your indoor houseplants or your outdoor plants. Questions about plants and pet safety?
This is a link to the ASPCA, Animal Poison Control, Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list.
If kept in high light, water Dieffenbachia plant when the top quarter of the soil has dried completely and then water thoroughly. In lower light, you may need to water less frequently, allowing the soil to dry down at least half way before watering. For better plant health, please read sections on watering and lighting for your houseplants. Amount and frequency of watering is very relative to the light your plants receive.
A bright light situation is best for this plant and if you place it in lower lighting expect it to lose much of its lower foliage. This tends to happen with this plant anyway and lower light will cause increased legginess and weakness. Keep temperatures above 60 degrees as Dumb Canes are sensitive to cold drafts.
Dieffenbachia plants can have insect problems, including spider mites, thrips, mealybugs and aphids. When you get a new plant you need to be sure to check it thoroughly for any problems before purchase. Examine the entire plant closely, checking the bottom side of the leaves and all the nooks and crannies. You can eliminate insect problems when you get the plant home with a little effort but be sure that they have not damaged the plant before you buy.
If you see anything that doesn't seem to be the plant itself or if there are many yellow leaves or leaf spots, you should make a careful decision about whether or not to buy the plant. Check the root system to be sure it is healthy, if possible, too!
Coming home with a pretty, healthy plant will make your job of caring for it much easier. New plants should be isolated when first arriving home. This will keep any unseen problems from spreading to any indoor house plants you may already own.
It is a good idea to quarantine any new additions to your indoor house plant family for a few weeks just to be sure there are not any insects that were not noticed at first. Wash down your new indoor house plant with a mixture of water and mild dish detergent. I like to add a few drops of Eucalyptus essential oil or Orange essential oil to my house plant cleaning solution.
Apply to top and lower leaf and stem surfaces of your house plants, being careful not to saturate the soil. You can clean by hand or use a spray bottle to apply your house plant cleaning solution. I use a sponge moistened with my cleaning solution to gently wipe the top and lower leaf surfaces. Cleaning of your houseplants should be a regular part of your houseplant care.
Never apply anything to the foliage of your plant while it is in the sun or when the soil is dry. Water first and move to a shady location. Hope this has been helpful to you as you care for your indoor plants and flowers! More houseplant care information below...
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Questions about your indoor house plants or plant care problems? You can send a house plant question, free of charge, no sign ups, registration or log in required!
Before you send a houseplant care question, please be sure to read this information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your your indoor house plants root system healthy and lighting for your indoor house plants and flowers. These are most important for the health of your house plants and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an indoor house plant or flower care question.
You can post comments, find answers to plant care questions, or share some of your own plant wisdom on our plant care Facebook Page, Twitter page or visit my plant care blog. You can also find plant pictures, gardening ideas, and more at our plant and flower Pinterest page.
Thanks for visiting and come back soon as houseplant care information, pictures and more are being added all of the time. I hope that your indoor tropical house plants and all of your plants and flowers are happy, green and growing because that is why I started this indoor house plant and flower care website, PlantAndFlowerInfo.com.
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