Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) Care and Growing Guide

Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) Care and Growing Guide

The Dieffenbachia, also known as the Dumb Cane plant, is a popular houseplant which gained popularity due to its relatively simple care yet stunning variegated leaves.

The combination of vibrant green shades with streaks of white markings on the leaves are what make this plant stand out from other house plants.

The lavish and profuse plant is native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. Aside from the name Dumb Cane, the plant can also be found under the names Mother-in-law’s tongue or Leopard lily.

The botanical name, Dieffenbachia, the plant received was in honor of the Viennese botanist and tropical plants admirer Joseph Dieffenbach.

Now let’s cover the fundamentals of caring for your Dumb Cane such as light, water, and temperature requirements as well as frequently asked questions on the Dumb Cane.

This care guide will cover everything you need to know about taking care of your Dumb Cane.

Light: Does the Dumb Cane Plant Need Sunlight?

Dumb canes are native to tropical regions so you can imagine these shorter plants growing underneath the jungle canopy. This means the plant is used to receiving sunlight that is filtered by the trees above.

So the most ideal lighting area for Dumb Canes are anywhere with bright indirect sunlight.

Unlike most plants with variegated leaves, Dumb Canes prefer bright positions with plenty of diffused light. More importantly, Dumb Canes can tolerate shady spots without losing much of its gorgeous colorful pattern.

Due to the tolerance of shadier areas – Dumb Canes can grow almost anywhere in a home as long as there is some natural light that reaches the plant.

Dumb Cane Lighting Requirements

The most important lighting requirement for Dumb Canes is consistency over intensity. This means the plant needs to consistently receiving similar levels of light each day versus how intense the light actually is.

So try to keep your Dumb Cane in the same area as opposed to moving it from a bright sunny location to a shady one every day. The fluctuation in lighting intensity can cause stress on the plant.

The only location in a home that is not ideal for a Dumb Cane is a south facing window with direct sunlight. This typically receives the most sunlight of any window and the Dumb Cane prefers indirect light as opposed to direct light.

Watering: How Often To Water A Dumb Cane Plant?

Dieffenbachia is a plant that can be successfully grown even by total beginners as long as they avoid the most common mistake – overwatering!

Knowing when to water a plant can be tricky for beginners but thankfully there is a fool proof way of knowing when to water tropical plants.

Keep in mind that tropical plants do love moisture and humidity but this doesn’t mean the plant wants to be constantly soaked in wet soil.

When To Water A Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) 

Follow these steps in order to determine when to water a Dumb Cane:

  1. Insert your index finger into the soil 1 to 2 inches deep
  2. Feel for moisture
  3. Water if the soil is dry
  4. Do not water if the soil is wet or moist

The best part of this method is you will be able to tell when the plant is growing since the soil will dry out faster versus the plant’s dormant period.

Typically a Dieffenbachia plant grows during spring and summer before going dormant in fall and winter.

Temperature and Humidity: Should I Mist My Dumb Cane Plant?

In the plant’s natural habitat, Dumb Canes grow under the bright canopy of tall tropical vegetation. Given the tropical environment, Dumb Canes prefer to grow in high humidity.

Most homes are less humid than what most tropical plants prefer. So using a misting spray, humidifier, or pebble tray are great options for increasing the humidity around your tropical plants.

Keep in mind that the Dieffenbachia prefers temperatures of 62°F to 80°F all year round, with a winter minimum of 60°F. So try to keep the plant away from any drafty walkways or windows during the colder months.

Simple DIY Humidifier: Pebble Tray

Pebble trays are a simple and effective solution to providing more humidity to plants. A pebble tray is exactly what it sounds like – a tray full of pebbles.

Most house plants, including Dumb Canes, are tropical plants that can grow better in a humid environment.

pebble tray for plant humidity

In order to make a pebble tray:

  1. Select a shallow tray that is larger than the base of the plant’s pot
  2. Fill the tray with a single layer of pebbles
  3. Add water so it rises to about halfway up the rocks

That’s it! You have now created a simple but effective pebble tray for increasing humidity.

Next just place your plant on top of the pebbles and add water to your tray if it ever dries out.

Humidifier: Easy Way To Increase Room’s Humidity

One simple solution is to periodically mist your indoor houseplants to increase the humidity. However, this is manual and, personally, I’m too lazy to continually spray my plants every so often.

An easier solution is to place a humidifier in the room with all of your tropical plants. A humidifier will allow you to adjust the settings to provide the right amount of humidity year round.

humidifier for indoor dieffenbachia dumb cane houseplant

I use this humidifier in my room and the water reservoir lasts for about 2 days before needing to be refilled. I highly recommend it for a low maintenance way of keeping the room humid for your houseplants.

Propagating: How To Get New Dumb Cane Plants?

The best way to propagate dieffenbachia is with cuttings. Here is the best way to get cuttings from your main Dumb Cane:

  1. Using a clean knife or scissors, cut off the stem top with at least three or four leaves.
  2. Leave the cutting for 30 minutes to dry and then plant in a mixture of sand and compost.
  3. Water the cuttings and place them in an area that receives bright indirect sunlight.
  4. Wait a few weeks until new roots have sprouted.

Once the new cuttings have rooted then you can either grow new Dumb Canes or gift these plants to your friends and family.

Growing Dieffenbachia In Water (Hydroponics)

Difenbahia can also be successfully grown in hydroculture, also known as hydroponics. This is just a fancy way of saying that a Dumb Cane can be grown in water instead of soil.

Growing plants in water is usually an efficient way of growing or rooting new cuttings. So instead of placing the cutting in the soil – you can place the cutting into a pot of water and watch the roots sprout over time.

The root will form in the next 10 to 15 days, sometimes a little longer. It is up to you to decide if you want to plant the rooted cuttings in soil or if you want to continue to grow the plant in water.

One thing to note is that rooting cuttings in water is fine since you’re just trying to grow new roots. Once the plant has roots – you want to feed the plant so hydroponic nutrients will need to be added to the water in order to feed the plant.

Otherwise placing the rooted cutting in soil will allow the plant to absorb the nutrients it needs to grow.

Fertilizing: Does The Dumb Cane Like Coffee Grounds?

During the growing season of spring and summer, the Dumb Cane can be fertilized once a month. This will help promote growth in your Dumb Cane as it produces more and larger leaves.

You can either use ready-made mineral fertilizers for houseplants with ornamental leaves or granular slow-release fertilizers that mix into the substrate and gradually release nutrients.

Alternatively, you can try something that would otherwise end up in trash – coffee grounds.

Rich in nitrogen, coffee grounds will help increase the amount of nutrients in your soil.

Not to mention, coffee grounds are a great additive for Dumb Canes since they prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil and will benefit from the acidic coffee grounds.

How To Apply Coffee Grounds To Dumb Canes?

At first start small, preferably with one teaspoon of coffee grounds. We want to make sure that your Dumb Cane responds well to the coffee grounds before giving the plant larger amounts.

You can either sprinkle the coffee grounds on top of the soil or gently mix / bury the coffee grounds with the soil once a week.

Make sure not to use any other fertilizers with the coffee grounds at the same time as this may give your plant too many nutrients. Overfertilizating a plant will cause issues so either use coffee grounds or a standard fertilizer.

Soil And Transplanting: How Often To Repot Dumb Canes?

Dumb Cane grow best in light, aerated, and well-draining soils. This might sound like Dumb Canes need specialized soil but really any potting mix will work for Dumb Canes.

Just make sure to not use compost or any outdoor soil as these soils will not drain properly for any potted plant.

You can add a portion of sand or perlite to the soil in order to increase permeability so it drains better.

Dumb Canes are fast growing plants which means it will consume the nutrients from the soil relatively quickly.

So it’s best to repot the Dumb Cane into a fresh pot of soil every spring. This will ensure that the Dumb Cane has all the nutrients it needs from the soil.

Keep in mind that the Dumb Cane prefers to be a little bit root bound so it’s best to increase the pot size of a Dumb Cane every two to three years.

Problems: My Dieffenbachia Is Dying! How To Bring It Back To Life?

Although dieffenbachia is an undemanding and relatively easy to grow plant that can thrive for years – this does not mean that it will not suffer if neglected.

Common signs that the Dumb Cane is suffering are curling and yellowing leaves, growth stagnation, and eventually leaves falling off. Once the leaves start falling off – the Dumb Cane is suffering from improper treatment or less than ideal conditions for too long.

Below are the most common reasons for a struggling Dumb Cane plant so let’s cover each topic and how to fix the issue.

Overwatering

Overwatering the Dumb Cane will eventually cause health issues for the plant. Typically curling, yellow, and drooping leaves are a sign of overwatering the plant when the soil is still wet.

Surprisingly, plants absorb air through their roots so always having the soil wet is effectively drowning the plant.

So the best solution is to just skip a watering and wait until the soil completely dries out before watering the plant again.

Here are some tips to lookout for when watering a Dumb Cane:

  • Check the soil permeability,  and if it is too compact and dense, add perlite or sand in a ratio of  1: 4.
  • After watering, check the pot tray and be sure to pour out the accumulated excess water.

Underwatering

If the leaves are curled and have brown tips while the soil is dry then the Dumb Cane is likely being underwatered.

When the plant does not receive enough water, peripheral parts such as leaf tips do not get the amounts necessary for normal physiological processes. By twisting the leaves, the plant tries to reduce the leaf surface and reduce the levels of transpiration.

Although this can be confusing, overwatering can also cause the leaves to curl and brown but the soil will be wet so you should know if overwatering is the culprit.

Stem And Root Rot

If you have not solved the problem of excess water then the plant will continue to decay. One of the issues of a pot without a drainage hole or soil that doesn’t drain well is that the roots will remain wet for too long.

Roots that remain wet for a long period of time will eventually develop root rot.

Excess moisture is destroying the root system, and this is a problem that is difficult to treat. If left untreated, a plant will die from root rot so try the following steps if you notice root rot:

  1. Cut off any leaves that are yellow flabby or do not look stiff.
  2. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and clean the roots.
  3. Remove all rotten and unhealthy parts of the plant. Take care that you only remove a maximum of one-third of the total root mass. If more of the roots are rotted then the plant will likely not survive.
  4. Allow the root ball to dry slightly for about half an hour, then transplant into a fresh pot of soil. It is best to use a new container or to clean and disinfect the old one well.
  5. Water carefully for the first few weeks, with smaller amounts of water at more frequent intervals. This treatment is stressful for the plant, so do not be discouraged if the signs of improvement are not visible immediately.

Improper Light

If the dumb cane is not receiving enough light or receiving too much light then the plant will display signs of stress.

Typically with improper lighting, the plant will start showing pale, lifeless leaves.

If yellow and brown spots develop then the plant is receiving too much direct sunlight.

Since the damage cannot be fixed, it is best to remove the leaves and move the plant to a shadier area.

Too Much Deep Shade

Not enough lighting or too much shade will not significantly damage the leaves of a Dumb Cane.

However, a reduced amount of light will cause the plant to grow more slowly and the leaves will be smaller and slightly less variegated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How Do I Make A Dieffenbachia Bushier?

Dumb Canes grow stems that are firm but not woody. Over time, the lower leaves will fall off the stems as higher leaves grow which will cause the plant to look tall and awkward.

To create a bushier Dieffenbachia, simply shorten all elongated stems to about 3 inches from the ground. This will encourage new growth on the original plant and the cuttings can be used to start new Dumb Canes.

Q: Is The Dumb Cane Toxic For Pets And Humans?

Like many other plants in the Araceae family, all parts of dieffenbachia contain toxic calcium oxalate. The Dumb Cane’s sap can cause irritations or redness of the skin.

Keep in mind that the Dumb Cane received its name from the temporary speechlessness that can occur after chewing a piece of the stem. This is caused from the swelling and inflammation of the tongue and throat.

So it is best to keep this plant out of reach of any children or pets who may nibble at this plant.

The worst side effects of chewing a Dumb Cane are vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, sometimes with a fatal outcome, especially in small children and pets. So it’s better to be safe than sorry with this plant.

Q: Can Dumb Canes Be Grown Outside?

If you live in climate zones 11to 12, then you can grow this tropical beauty outside in a shaded part of the garden.

Under the right conditions the Dumb Cane that grows outside can rich 5 feet in height which creates an outstanding, jungle-like atmosphere in your tropical garden.

Q: Does Dieffenbachia Purify The Air?

 Dumb Canes are one of the plants that is recommended to have in the house since it can purify the air. Besides reducing the carbon dioxide level we exhale, this plant can also reduce toxins in the air we breathe.

Q: Does The Dumb Cane Bloom?

Although the Dumb Cane is a flowering plant, the flowers are inconspicuous calla-like and green in color. At first the plant develops a leaf that does not open all the way and a long white petiole will emerge from the center.

As a houseplant, the Dumb Cane rarely blooms.

Final Thoughts

Out of a total of 56 species of difenbachia, many are cultivated and have been part of the standard floral offer for decades, so you can get them in almost every sugar mill, garden center or even purchase them online.

The species of Dieffenbachia differ from each other in leaf size, pattern or size to which they grow, but no matter which cultivar it is, one thing is for sure: this enchanting but modest beauty is always a noticeable plantc in any home or office.

Steven

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