DUMBCANE
DIEFFENBACHIA
With its huge, green and cream variegated leaves, dumbcane is a popular houseplant that adds sparkle and light to a gloomy corner—the perfect feature for an entrance hall. This is a plant that likes moderate humidity, so it’s also a great choice for a kitchen.
HEIGHT 5ft (1.5m)
SPREAD 32in (80cm)
FLOWERS Insignificant
FOLIAGE Green and cream, variegated
LIGHT Filtered sun/light shade
TEMPERATURE 61–73°F (16–23°C)
CARE Fairly easy
PLACE OF ORIGIN Brazil
WARNING! All parts are toxic; gloves required when handling
CARE
A shady room in summer will be ideal for the dumbcane, but in winter move it into a brighter room. This impressive plant suffers if it’s exposed to drafts or sudden changes in temperature, so be sure to choose its location carefully.
Plant in commercial potting mix. Dumbcane grows best in a humid environment, so place the container on a tray filled with soaked clay granules and mist the plant once a week. Keep the potting mix moist throughout the spring and summer months but only just moist during the winter. Feeding the plant once a month from spring to fall will help accelerate growth. Repot dumbcane every other year in spring, or more often if the plants become pot-bound.
As they age, dumbcanes can start to look leggy. Resolve this by cutting the plant back to a stump of about 2½in (6cm) and wait for the new leaves to grow. All parts of this plant are toxic, so wear gloves when handling.
PROBLEM SOLVING If the base of the stem is discolored, this is probably due to overwatering and too cool a temperature. Yellowing lower leaves often result from the plant being in a draughty spot. Dumbcanes are more likely to suffer from a physical disorder than from pests, but red spider mite can be an issue.
A young and healthy dumbcane will produce a neatly shaped plant.
DID YOU KNOW? IN COSTA RICA, POISON DART FROGS CLIMB UP GIANT DUMBCANE TREES AND DEPOSIT THEIR TADPOLES TO DEVELOP IN THE PLANT’S LEAF AXILS, WHERE RAIN COLLECTS.
DISPLAY
Dumbcane can look spectacular in a large container alongside a shade-loving prayer plant and a Boston fern. Place the dumbcane at the back and the prayer plant and fern at the front of a display—the prayer plant trails while the fern has an arching habit. Display the plants in white, silver, or cream pots, which will pick up on the dumbcane’s variegated foliage.
Houseplants A–Z | DUMBCANE
ALSO TRY
Houseplants with patterned foliage are always a popular choice. They inject brightness to a dark room and offer interest that can be reflected in the style of the interior. For other plants with attractively marked and variegated foliage, why not try:
- Angel wings (Caladium), height 30in (75cm). The plant’s arrow-shaped leaves have markings in green, white, pink, and red.
- Zebra plant (Cryptanthus zonatus), height 10in (25cm). This spidery-looking bromeliad has funky, burgundy foliage with cream stripes. It likes heat and light.
The highly decorative, bicolored leaves of Caladium ‘White Christmas’ (left), and ‘Rosebud’ are shown here.