Dieffenbachia with large white-speckled green leaves — Photo: Alex Rio Brazil · CC0

Dieffenbachia care

Dieffenbachia seguine · Araceae

Also called Dumb cane, Spotted dumb cane.

By the Greenie team · Fact-checked October 5, 2026

An upright aroid from the Caribbean and northern South America with large, glossy leaves splashed with cream, white or yellow. It grows on a thick cane-like stem that becomes visible as lower leaves drop. Easy to keep in bright, indirect light, but its sap is poisonous and irritates skin.

Toxic to pets Easy care

Light

Bright Indirect

Watering

Weekly

Difficulty

Easy

Pets

Toxic to cats and dogs

Height indoors

0.9-2.4 m

GrowthUnconfirmed

Moderate

Temperature

18-27 °C

Not below 15 °C

Humidity

50% - 70%

Likes humid air

Soil pH

5.5-6.5

Slightly acidic soil

Native to

Brazil
Bolivia
Peru
Ecuador
Colombia
Venezuela
Guyana
Suriname
French Guiana
Trinidad & Tobago
Cuba
Cayman Islands
Jamaica
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico
Antigua & Barbuda
St. Kitts & Nevis
Anguilla
Montserrat
Guadeloupe
British Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Dominica
Martinique
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & Grenadines
Grenada
Barbados
Aruba
Curaçao
Caribbean Netherlands

Through the year

Water thoroughly, then let the top 2 to 3 cm dry before the next watering; water less from autumn to late winter.

Spring
Weekly
Repot if rootbound and cut back leggy canes.
Summer
Weekly
Water regularly and keep it out of direct sun.
Autumn
Every 2 weeks
Stop fertilizing and let the soil dry a little more.
Winter
Every 2 weeks
Keep it away from cold drafts and water sparingly.

Feeding

Every 4 weeks in spring and summer. Balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Do not feed in winter.

Care tips

Wear gloves
Handle it with gloves and wash your hands after pruning; the sap irritates skin and eyes.
Keep it out of reach
Place it where children and pets cannot chew the leaves.
Rotate the pot
Turn it every few weeks so it grows straight.
Propagate from cane
Pieces of stem with a node root in moist mix or water.

Common problems

Yellowing lower leaves

What you seeBottom leaves turn yellow while the soil stays wet.

What to doLet the top of the soil dry before watering and check the pot drains freely.
Spider mites

What you seeFine webbing and pale speckles under the leaves.

What to doWipe and shower the leaves and treat with insecticidal soap until no mites remain.
Bare, leggy cane

What you seeThe stem grows tall with leaves only at the top.

What to doCut the cane back in spring; the stump resprouts and the top can be rooted as a cutting.

Pets

Is dieffenbachia safe for cats and dogs?

Toxic to cats and dogs. Contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and a protein-digesting enzyme; chewing causes intense mouth burning, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.

Houseplants the ASPCA lists as safe for cats and dogs

Good to know

The name dumb cane refers to the sap, which can numb and swell the mouth and throat and make speaking hard.
The genus honours J. F. Dieffenbach, head gardener at the Schönbrunn palace in Vienna in the 1830s.