The Dieffenbachia Camille is a lush tropical shrub with broad leaves marked by saturated shades of cream, yellow, and green. These houseplants grow well indoors and thrive best in warm locations with bright, indirect sunlight. Dieffenbachia adds an interesting texture and dramatic flair to any indoor space.
History
Dieffenbachia is a genus of vibrant flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to the New World Tropics from Mexico to the West Indies, and down through South America.
Notable Features
Dieffenbachia have ovate leaves in a wide variety of green, cream, and white color combinations. Fully mature Dieffenbachia can reach up to 10 feet tall, with leaves spanning 20 inches! The variety we carry will generally top out at 9 to 13 inches tall with 4-5 inch leaves. The growing season for Dieffenbachia is March to October, during which its watering needs will be the highest.
Bringing Your New Frond Home
As always, we recommend first giving your new Dieffenbachia friend a name. It’s easier to bond with your plants when you’ve named them. Second, look for a relatively warm, humid location with medium to bright indirect sunlight. This is where your Dieffenbachia can live its best life! In brighter light conditions, the mottling and markings on the plant’s leaves will be most vibrant, but Dieffenbachia will also do just fine in low light locations. Avoid cool drafts, which can cause the plant’s leaves to yellow and curl. Dieffenbachia benefit from a generous watering followed by a short period of allowing the soil to mostly dry out.
Troubleshooting
Like most houseplants, overwatering is the quickest way to kill a Dieffenbachia. Always check that the top 1-2” of soil are dry before giving the plant another drink. Similar to the Pothos plant, Dieffenbachia are expressive plants that show you they’re thirsty with crinkled leaves that will become dry and eventually fall off if the plant is dehydrated for long enough.
If your plant is struggling, DM us on instagram @desk_plants or via email support@deskplants.com and add a photo of your plant.
You can also use the chart below to try to diagnose your issue.
What I look like when I get:
|
Not Enough |
Too Much |
|
|
Water |
Leaves curling inward, crinkled and dry tips |
Soft Mushy leaves, Yellowing or brown at base |
|
Light / Sun |
Slow growth or stops growing |
Dried out, yellow or brown leaves |
|
Temperature |
Not cold hardy, keep away from drafts! |
I can handle some pretty high temperatures |
Fun Fact
Dieffenbachia is also known as the Dumb Cane, referring to its sap that is toxic when ingested. We're not sure they're a fan of the nickname. Keep any Dieffenbachia out of reach for curious pets and children!
Pro Tips for Advanced Plant Parents
Rotate your Dieffenbachia every so often to promote even growth on all sides of the plant.
Fertilizing Dieffenbachia with your favorite general houseplant fertilizer of choice twice a year will encourage faster and more voluptuous growth.
Dieffenbachia are humidity lovers: the more humidity the better. To increase humidity indoors, place your plants atop or next to a tray filled with pebbles and water. As the water evaporates, it will increase moisture levels in the air surrounding the plants.