Description
Special Features of Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia is a genus of herbaceous perennial evergreen plants in the aroid family Araceae comprising 52 species. All of them originate from the tropical regions of Central and South America. There is an erroneous belief that the genus was named after a German surgeon Dieffenbach who lived in Königsberg. In reality, the Austrian Joseph Dieffenbach (1796-1863) was a head gardener at Schönbrunn Imperial Botanical Garden in Vienna residence of the Habsburgs dynasty.
Many Dieffenbachia species are widely cultivated as houseplants and for over 150 years they have been used in indoor landscaping for their beautiful large foliage, usually with variegated patterns. Below you will find a non-inclusive list of species given by alphabetical order rather than by the degree of popularity:
- Hybrid Dieffenbachia x bausei has oval yellowish green leaves up to 35 centimetres long with single white spots and countless dark green spots (so-called "marble pattern").
- Dieffenbachia magnifica, or Dieffenbachia rex has white dots on the petioles and light green spotty leaves.
- Dieffenbachia macrophylla is referred to by some sources as the only species with solid green leaves. The leaves are oblong ovate or wide ovate, 60 by 40 centimetres, and have a thick, well-marked central vein.
- Dieffenbachia amoena has broad elliptic leaves up to 60 centimetres long. Variety Camilla has cream leaves with a narrow green border around the edges, variety Tropical Snow has dark green leaves with symmetrical yellow green pattern resembling the Christmas tree and located along the central vein.
- Dieffenbachia maculate, or Dieffenbachia picta, or Dieffenbachia brasiliense is famous for its elongated or lanceolate (pointed) leaves 40-50 centimetres long and 10-12 centimetres wide. The leaf colouring varies with different varieties; the surfaces are lined by numerous lateral veins (up to fifteen).
- Dieffenbachia seguine is sometimes confused with Dieffenbachia amoena for some reason, though it is more similar to Dieffenbachia maculata, but the leaves are wider (up to 16 centimetres), and the number of veins is smaller (9-12).
- Dieffenbachia oerstedii has solid green leaves (sometimes they contain small bright spots) with a prominent midrib. They are pointed oval or elongated heart-shaped, 30-35 centimetres long.
The growing point is usually at the top of the shoot. There are bushy varieties with dormant buds near and/or above the plant base. Dieffenbachia grows fast. In good conditions, a new leaf develops every week, and the total height can reach 2 metres (albeit with time, the lower leaves drop, leaving a bare stem and losing attractiveness).
Dieffenbachia is also commonly believed to be a tough and durable plant. However, we cannot consider it to be easy maintenance. If lighting is not sufficient, the leaves turn yellow; if the room is cool, the leaves also turn yellow; if there is a cold draft, the leaves (especially lower ones) turn yellow and shrivel.
Dieffenbachia flowers are not appealing. First, the plant does not bloom indoors very often. Second, it spends so much energy on flowering and bringing seeds to maturity that it weakens, with lower leaves quickly growing old and dying off. Third, its inflorescence similar to other species of the family Araceae is not really attractive --a well-developed, thick, fleshy spike with tiny flowers. It is fun to see the fruit (orange red berries) but experts recommend immediately removing inflorescences.
CAUTION! Keep Dieffenbachia out of reach of pets and children because the abundant sap contained in the appetizing leaves and thick stem causes skin lesions (simple or allergic contact dermatitis). Its effects are delayed so the poisoning cannot be noticed immediately (though animals and children usually stop chewing the plant very soon because they feel pain). Wear gloves when handling Dieffenbachia and then wash your hands with soap!!
The Secrets to Successfully Growing Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia prefers bright filtered light but can grow in partial shade. In the spring and summer it needs to be protected from direct sunlight.
Dieffenbachia loves generous watering (reduce it in the winter) and very humid air (60-70%). Leaves should be misted or even washed regularly, but avoid water getting into leaf petioles, as this can cause rot.
The plant loves warm but not hot temperatures. It grows best at 20-22 ° C in the summer and 18-20 ° C in the winter.
In the period from May to August, feed Dieffenbachia with compound fertilizer at least twice a month. If the plant lacks nutrients, the lower part of the stem gets bare much faster. Do not feed in the autumn and winter.
Repot Dieffenbachia in the spring and summer every 1-2 years when it becomes pot bound. The signal for repotting is yellowing lower leaves during an active growth of the crown. Choose a larger pot and make it heavier using the drainage media. Slightly acidic (pH = 5.0-6.0) potting mix should contain humus and coniferous mold, and be loose and lightweight. Commercially available peat soils are not suitable. They absorb too much moisture and roots might rot in the waterlogged soil. It is recommended to use a proven mix of sand, humus, leaf mold, and peat at 1:2:2:2.
The plant is propagated by 5-7-centimetre stem cuttings that are rooted in the heated mixture of peat and coarse sand at 30 ° C. If the species is bushy, propagate it with side shoots rooted in water. If you want to rejuvenate the plant every 3-4 years, cut off the crown with a part of the stem and root it. If the plant grows leggy and the naked thick stem looks ugly, root the top and enjoy a new compact plant.
The plant does not need pruning and if it tends to grow tall too rapidly, you can pinch out the tip.
Potential Problems
The leaves fade if they are exposed to direct sunlight.
The leaf tips turn brown as a result of drying out of the soil.
Overwatering and underwatering are equally unacceptable. The soil must be kept moist but not waterlogged.
The soft stem indicates that the plant begins to rot because of abundant watering at low temperatures (or sudden changes of temperatures). These adverse factors also result in root rot, making all leaves turn brown and wilt.
If lower leaves turn yellow, make sure there are no drafts and excessive coolness.
Some of the sap-sucking insects are especially dangerous:
- Mealybugs, body 3 to 6 mm long. They affect leaves, shoots, and flowers. Leaves become distorted, wither, and drop. Immediately start fighting the pest.
- Spider mites. They appear when the air is very dry (humidity below 60%). They are tiny (0.3-0.6 mm) so you can understand the plant is affected by spider mites if web appears in the interstices or leaves wilt and drop.
- Scale insects and coccidae. They are fairly easy to spot with the naked eye, and the additional indirect sign is brown patches on the surface of the leaves and stems. As a result, the leaves may lose colour, dry out, and drop.
Practical measures to control pests are the same in all these cases: 1) Wipe the leaves carefully with a soapy sponge and wash with warm shower; 2) Regularly mist with water at a room temperature; 3) If the damage is severe, spray with Actellic (concentration 0.15%, 1-2 millilitres per litre of water).
Healthy and clean Dieffenbachia is always attractive and can decorate any room.
