Austrian botanist Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, in search of unique and beautiful plants for the imperial botanical garden in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, studied and typed several species of tropical flora unknown to him. He liked the large dark green leaves in a contrasting white speck. So from the South American tropics, the flower migrated to all greenhouses and houses. The name was given to him by the name of the main gardener of the imperial palace greenhouse of Vienna, Joseph Diefenbach.
For over 100 years, an exotic flower has been growing not only in its historical homeland. It adorns apartments and offices around the world. This plant of the aroid family has not adapted to the cold climate. It still needs warmth, humidity and bright lighting. This is worth considering when choosing Dieffenbachia for landscaping.
View description
The plant has a thick stem, on which there are many large spotted leaves. Shoots are usually located on the top, which is why over time, Dieffenbachia becomes like a real tree with a lush, thick rosette at the top and a long bare trunk below. However, some species have several growth zones and are more like a bush. The height can reach two and a few meters. Like other aroid, it blooms on the cob. At the site of inflorescence, small orange berries are formed. At home, this happens extremely rarely, to ensure that the plant has a full-fledged vegetation cycle, very careful and professional care is needed.
Thanks to the large foliage, the plant brings many benefits as a natural air filter. No wonder the Amazon rainforest is called the lungs of the planet. The amount of oxygen produced by large-leaf evergreen is enormous.
At the moment, botany knows about fifty varieties. All of them have a characteristic feature - toxicity. The fact is that Dieffenbachia juice contains a large number of caustic enzymes and crystals of calcium oxalate.
If it comes into contact with the skin, it causes an allergy, and in case of contact with mucous membranes a severe burn. Therefore, it is better not to keep the plant in a house with animals and small children, and wear rubber gloves when grooming and pruning.
Room subspecies
Despite all the variety of varieties of Dieffenbachia, most of them do not take root in captivity. The most resistant to artificial lighting, temperature extremes and dry air became the progenitors of decorative indoor varieties.
| Title | Description and features of the species |
| Dieffenbachia spotted (cultivars: Camilla, Tropic snow, Bauze) | Massive plant up to a meter high with wide lanceolate leaves. The characteristic color is dark green with contrasting bright spots that can range in size from small dots to large veins that occupy almost the entire surface. |
| Dieffenbachia lovely (Seguina) | Shade-tolerant plant with a large lush rosette of wide (up to 18 cm across) spotted leaves. Unlike relatives, it better tolerates dry air and is not demanding on the microclimate. |
| Dieffenbachia Leopold | It has a dark emerald color of leaves with a characteristic light stripe along the central vein. In addition, violet specks may appear on the surface and the handle. This is a bushy undersized plant. |
| Dieffenbachia Oersted | Shrub subspecies with pointed very bright leaves. |
You can accurately determine the variety and not confuse it with other plants by comparing it with a photo.
Plant Care Rules
When growing Dieffenbachia, it should be remembered that the flower is native to the tropical rainforest of South America. If you provide her with the appropriate microclimate, she grows pretty quickly, releasing one new leaf about once a week.
Despite the whimsicality of the flower, only a few simple conditions are mandatory, which makes it ideal for the office, large apartment and halls of public institutions.
| Content Option | Required Conditions |
| Lighting | The more pronounced the pattern, the higher the demanding for light in the variety. For monophonic enough moderate daylight. Direct sunlight should be avoided. |
| Moisturizing | Spraying should be done daily routine. To do this, use warm filtered water. Placing near heating appliances is highly undesirable. |
| Watering | Do not allow the formation of a dry clod of earth in a pot. The soil should be moist, but not overfilled. The dampness of Dieffenbach does not like either. |
| Temperature mode | The thermometer column should not fall below +17 degrees. For summer, the optimum temperature will be + 22- + 28 Celsius, for winter: + 18- + 22 |
| Transfer | Infrequently, in proportion to the growth of the root. |
| Fertilizer | It is best to feed the plant with nitrogen or complex preparations for indoor tropical plants with decorative leaves. This should be done from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn, once every two weeks, with a half dose of fertilizer carefully diluted in water for irrigation. |
| The soil | The plant prefers slightly acidic, well-drained soil mixtures. Compositions made of sand, peat, moss, perlite and crushed bark with charcoal are ideal. |
| Cultivation | As you grow, Dieffenbachia needs to be cut off. The crown of the head with a socket is separated from the trunk, washed and rooted. The remaining stem is divided into bars with sleeping buds. From them you can get new processes. |
Dieffenbachia loves spaciousness and clean, fresh air. You can take it out on loggias and verandas in the warm season, but you should not allow drafts or leave it on the street during sudden temperature changes at night.
Transplant nuances
As the root system grows, Dieffenbachia will need to be transplanted more quickly into the pot.
Determine when the time has come, you can on the following grounds:
- New shoots and leaves ceased to appear.
- New leaves are smaller.
- While maintaining the microclimate, the soil dries quickly.
You need to prepare in advance for a transplant, purchase a pot or tub for 2-3 centimeters with a larger diameter than the previous one.
For the formation of drainage, buy expanded clay, and for adding fresh, specialized soil.
The best time to move the flower is considered the beginning of spring. During this period, the plant has not yet come out of winter recreation. Top dressing should be started afterwards so as not to wake Dieffenbachia ahead of time and not to injure her.
Planting a flower in a new container is as follows:
- A layer of expanded clay 2-4 cm is laid at the bottom of a new pot.
- Dieffenbachia is removed, the blackened and dried roots are carefully cut, and the cut points are treated with antiseptic and antifungal agents.
- Set neatly in a new tub and gradually pour fresh sterilized soil around the edges, slightly compacting it.
- Watered with settled water at room temperature.
As a rule, young plants need transplanting about once a year. They are actively growing, and their root system quickly fills the tank. Older plants are enough to rejuvenate when the trunk has grown and is bare.
Rejuvenation
A bare long trunk makes it uncomfortable to care for a plant that needs additional support. In addition, decorativeness suffers greatly, because instead of a lush bush a bare stem stretches upward.
There are two ways to return Dieffenbachia to an aesthetic appearance:
- Pinching the growth point on the crown, which is likely to wake the sleeping buds on the trunk and cause the flower to give new shoots.
- Trimming the crown and its subsequent rooting. To do this, the top is cut off at a distance of a couple of centimeters from the node in which the sleeping kidneys are located. The oozing stem is blotted dry and sprinkled with activated charcoal. Then it can be planted in a new pot with loose, not water-intensive soil. It is important not to flood a new plant in order to prevent root and trunk decay before the roots grow. The remaining nodes of the long stem can be divided into cuttings and planted. From them will grow new Dieffenbachia, indistinguishable from the mother.
Breeding
It is very difficult to achieve natural flowering and seed ripening at home. Dieffenbachia reproduces well in a vegetative way. Cuttings can be obtained at any time after cultivation of an adult plant. Pinching a single growth point for the appearance of layering is better not earlier than after 3-4 years of growth after planting.
Root cuttings and cuttings better in an impromptu greenhouse, which can replace a transparent plastic bag or film.
Errors in care and their symptoms in a plant
Healthy Dieffenbachia pleases owners with juicy bright large greens. If the cultivation rules are not followed, the plant reports the problem with an appropriate appearance.
| Changes | Possible reasons |
| The tips dry and crumble |
|
| Fading leaves, loss of contrast |
|
| Small deformed leaves | Too alkaline soil |
| Lower leaves dry and fall | Close pot |
| Pale and softened stalk | Rotting from the root |
| Leaves are curled |
|
| Brown edges |
|
| Yellow leaves |
|
Diseases and parasites
With proper and sufficient care, Dieffenbachia has good immunity to viruses, fungi, bacteria and pests. However, errors in content or proximity to an infected plant lead to illness. It is necessary to deal with pathogens in a timely manner. The death of a flower and infection of other indoor vegetation can be the price of delay.
Any sign indicating the weakness of the stem and leaves should be the reason for prevention and treatment.
| Pathogen | Characteristic signs of infection | Help |
| Soft rot | The leaves turn pale and fade, the stalk cracks at the base, the flower stops growing and looks stale, the soil may smell like mold. | It is impossible to cure, but you can try to root the crown or get layering from a healthy section of the stem after pruning. |
| Bacterial leaf damage | Yellow spots with a darkish clear border. | Treat with fungicides. |
| Phytophthora | Dark rot rises from the root, the plant weakens and withers. | The flower will have to be completely destroyed. |
| Anthracnose | Weaking dark spots appear on the leaves. | Cut off the infected parts, make the air drier than usual, systematically treat the healthy remaining leaves and stem with a fungicide solution. |
| Aphid | The leaves begin to deform and turn yellow, a sticky coating appears. | Wash the plant with a soapy solution, treat with special pesticides or tobacco dust. |
| Shield | The appearance of light brown plaques on the trunk and sticky secretions. | It is necessary to manually remove all pests, lubricate the affected area with alcohol or kerosene, and treat the entire plant with insecticides. |
| Worm | Dusty, thick discharge on petioles and veins. | Treat with mineral oil and specialized preparations. |
| Spider mite | Characteristic small brown dots on leaves, drying areas and thin cobwebs in cuttings. | Rinse with soapy water and spray with special equipment. |
| Thrips | Whitish color of individual areas of the plant, withered and drying leaves. | Thoroughly and repeatedly treated with strong insecticides. |
Mr. Dachnik warns: Dieffenbachia is poisonous
The milky juice of the plant is not poisonous. It does not cause severe poisoning, disturbances in the central nervous system or breathing.
However, a high content of bioactive substances can seriously irritate the skin and mucous membranes. So, a child or a pet may suffer from a flower, which, out of curiosity, will break off or bite it.
This is not a threat to health, but just in case, measures must be taken to prevent the development of chemical burns and allergies.
It is useful to grow dieffenbachia in the house, it perfectly cleans the air, absorbing phenol, formaldehyde and heavy metals from it. The phytoncides released inhibit the spread of viruses and bacteria through the air. Maybe that's why the flower is so common in the halls of medical institutions.
