Diffenbachia

//Diffenbachia

There are dozens of cultivars of diffenbachia, and we have no way to tell which one you have.

Dieffenbachias have been decorating homes and offices for decades. These showy houseplants are prized for their vividly variegated foliage and large bushy growth habits. Some varieties grow up to several feet tall. The large pointed leaves grow from a central stem, or cane. As the plant ages it will lose its lower leaves, giving it a palm like look. You have a green variety

It gets the nicknames “Dumb Cane” and “Mother in Law Plant” as a result of the effects of the milky sap it contains. If ingested it causes a burning sensation in the mouth, swells the tongue, and paralyzes the vocal cords, literally taking one’s voice away.

By | 2016-03-28T11:48:18-07:00 March 28th, 2016|House Plants|2 Comments

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2 Comments

  1. Blah August 3, 2021 at 3:04 pm - Reply

    It doesn’t take your voice away. It doesn’t even paralyze your voice. I know because I could still speak

  2. Ciekawostki June 6, 2023 at 11:16 am - Reply

    I would like to have some flowers in the house that clean the air and look nice. I’m thinking of spathiflora and Hebe. With this hebe I do not know if it is healthy for the environment. Because it is also a garden decoration. Does anyone know if it’s safe to have them at home too?

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