Sometimes called the dumb cane, while the leaves are simple in shape, this houseplant is anything but dumb! Dieffenbachia grow big and bushy, their flappy green leaves often sporting speckles and splashes sit atop straight, strong stems. The director of the Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Italy named this plant after the institution’s head gardener, Joseph Dieffenbach. A fitting tribute, because these beauties can take a green thumb.

To give them the best chance at enjoying life in your home, indirect or filtered light from a bright window is ideal. Their soil does not like to dry out completely, and they prefer their roots to stay relatively moist. This can be a hard balance to perfect, as it makes overwatering a little too easy. Shoot for watering once a week, and monitor symptoms of overwatering like limp, yellowing leaves.

Dieffenbachia leaves contain toxins called raphides that are released when chewed. These compounds can cause numbing sensations, drooling, and mild swelling in the mouth, so unless you want to take an impromptu trip to the vet, keep your pets at a safe distance!

Dieffenbachias have been cultivated to produce all sorts of fun leaf patterns. The camouflage dieffenbachia has white leaves splattered with dark and lime green spots. The Tropic Marianne variety has lemon colored leaves with deep green edges. Most varieties can grow up to 3-6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. They take up a lot of horizontal space with their bushy leaves and do well on a table or plant stand to minimize taking up too much floor space!