i need help to find out what type of plat this is we've had them for a while and need to find out what they are... It has a trunk like bamboo except its rubbery they wont grow up straight without a stake and the 2 long ones actually broke there steak and fell over pic attached. The leaves are green with while spots and are only at the top of the stalk.
Jestor000 Your dieffenbachia is ectremely leggy - probably several reasons. You can cut off the tops about 10 inches below the bottom leaf. I dip my cuttings in rooting compound and repot. Take the middle sections and cut them back to about 10 inches above the dirt. Toss the middles. The tops should re-root and the bottom should start new tops. I would do this one plant at a time, mainly because I'm a big chicken and do things very cautiously. This way, if it doesn't work you only loose one plant. Your Deff. is a member of the Araceae family as are my Dracaenas, and I do this with them all the time. Barbara
Oh also i read that these plants contain a substance that is a poison and can cause your eyes to swell if you get it in them. Now i noticed my cat has had allergies for a while now and she seems to wink at us alot and keep her left eye half open. we took her to the vet and the medication he gave us worked but only temporarily So on that note do you think it's possible that this plant may be the cause of this? because we got a new cat around the same time this started and i noticed her playing in this plants pot alot. ?
If you cat is not leaving your Dieffenbachia alone, then try putting some mothballs in the soil. She's more than likely catching the irritation off the plant. Personally, I only ever handle Dieffs with gloves on because I'm sensitive to them, but my cat has enough sense to leave them alone. As Barbara suggests, you can propagate your Dieffs if you want to reduce the stemmage; do just as she suggests, but let the cut portions callous over for a couple of days before replanting to avoid stem-rotting. You should actually be able to get plants from the middle sections of cane, if you let these root in water. As a side note, your Dieff looks like a cultivar of D. seguine. They're native here, and when they get quite tall they sort of floop over into the leaf mulch and creep around. Barbara: Dieffenbachia and Dracanaea don't belong to the same family - Dieffs are Aroids (family Araceae), and Dracs are more closely related to Lilies (family Rusaceae). Maybe you're thinking Draconitum?
Lorax, Thanks for the correction. Especially for Jestor000's info. I looked up Drac in Sunset Western Garden and got the Aracea part, but was relying on memory for the Drac part. At my age I should know better. Sunset puts Dracs in the Agavaceae family as I see now. (I thought Lilies all had some sort of bulb?) I've gardened for years, but off the top of my head. If I liked it, I planted it, if it lived better yet. If it didn't, find something else. I really need to learn the geneology of the families. And not the urban legend info stuff. As in "square stems mean mint or some form of the Lamiaceae Family", as Steve pointed out Not Necessarily So. I am enjoying learning from all of you. Barb.
Jestor000, The common name for your Dief. is 'Dumb Cane' due to the fact that the sap has something in it that is toxic. It can cause throat problems if ingested and if the cat touches it with a paw and then cleans its face that could well be the problem there. I'm sure you can go on-line and find out the grisley facts, but I would definitly keep it and cat apart. You can actually even call your local Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 (USA wide routing number to your local poision control center). I just called the number and got ours here in Washington State and she said it was the Oxilate Chrystals that cause an intense burning (not paralysis) and the cat would be in a goodly amount of pain. I have several cats and have to be really aware of this kind of thing because one of them tastes everything and then throws up on my hard wood floors. Stomach acid is h--- on old hard wood floors! Barb.
