Dumb cane
Dieffenbachia seguine, herbaceous, evergreen
Water a dumb cane when the soil has dried out completely, which indoors means every 4–11 days in summer and every 7–18 in winter. It wants partial shade, 2 to 6 hours of sun a day, and starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Dumb cane at a glance
Water, indoors
4–11
days in summer
7–18
days in winter
When the soil has dried out completely.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
15 °C
It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F).
Humidity
It likes humid air.
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. Fine, as long as the hot midday sun doesn’t fall straight on the leaves.
- Indoors, away from the window. With less light it grows more slowly. If you can, move the pot closer to the window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. Fine, as long as it gets at least 2 hours of sun a day.
- Outdoors, in the sun. Full sun all day is too much. Move the pot where the hottest hours are in shade.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 4–11 days, and only once the soil has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 7–18 days. Near a radiator the soil dries faster, but wait until it has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. It likes humid air, and the heating dries it out. Stand the pot near other plants or on a tray of wet pebbles.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 7–18 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F), so the room has to stay warmer than that.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 4–11 days, but still wait until it has dried out completely.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water a dumb cane
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 6–15 days
Usually every 9 days. Feel the soil first, and water only when it has dried out completely.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 11 days | 7–18 days |
| February | every 11 days | 7–18 days |
| March | every 10 days | 6–16 days |
| April | every 9 days | 5–14 days |
| May | every 8 days | 5–12 days |
| June | every 7 days | 4–11 days |
| July | every 7 days | 4–11 days |
| August | every 7 days | 4–11 days |
| September | every 8 days | 5–12 days |
| October | every 9 days | 6–15 days |
| November | every 10 days | 6–17 days |
| December | every 11 days | 7–18 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
An all-purpose potting mix that holds a little moisture but drains well: if it’s very dense, add some perlite. It likes it neutral or slightly acidic.
Propagation
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
By division: when you repot it, split the plant into pieces that each have their own roots.
Common problems
The most frequent: Aphids · Scale insects · Fungus gnats · Whiteflies · Spider mites · Mealybugs
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Dumb cane: questions and answers
How often should you water a dumb cane in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 11 days (between 7 and 18), compared with every 7 in July. The longest gaps run from December to February.
How can you tell when a dumb cane needs water?
Only when the soil has dried out completely, right to the bottom of the pot.
How much light does a dumb cane need?
Partial shade: 2 to 6 hours of sun a day, without the full midday sun. Indoors that means near a window, out of the sun in the middle of the day.
Is a dumb cane toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a dumb cane take?
It starts to suffer from the cold below 15 °C (59 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 15 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot a dumb cane?
When the roots fill the pot. There are usually 2 years between repottings.
Does a dumb cane need pruning?
No, it doesn’t need regular pruning.
How can you tell if a dumb cane is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as leaves turning yellow, soft brown patches on the leaves and leaves drooping even though the soil is wet. Too little shows as leaves still drooping in the morning and leaves starting to curl or fold.
How much humidity does a dumb cane need?
Wants humid air: indoors, keep it away from radiators and close to other plants, or on a tray of wet pebbles.
What soil does a dumb cane need?
An all-purpose potting mix that holds a little moisture but drains well: if it’s very dense, add some perlite. It likes it neutral or slightly acidic.
How do you propagate a dumb cane?
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots. By division: when you repot it, split the plant into pieces that each have their own roots.
Which pests and diseases affect a dumb cane?
The most frequent are aphids, scale insects, fungus gnats, whiteflies, spider mites and mealybugs. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Read next
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It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
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