So, consider the types of dieffenbachia grown at home.
Photo dieffenbachia at home
Types of dieffenbachia
In nature, there are more than 50 species of dieffenbachia , some of them are used as houseplants . It should be noted that the taxonomy of the genus is quite confusing, and often causes difficulties even for specialists. Large variegated leaves of plants have long attracted lovers of indoor floriculture in all parts of the world, for more than 150 years the culture has been grown at home, therefore the creation of numerous interspecific hybrids and varieties, as well as the great variability of natural species, have led to the fact that in many cases there is no consensus regarding their names. In our article, the most commonly used names in the specialized literature are given, although sometimes there are other variants of them. Below are descriptions, as well as photos of dieffenbachia species, popular hybrids and varieties grown in pot culture.
D. variegated or painted (D. picta) , a fast-growing species common in indoor floriculture, reaching a height of 2 m, with large bright green oval-shaped leaves covered with a spectacular pattern of white spots and stripes. Leaf sizes – up to 40 cm in length and 10-15 cm in width.
D. spotted (D. maculata) , another popular species, shorter, growing up to 1 m. The leaves are large, dark or light green, oblong, with pointed ends, up to 50 cm long, up to 12 cm wide. The surface is decorated with numerous spots of white and yellow, as well as colored lateral veins (up to 15 pcs.). It was this species that served as the basis for most of the currently grown varieties and hybrids.
D. Leopold (D. leipoldii Bull) , a very original low-growing variety of Dieffenbachia native to Costa Rica, is characterized by a short, up to 5 cm, and thick, 2 cm in diameter, stem and broadly elliptical dark green leaves up to 35 cm long, on the surface which the main vein of white color is clearly visible. Petioles shortened, pale green, covered with purple spots.
D. lovely or pleasant (D. amoena) , valued for unpretentiousness and stability when grown at home, tolerates shading, dry air and high temperatures in rooms with central heating better than others. Dieffenbachia adorable – a very decorative plant up to 1.5 m high with a more uniform color of dark green oval leaves and white stripes along the veins. The length of the sheet is about 60 cm.
D. seguina (D. seguina) is outwardly similar to dieffenbachia spotted, has wider, up to 16 cm, leaves with fewer lateral veins (9-12 pieces). Dieffenbachia seguina is also the ancestor of a large number of hybrids and varieties.
D. Oersted (D. oerstedii) , has pure green leaves of a pointed or heart-shaped shape, on which the central vein is clearly visible and in some places there are small light spots. Leaf length from 30 to 35 cm.
D. magnificent (D. magnifica), a light green variety, in which the leaf blades and petioles are covered with white dots.
D. large-leaved (D. Macrophylla) , the only uniformly green dieffenbachia with oblong ovoid leaves and a thickened median vein. The stem is dark green, grows up to 1 m.
D. Baumann (D. bowmannii) , with the largest of all known types of leaf plates, more than 70 cm long, painted in dark green, with small light patches.
D. Bause (D. bausei) with unusual yellowish-green leaves 35 cm long, covered with a marbled pattern in the form of white and dark green spots.
Some hybrids of dieffenbachia varieties
In pot culture, not only natural species are grown, but also numerous hybrids and varieties of dieffenbachia, created by breeders over a century and a half of their cultivation. They differ in color, size and patterns of leaves, stem height, there are stem and bush forms.
In stem varieties, the height of the stems reaches 2 m, the lower leaves fall off over time, and the plant takes on the appearance of a false palm tree. Bush forms grow in the form of a bush no higher than 50 cm, they are distinguished by a large number of shoots. Plants of both types planted in one pot look spectacular.
The vast majority of varieties and hybrids are based on two types of dieffenbachia, Dieffenbachia maculata (spotted) and Dieffenbachia seguina (seguina). Among the hybrids, dieffenbachia Mars, up to 70 cm high, Maroba, with slightly ribbed shiny leaves up to 45 cm long, can be noted, both varieties of deep dark green color, decorated with abundant motley pattern.
Green Magic in the photo
Variegated varieties of Dieffenbachia Mix and Tropic Snow are popular in room culture, about 75 cm high with large spots of white color, the White Flame (White Flame) variety, relatively undersized, 55-65 cm, whose white-light green core resembles flames in pattern. Bush dieffenbachia are in demand:
Compacta 55-65 cm high with compact leaves on short petioles, decorated with contrasting white veins and specks;
Dieffenbachia Camilla , characterized by a light, almost white color of leaf plates with a bright green border.
At present, the popularity of these decorative leafy plants in home floriculture is somewhat lower than in the old days, which may be due to their large size, the need for frequent renewal due to rapid growth and loss of decorative effect. Information about the poisonousness of the culture and even the fact that it helps to reduce male potency plays a role, in connection with which the people call Dieffenbachia Muzhegon. The last statement has no scientific justification, but it is known for sure that the plant purifies the air well, and the presence of bush and stem forms with large leaves of various spectacular colors make it possible to create interesting decorative compositions. With the right selection of hardy and unpretentious varieties, knowledge of agricultural cultivation techniques and the creation of proper conditions, Dieffenbachia can become a real decoration of any room.