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Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia seguine
Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.
QUICK ANSWER
Tip cuttings root in water in 3 to 5 weeks and produce a full-looking plant fastest. Cane cuttings turn an old leggy stem into multiple new plants over 6 to 10 weeks but take patience.
Division works only on a mature plant that has produced separate basal shoots and gives an instantly full new pot.
Division works only on a mature plant that has produced separate basal shoots and gives an instantly full new pot.
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Tip cuttings
Best for restarting a plant that has lost its lower leaves
Cane cuttings
Best for turning a leggy stem into multiple new plants
Division
Best when your plant has multiple basal shoots
Tip cuttings
Time
3–5 weeks
Level
Beginner
Success rate
High
You'll need
Sterile knife or sharp pruners
Nitrile or latex gloves
Clear glass jar
Filtered water (or tap left to sit 24 hours)
Bright indirect light
1
Wear gloves before cutting
Dieffenbachia sap contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate skin and burn if they reach your mouth or eyes. Put on gloves and wipe down your blade and counter with soapy water when you finish.
Keep this plant out of reach of pets and children during the project.
Keep this plant out of reach of pets and children during the project.
2
Cut a 4 to 6 inch tip with leaves
Use a sterile blade to cut a healthy stem just below a node, leaving 2 to 3 leaves attached at the top. Trim off any lower leaves that would sit underwater.
3
Place in water with the node submerged
Put the cutting in a clear jar of room temperature water so the bottom node is fully covered. Use filtered water or tap left to sit overnight to off-gas chlorine. Set the jar in bright indirect light.
4
Refresh the water weekly
Change the water every 5 to 7 days, or sooner if it turns cloudy. Cloudy water is the early sign of bacteria that will rot the cut end. Rinse the jar each time before refilling.
5
Wait for a cluster of 2-inch roots
New roots usually appear within 2 to 3 weeks. Wait until you see at least 4 roots that are each about 2 inches long before potting up.
A cutting potted with a single thin root often stalls.
A cutting potted with a single thin root often stalls.
6
Pot up in a peat-rich mix
Move the cutting into a 4-inch pot with a peat-based potting mix and water in well. Keep the soil lightly moist for the first 2 weeks while the water roots adapt. Once you see new leaf growth, resume normal watering.
WATCH FOR
Mushy black tissue at the bottom of the cutting. That is bacterial rot from stale water. Re-cut half an inch above the damage with a sterile blade, rinse the jar, and start over with fresh water. A single re-cut usually saves the cutting.
Cane cuttings
Time
6–10 weeks
Level
Intermediate
Success rate
Moderate
You'll need
Sterile knife or sharp pruners
Nitrile or latex gloves
4-inch pots with drainage holes
Peat-based potting mix
Clear plastic bag or humidity dome
Rooting hormone (recommended)
1
Cut the bare cane into sections
Once you have removed the leafy tip, slice the remaining bare stem into 3 to 4 inch sections, making sure each piece has at least one visible node. The node looks like a faint ring around the stem and is where new roots and shoots will emerge.
2
Mark which end is up
Cane sections only sprout if you plant them right side up. As you cut each section, draw a small arrow on the side pointing toward the original tip.
A section planted upside down will rot before it ever roots.
A section planted upside down will rot before it ever roots.
3
Dust the bottom in rooting hormone
Tap the bottom cut end against rooting hormone powder and shake off the excess. Dieffenbachia cane cuttings benefit from hormone because they take so long to root that bare cuts often rot first.
4
Lay or stand in damp mix
Fill a pot with peat-based mix moistened to the texture of a wrung-out sponge. Press each section halfway into the soil with the marked end up, or lay it horizontally with the node touching the surface. Press the soil firmly around each piece.
5
Tent with a humidity bag
Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to hold humidity near 70 percent. Set in bright indirect light at 70 to 80°F. Open the bag for a few minutes every other day to refresh the air.
6
Pot up once a shoot appears
After 6 to 10 weeks each section should push out a new leafy shoot from a node. Once shoots are 2 inches tall and the section has clearly rooted, lift each piece and pot it on its own.
Not every section will sprout. A 60 to 70 percent success rate is normal.
Not every section will sprout. A 60 to 70 percent success rate is normal.
WATCH FOR
A section that turns soft and yellow without ever pushing a shoot. That is rot from soil that stayed too wet or from the section being planted upside down. Pull and discard rotting pieces immediately so they do not infect the others, and let the rest of the soil surface dry slightly.
Division
Time
1–2 weeks
Level
Intermediate
Success rate
High
You'll need
Sterile knife or pruners
Nitrile or latex gloves
Two pots with drainage holes
Peat-based potting mix
1
Confirm there are separate shoots
Division only works if your dieffenbachia has produced two or more shoots that come up from the soil as their own stems. A plant with one main cane cannot be divided.
Look for distinct crowns at the soil line, not just leaves branching off one stem.
Look for distinct crowns at the soil line, not just leaves branching off one stem.
2
Unpot and clear the soil
Lay the plant on its side and slide it out of the pot. Gently tease soil away from the root ball so you can see where each crown attaches and how the roots are shared between them.
3
Cut between the crowns
Use a sterile knife to slice straight down between two crowns, splitting the root ball into pieces with at least one stem each. Aim to give each division a roughly equal share of roots.
4
Pot each division in its own container
Choose pots just slightly larger than each division's root mass. Fill with peat-based mix, settle the division in at the same depth it was growing before, and press the soil firmly around the roots.
5
Water in and rest in indirect light
Water each new pot until it drains and let it rest in bright indirect light for a week before resuming normal care. The roots are bruised from the cut and need time to seal.
Do not fertilize for the first 4 weeks.
Do not fertilize for the first 4 weeks.
WATCH FOR
Wilting leaves in the days after division. That is normal transplant shock for the first week, but if leaves stay limp after 10 days the cut roots are not recovering. Increase humidity around the plant by grouping it with others, and check that the soil is damp but not soggy.
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About This Article
Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist
Editorial Process
Propagation methods verified against Dieffenbachia seguine growth data from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with USDA hardiness zone data and published horticultural research.
43,797+ Greg users growing this plant
USDA hardiness zones 10a–12b