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Dieffenbachia & Dracaena

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2004
by syl726 on January 16, 2004 06:03 PM
I found a site that had Dieddenbachia Varieties. Is there one for Dracaena? And is Janet Craig a name of a company because I have a "Janet Craig Dracaena (Dracaena deremensis) I've also seen it listed as a Dumbcane. There is also A Dieffenbachia Tiki but not resembling the the one I have. Mine IS the Dumbcane but seems to never produce more than 3 nice/good leaves before something happens to the bottom one. [Mad] For instance, now one of the leaves has three spots on it resembling scortch or heat damage but there is no direct heat in the room where the plants are. Also there continues to be a greyish fuzz substance that only appears in the soil of my Peace Lily. I water them with the same water I use for the other plants.
by Jiffymouse on January 16, 2004 06:16 PM
syl, don't know about the site for draceana, but there are several good sites for plant identification. i will post them in the next few days.
about the fuzz on your peace lily soil, i don't think it is the water at all. i think it is the soil. i would take a plastic (read disposable) spoon and scoop it out everytime it appears. if the soil level gets low, use a good quality (i prefer miracle grow) potting soil to fill it in. the reason for the quality is the drainage issue. cheaper ones don't drain as well, AND are more likely to have foreign matter that would have the same problems with fuzz. good luck and keep me posted.
by Jiffymouse on January 16, 2004 06:16 PM
by the way, i don't think i would compost the fuzz, i would just throw it away.
by Will Creed on January 17, 2004 02:34 AM
Plant nomenclature can be very confusing.

Dieffenbachias and Dracaenas are not related. The former is in the Aroid family and the latter is in the Lily family. Dumb cane is a common or nickname that refers to any Dieffenbacia. That name comes from the fact that the sap in Dieffenbachia can cause mucous membranes in the mouth to swell up and render speechless those who chew on this plant. Dumb cane is never correctly applied to a Janet Craig, which is not poisonous.

Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig' is the complete name of what is commonly called Janet Craig. Janet Craig is the name of the person after whom the discoverer of this variety chose to name the plant.

Let the top quarter of the soil of your Kiki dry out before watering. This will help deter the soil mold and will also benefit the health of your plant.

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