Araceae

Dumb cane

Dieffenbachia seguine (Jacq.) Schott

Family: Araceae
Genus: Dieffenbachia

Pets and kids

CatsToxic
DogsToxic
KidsToxic

Why

Cats: Toxic

Toxic to cats (moderate). Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates, proteolytic enzymes.

Signs: Oral irritation, Excessive drooling, Swelling of mouth and lips, Difficulty swallowing, Vomiting.

Dieffenbachia seguine (Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane, Gold Dieffenbachia, Spotted Dumbcane, Variable Dieffenbachia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Dogs: Toxic

Toxic to dogs (moderate). Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates, proteolytic enzymes.

Signs: Oral irritation, Excessive drooling, Swelling of mouth and lips, Difficulty swallowing, Vomiting.

Dieffenbachia seguine (Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane, Gold Dieffenbachia, Spotted Dumbcane, Variable Dieffenbachia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Kids: Toxic

Toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: insoluble calcium oxalates.

Signs: mouth and lip burning, oral swelling, excessive drooling, loss of speech, difficulty swallowing.

Dieffenbachia seguine (Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane, Gold Dieffenbachia, Spotted Dumbcane, Variable Dieffenbachia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia seguine) — FlowerPhoto: hecklemore, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Is Dumb cane safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Dumb cane safe for cats?

No. Our sources call Dumb cane toxic to cats (moderate). Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates, proteolytic enzymes. Signs: Oral irritation, Excessive drooling, Swelling of mouth and lips, Difficulty swallowing, Vomiting.

Dieffenbachia seguine (Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane, Gold Dieffenbachia, Spotted Dumbcane, Variable Dieffenbachia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Is Dumb cane safe for dogs?

No. Our sources call Dumb cane toxic to dogs (moderate). Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates, proteolytic enzymes. Signs: Oral irritation, Excessive drooling, Swelling of mouth and lips, Difficulty swallowing, Vomiting.

Dieffenbachia seguine (Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane, Gold Dieffenbachia, Spotted Dumbcane, Variable Dieffenbachia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Is Dumb cane safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Dumb cane toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: insoluble calcium oxalates. Signs: mouth and lip burning, oral swelling, excessive drooling, loss of speech, difficulty swallowing.

Dieffenbachia seguine (Dieffenbachia, Dumbcane, Gold Dieffenbachia, Spotted Dumbcane, Variable Dieffenbachia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Common names

By language (7)

Arabic: دفنباخيا
Belarusian: Дыфенбахія стракатая
Cantonese: 黛粉葉
Chinese: 白玉黛粉葉, 花葉萬年青, 黛粉葉, 彩叶黛粉叶, 彩叶黛粉芋, 斑叶黛粉叶, 花叶黛粉叶, 象牙黛粉叶
English: Dumb cane, Dumbcane
German: Schweigrohr
Portuguese: Comigo-ninguém-pode, Comigo ninguem pode, Comigo ninguém pode

Synonyms

Arum crudele Salisb.
Arum regnium Rodsch.
Arum regnium Rodschied ex G.F.Mey.
Arum seguine Jacq.
Arum seguinum L.
Caladium maculatum G.Lodd.
Caladium seguine (Jacq.) Vent.
Caladium seguine var. maculatum (G.Lodd.) Sims
Caladium seguinum Vent.
Dieffenbachia amabilis W.Bull
Dieffenbachia amazonica Mottet
Dieffenbachia amoena W.Bull
Dieffenbachia aureovariegata Anon.
Dieffenbachia barraquiniana Verschaff. & Lem.
Dieffenbachia brasiliensis H.J.Veitch
Dieffenbachia carderi W.Bull
Dieffenbachia chelsonii W.Bull ex T.Moore & Mast.
Dieffenbachia cognata Schott
Dieffenbachia consobrina Schott
Dieffenbachia conspurcata Schott
Dieffenbachia decora Engl.
Dieffenbachia delecta W.Bull
Dieffenbachia eburnea Van Geert
Dieffenbachia gigantea Verschaff.
Dieffenbachia gigantea Verschaff. ex Regel
Dieffenbachia gollmeriana Schott
Dieffenbachia grandis hort. ex Engl.
Dieffenbachia grandis W.Bull ex J.Dix
Dieffenbachia illustris hort.
Dieffenbachia illustris W.Bull
Dieffenbachia imperator B.S.Williams
Dieffenbachia insignis W.Bull
Dieffenbachia irrorata Schott
Dieffenbachia jenmanii Veitch ex Regel
Dieffenbachia lanceola W.Bull
Dieffenbachia lineata K.Koch & C.D.Bouché
Dieffenbachia lingulata Schott
Dieffenbachia liturata Schott
Dieffenbachia maculata (G.Lodd.) Sweet
Dieffenbachia maculosa W.Bull

and 69 more.

Flowers

In flower: April to June, September, November (from 16 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: hecklemore, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Brenda O'Grady, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: fmunoz, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Philippe Kugler, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: ritirene, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alexandre Oliveira, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Elisabeth julhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Adriana García Ramírez, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

More in Dieffenbachia

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0); common names from SimplePlant editors (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.