The Varieties of Dieffenbachia

General Characteristics

• The leaves of dieffenbachia plants have an exotic, striking appearance due to their various shades of green, white and yellow and assorted markings such as tiny dots, large and medium spots, stripes and multicolored veins. They vary in height from 3 to 6 feet and in width from 1 to 3 feet. Dieffenbachia leaves can grow as long as 18 inches long with widths up to 1 foot.

Large Options

• If you have ample space in the corner of a room, choose either Paradise or Tiki cultivars. Paradise dieffenbachias are the most upright and grow to nearly twice the height of the smaller Compacta and Camille types. Their leaves are creamy yellow with green dots that emanate from the center veins. Tiki cultivars have silver leaves dappled with splotches of white and green and tolerate low light better than many other types. If you prefer plants that grow more outward than upward and have a dimly lit corner that needs greenery, a Tropic Snow dieffenbachia is a good choice. Tropic Snow leaves have soft white billowy designs on their deep green leaves.

Small Options

• Camille is one of the best-known cultivars, according to the Clemson University website. Its small to medium stature makes it a good choice for a desktop or end table and it easily endures different light levels. Camille leaves are mostly pale yellow with dark green borders, and the plant has a bushy growth pattern. The smallest variety of dieffenbachia is Compacta, an appropriate choice for close spaces. Its leaves are mostly white, with medium to large splotches of bright green.

Other Cultivars

• Lesser-known dieffenbachia cultivars include Snow Queen, Hilo and Rudolph Roehrs. They vary in size depending on how much light they receive but rarely reach the heights of the Tiki or Paradise plants. Snow Queen leaves are varying shades of gold and yellow with defined white veins and deep green borders. Hilo dieffenbachia leaves are large and pointy, vary in color and are known for their large white veins. The veins and outer edges of cultivar Rudolph Roehrs' leaves are dark green while the pale yellow interiors are dotted with white spots.