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pagrdnr

Dieffenbachia flower pics

pagrdnr
15 years ago

Hi everyone. I have a dieffenbachia plant that I got form a big box store about a year ago and it recently got a spathe like flower on it. Is this normal? It smells kind of bad but it is kind of cool looking so I thought I would share some pics. Also, would it hurt to cut this off so I don't have to smell it?

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And here is a picture of my Philodendron Brazil while I'm at it. I know the pic has nothing to do with my post but I just love this plant and highly recommend it.... it grows like crazy. It looks kind of messy now.. I think I am going to trim it back pretty far and try to make it look neater. Some of the vines are over 5 feet long.

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Shawn

Comments (10)

  • phal_pal
    15 years ago

    How neat you got it to bloom! I've had those for years and never managed even one...too bad they stink, its kind of cool looking. I've never heard of a plant suffering from having a bloom cut off. Maybe you should just put up with the smell and show it off. Way to grow!!

  • mr_subjunctive
    15 years ago

    It doesn't hurt the plant to have the flower cut off.

  • mmcdannell
    15 years ago

    Wow good job getting it to flower, I agree with the above poster, film it and show it off lol!

  • watergal
    15 years ago

    Actually, it helps the plant to cut the flower off. Flowers suck a lot of energy out of a plant. If you cut it off, that energy gets redirected into making beautiful leaves.

    Of course, if you LIKE the flower, leave it on and enjoy it. It's not that big of a deal.

    Except for caladiums. IMO, if you leave a caladium flower on, the plant goes downhill really, really fast.

  • nanw_4wi
    15 years ago

    I've found the same to be true of Dieffenbachias, watergal....they deteriorate after blooming....more often than not...to death!

    I would personally cut off any blooms. I've seen too many Dieffenbachias deteriorate after blooming to keep them. And most of them *do stink*!
    Hard to explain, but to me the smell was like wet hay.

  • mcgrower
    14 years ago

    I too have a flowering one.
    I did not notice a smell? Though I have ventilation,fans going.
    Interesting they go down hill, mine I through it in the corner and neglected it. It was a give away that never got given away so put it in the corner.
    Nice information given!

  • mc_hudd
    14 years ago

    mcgrower~ I replied in your other post, but wanted to add here to keep doing whatever you're doing now. I think these are the easiest plants, they almost thrive on neglect. Good luck!

    Shannon

  • bunnygurl
    14 years ago

    My Dieffenbachia didn't deteriorate after it bloomed. Though that was last year Feb and it didn't flower again this year. Besides the fact that I moved, I wonder what I'm doing differently...

    I didn't notice that it had a smell. I thought it looked like a little white baby corn actually. It was so neat. I had no idea that Dieffenbachias bloomed until mine did.

  • mc_hudd
    14 years ago

    Bunny~ It was sometime in 2006 that mine flowered & it hasn't flowered again either. I have moved since then & had to cut it back b/c the stalk was getting weak, so maybe that's my problem. But, it is still going strong... Not sure about the poster that said it would die after flowering. ????? Maybe she/he just changed their habits w/ it & that's why it died. Don't know. I also didn't know that they flowered... Never seen any mention of it on any other site but this one. I was also thrilled when mine did, but a little confused too. LOL

    ~Shannon

  • emma_berteau_gmail_com
    12 years ago

    Of course flowers consume a great deal of plant energy; and in my book, they are nevertheless, a very big deal. I inherited my mom's dieffenbachia, and it's been in the family for 54 years. This spring, while lopped off and rooting in water, this plant is in bloom for the first time. These flowers do not have any discernible fragrance. I've been astonished and delighted with the whole experience. Next? To repot.