Why you can't keep Dieffenbachia at home. Dieffenbachia

Dieffenbachia is a fairly common plant, the benefits and harms of which are not known to everyone. Therefore, it is so important to know the symptoms of poisoning by this representative of the flora.

Plant intoxication is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon, but nevertheless very common. Often we eat salads and foods that contain poison, and then we cannot understand what caused such unpleasant symptoms, and how to cope with the disease on our own.

Dieffenbachia is a houseplant that can be found in almost any room - it is used to decorate residential buildings, offices, and even schools and kindergartens. At the same time, few people know what the danger of dieffenbachia is, and what poisoning with dieffenbachia can lead to, such, at first glance, a harmless home flower.

Description

Before turning your attention to something like that home plant, it is important to study all its qualities in detail and responsibly. This flower is distinguished by rather large leaves, placed on a thick stem. The color of these leaves changes closer to the middle - it becomes noticeably lighter. Moreover, there are about thirty different types this plant, due to which its popularity among gardening enthusiasts is only growing.

An indoor plant can grow up to two meters in height, or it may not exceed the size of a regular flower in a pot. It is extremely unpretentious, which only increases the desire to have such a handsome man at home. At the same time, people often do not know whether dieffenbachia is poisonous or not, what the consequences of intoxication may be, and how dangerous such a neighborhood is.

Dieffenbachia is very fragile due to the juicy stem, therefore, when it reaches a certain size, the stem may break. Do not throw out the bush, just cut off the top and root the remnants.

Note! In order to achieve flowering at home, artificial pollination is necessary. This is the only way you can see the flower at the top of the trunk.

Danger

Dieffenbachia, the benefits and harms of which are not known to everyone, is found in many homes. Unfortunately, people do not always think about what kind of danger such a neighbor can bring. At proper care for the plant and subject to certain care requirements, dieffenbachia will not bring harm. But there are factors that make it very easy to get poisoned by this bush.

If there is damage on the leaves or stem of the plant, then everyone who touches the flower can earn an unpleasant poisoning - this is natural defensive reaction representative of the flora to external stimuli, so the flower protects itself from outside interference. In this case, the victim may experience characteristic unpleasant symptoms, for example, swelling of the mucous membranes, redness of surfaces and even burning.

Dieffenbachia is poisonous only when it touches the juice; in other cases, this flower does not bear any danger. Nevertheless, it is important to know the symptoms that appear when the plant gets on the skin, as well as on the mucous membranes and in the stomach of a person.

• manifestation of obvious dizziness;
• feeling of nausea;
• difficulty of speech, or its complete disappearance.

Note! Interestingly, in some regions, the juice of this plant is used to make poisonous substances against rodents, and such means, as a rule, effectively get rid of the problem. That is why it is not recommended to allow small children and pets to this flower - poisoning can occur to the maximum short time, and contact with the plant may go unnoticed.

Caring for this flower should be carried out only with the use of protective equipment - be sure to get rubber tight gloves, and after leaving, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Dieffenbachia is harmful to people with acute allergic reactions, so you should not start this flower if you have had such reactions to plants in the past.

In the apartment

Despite the danger of the plant to health, it increasingly turns out to be an inhabitant modern apartments... Thousands of people today are wondering whether it is possible to keep such a plant without harm to the body, how to properly care for it and how to avoid unpleasant consequences?

Of course, in addition to harm, this plant also brings great benefits - it perfectly cleans the air, making the atmosphere in the room healthy. The plant is able to save its owner from the toxic effects of vapors that appear as a result of chemical and sanitization of premises - thus, possessing such a flower, you significantly reduce the risk of other, more serious poisoning, and, therefore, take care of your health.

It is important to know that fears are rarely justified - it is unlikely that enough plant sap will get on your skin for serious intoxication. If this happens, it is enough to rinse the damaged area with warm running water. At the same time, dieffenbachia produces useful elements that destroy harmful microorganisms contained in the air, due to which human health is significantly strengthened.

The benefits of the plant lie in several factors at once:

1. Complex air purification from toxic substances. The plant will help purify the air in apartments and houses located near factories and highways.
2. The air in the room where the flower is located becomes much cleaner, while the impression of a walk on fresh air.
3. The feeling of chronic fatigue disappears, which is very important for a modern busy person.

If you correctly follow all the standards for caring for this plant, an adult and responsible person is not in danger of any poisoning. At the same time, it is worth limiting access to the plant for small children and pets. It is not recommended to place the flower in the kitchen and dining area, as toxic juice can penetrate food and cause poisoning for all family members.

Note! Before starting such a houseplant, be sure to go medical examination for the presence of allergic reactions. If such reactions exist, it is worth abandoning the cultivation of dieffenbachia completely. Non-observance of safety measures and unforeseen reactions can lead to the development of anaphylactic shock, which is dangerous to the state of health and human life.

Video: dangerous house plants - dieffenbachia and boxwood.

It is possible to exclude possible intoxication of the body if all the necessary conditions the content of the flower. The plant is extremely unpretentious, for its normal growth it is recommended to provide light light, a humid environment and a warm atmosphere.

Dieffenbachia does not need frequent watering; you need to pay close attention to this only while the plant is young. V winter period the flower is watered only after the soil has dried to a certain depth.

It is important to spray the flower in a timely manner, as well as transplant it into a comfortable and spacious pot. It is recommended to do this with gloves, as the poisonous juice can cause unpleasant reactions on the skin.

Obviously, the benefits of such a plant are much more than its negative impact... This is what causes such a large spread of the plant. Nevertheless, you need to take care of it with the utmost care, and access for small children and animals, especially cats, should be completely limited - for them the plant sap is a real poison.

Probably everyone has heard about the benefits indoor plants... After all, such pets are able to purify the air from harmful impurities and process carbon dioxide by adding oxygen. But in fact, there are flowers, about the cultivation of which at home there are many theories and superstitions. This also applies to Dieffenbachia - plants with attractive variegated leaves... This culture came to us from the tropics, and has gained popularity among many flower growers. But what can dieffenbachia give us, what benefit and harm can a person be from growing it, is such a culture poisonous or not?

Dieffenbachia can be an ideal plant for your home or office. It belongs to evergreen crops, grows very quickly and pleases the eye with attractive bright foliage. Such a plant is completely unpretentious - it only needs to be systematically watered and fertilized periodically.

What is the use of dieffenbachia?

This indoor plant is considered an excellent air purifier. It is great for growing in large spaces, both residential and commercial. Like ficus, dieffenbachia remarkably removes formaldehyde from its environment. And this is a substance that is very harmful to humans, which is often used in industry, for example, in the production of furniture, linoleum. Scientists also came to the conclusion that dieffenbachia is able to eliminate benzene and chloroform from the air, as well as neutralize aggressive ammonia that gets into environment from the use of detergents or cleaning agents.

Among other things, there is evidence that such a houseplant has rather pronounced bactericidal qualities. It is able to actively cleanse the environment from aggressive viruses or bacteria. And also rather large leaves of such a plant help to make the air in an apartment or office fresher and more humid, which is especially important for rooms heated in cold weather. In addition, the presence of dieffenbachia in the apartment helps to reduce the amount of dust in the air, which can be especially important for allergy sufferers.

Although dieffenbachia is useful for humans, nevertheless, it has one rather significant drawback, as a popular houseplant. This flower contains a milky sap, which is highly toxic. If this liquid gets on the skin, it becomes the cause of severe irritation. And if she accidentally comes into contact with mucous membranes oral cavity either the eye, the consequences can be even more negative. Poisonous substances lead to severe swelling and can cause temporary loss of the ability to speak and / or see. That is precisely why many people do not risk growing dieffenbachia on their windowsill.

Nevertheless, even with all its poisonousness, such a plant cannot be considered really dangerous in most cases. After all, adults are unlikely to chew Dieffenbachia leaves, and if the milky juice of such a pet accidentally gets on the skin, it can be quickly washed off and any unpleasant consequences can be avoided.

It doesn't take much to avoid contact with the toxic milky juice. Readers of Popular About Health should use gloves when grafting dieffenbachia or when shaping its crown. Also, it will not be superfluous to wear gloves when transplanting such a plant. At the end of any such work, you should wash your hands with warm water and soap.

In theory, dieffenbachia juice can cause severe allergic reactions. But such a development of events is rather an exception and is caused by individual intolerance.

With all this, it is definitely not worth growing dieffenbachia for those who have (or have) small children in the house who are able to pull everything they see into their mouths. After all, delicate baby skin is more susceptible to aggressive components of milky juice, and if it gets on the mucous membranes of the child, the consequences can be dire.

Dieffenbachia can also be deadly for pets, such as cats. After all, if the animal bites its leaf, it will quickly develop edema, which will not allow it to breathe, will cause rapid suffocation and even death. But in fact, cats are in no hurry to gnaw dieffenbachia, and usually bypass them.

Some folk signs do not recommend at all to grow dieffenbachia in the house. This plant even received the popular nickname "muzhegon". It is believed that raising this pet contributes to divorce and quarrels in the family. Signs say that dieffenbachia not only drives men out of the house, but also contributes to a decrease in potency. There is also a fairly popular point of view that boys cannot be born in a house where such a flower grows (in other sources, offspring cannot appear at all). There is also a well-known sign that the presence of dieffenbachia in an apartment can make it impossible for a lonely (unmarried) girl to meet with her soul mate. In fact, none of these beliefs have any foundation. And taking them on faith is at least strange.

Thus, poisonous dieffenbachia can still make an excellent indoor plant. But do not grow it in a house with small children and animals. You also need to observe personal safety measures when caring for such a pet. And in this case, dieffenbachia will grow, please the eye and only benefit.

Each housewife tries to create comfort and warmth in her house, decorating it with curtains, curtains, paintings, figurines and houseplants. It is indoor plants that give the room a unique natural natural purity, filling everything around with a fragrant aroma. However, you need to know that flowers can be not only useful, but also harmful to humans.

In this article, we will try to find out if a houseplant, dieffenbachia, is more beneficial than harmful, and can it be kept at home?

Dieffenbachia: characteristics of a houseplant

Dieffenbachia is a flower no more than one meter high with large fleshy leaves. A plant in nature can grow up to three meters, and the leaves reach 50 cm.

Dieffenbachia is a rather finicky plant and requires careful maintenance.

Features of dieffenbachia care:

• The flower pot should be in a well-ventilated place where there is enough air, but at the same time, it should not be installed in a draft, as the plant can get sick and wither.
• The plant requires a lot of light, but it should not be placed in direct sunlight. From an excessive amount of light, the flower can lose its natural color and fade.
• Dieffenbachia does not tolerate extreme heat and does not like cold. The optimum temperature for a plant is 18-25 degrees.
• Since the plant is native to the tropics, dieffenbachia must be constantly sprayed with water and wiped with a damp cloth, but not from a coarse cloth.
• The plant should be watered at least once a week, but the roots should not be poured, as this quickly leads to rotting of the flower.
• Dieffenbachia should be transplanted at least once every three years into a larger pot. In this case, it is necessary not to forget to cut the roots for better growth flower.
• The soil for the plant should contain three quarters of the sand, as this contributes to better development root system.

The plant has several varieties, which are becoming more and more every year. Among amateur flower growers, the following varieties of dieffenbachia are considered the most popular:

• Variegated;
• Spotted;
• Leopold;
• Seguin;
• Large-leaved.

Dieffenbachia begins to bloom in the third year of life, but depending on the type of plant, flowers may not appear even within 5 years. Housewives try to remove the bud immediately after it appears, as they believe that the lower leaves of the plant fall off due to the flower.

Many doubt whether it is possible to keep this plant at home, considering it a harbinger of misfortune. In fact, dieffenbachia has quite a few benefits.

Useful properties of dieffenbachia

• dieffenbachia is able to absorb almost all types of toxic substances in the room;
• thanks to the large wide leaves in the room, the oxygen concentration increases several times;
• Dieffenbachia produces phytoncides that absorb almost all types of bactericidal microbes, therefore, the plant is advised to be installed in hospitals and dispensaries;
• doctors also recommend dieffenbachia for allergy sufferers suffering from lack of air humidity. Constant spraying of the plant supplies the air in the room with the necessary amount of moisture.

In addition to all of the above, dieffenbachia - irreplaceable assistant at business meetings and the development of business plans, as it makes a person act more deliberately and rationally. Many florists claim that dieffenbachia improves the following indicators:

• working capacity;
• mental activity;
• positive energy in the workplace;
• sleep and well-being;
• returns youth and attractiveness to women.

What are the harmful properties of dieffenbachia?

Dieffenbachia is not recommended to be installed in children's rooms and playrooms, as the plant sap is poisonous. The alkaloids in the juice cause burns on the skin, which can swell and cause itching and redness. The plant must be placed higher so that children or animals cannot reach it. When transplanting a flower and pruning stems, wear rubber gloves to avoid burns and irritation.

Does the dieffenbachia bloom benefit or harm?

Experts believe that dieffenbachia bloom does more harm than good, as the plant begins to shed its leaves and rot. Appearance Dieffenbachia after flowering becomes rather unpresentable. The trunk is exposed, and sometimes the plant just falls to one side, having lost a lot nutrients during the flowering period. The dieffenbachia bud is inconspicuous and continues to bloom for no more than three days, so it is better to cut it off so that the plant does not waste energy.

Folk omens and beliefs about the dangers of dieffenbachia

The people believe that dieffenbachia destroys family happiness since it decreases masculine strength, but at the same time enhances female sexuality. Also, some argue that after the plant appears in the house, men leave the family. It is very difficult to find out the reliability of this fact, but still you should not put a flower in the bedroom and in the kitchen, so as not to inadvertently lose family happiness.

It is believed that dieffenbachia is a flower of girls and has more positive energy on women than on men. At the same time, it is to men that he helps in business and brings success in his career, if he is in the office.

Can Dieffenbachia be kept at home?

According to popular beliefs, dieffenbachia begins to bloom only when an unfavorable moral situation reigns in the house. But these are just signs, and no serious confirmation of this fact has been found.

Imported from tropical forests, Dieffenbachia at first sight wins the hearts of lovers of decorative - deciduous plants... But at the same time, few people know that she is by no means harmless. And more and more often among plant breeders you can hear about her negative impact per person. Is dieffenbachia really dangerous and whether it is possible to keep this magnificent plant at home without fear remains a question for many exotic lovers. Let's try to figure it out.

Brief description and features of cultivation

Dieffenbachia - magnificent tropical plant all the unique charm, which is contained in a special color and patterns on the leaves. With age, the plant is capable of reaching a height of two meters. True, it is worth mentioning that what older flower, the more it loses its attractiveness. This is due to the fact that the lower leaves gradually die off, exposing the trunk.

Dieffenbachia flower, despite the fact that it seems a wild and unassuming plant, in reality turns out to be very capricious in terms of leaving. He is especially picky about the temperature regime and the quality of lighting. Like most people from tropical countries, this is a light-loving plant, but at the same time it is very sensitive to the direct rays of the sun on the leaves. When growing it in a home or office, you should carefully monitor the temperature regime. Minimum optimum temperature for its growth should not be lower than 17-18 degrees.

Watering is moderate, it is recommended to wipe the leaves from dust at least once a week and spray the flower completely. Make sure that no excess liquid remains in the pan, as excessive watering often leads to plant diseases.

Dieffenbachia flower: invisible benefits

Dieffenbachia is not easy beautiful plant, it is also capable of bringing tangible benefits. Not many people know that indoor plants have their own "immune" protection, these are the so-called bactericidal properties. Dieffenbachia is no exception, it contains phytoncides that actively purify indoor air from pathogens. In addition, large voluminous leaves help humidify the air, intensively evaporating moisture from their surface. Thus, this indoor flower also reduces dustiness in rooms.

Dieffenbachia is recommended to be grown in apartments and offices located in ecologically unfavorable areas of the city, for example, near factories, factories and landfills. The thing is that this plant, like ficus, effectively cleans the air of the room from formaldehyde. It is harmful Chemical substance, as a rule, it is used in the manufacture of furniture, it is also included in various building varnishes. By absorbing it, Dieffenbachia protects our health from harmful chemicals.

Dieffenbachia flower: harm

Despite all beneficial features, Dieffenbachia as a houseplant has one significant drawback. Its milky juice is very poisonous. When it gets on the skin, it causes severe irritation, but the most dangerous is its contact with the mucous membrane of the eyes and oral cavity. In this case, the person is threatened with blindness or swelling of the tongue, while the ability to speak temporarily disappears.

Related to this is an entertaining historical fact... In the days of slavery, for excessive talkativeness or verbal bickering, American planters forced guilty slaves to bite the stem of this plant.

His milky juice fell on the mucous membrane and caused severe swelling of the larynx and tongue, after which the person remained dumb for a long time. That is why among the population South America dieffenbachia, harmful properties which forced slaves to endure pain in silence, was called "dumb rod".

Poisonous dieffenbachia: can this plant be kept at home?

A lot of plant breeders who love decorative - deciduous plants are very interested in actual question about whether it is possible to grow Dieffenbachia at home? What harm can it do to an adult and a child? And what about pets, who from time to time strive to gnaw the leaves of indoor plants? But first things first.

There is no doubt that Dieffenbachia is poisonous, but its juice is incapable of causing significant harm to the health of an adult. When milky juice gets on the skin of the hands and face, a minor ulcer can form, which will pass very quickly.

To avoid such troubles, when grafting and forming the crown, it is worth using gloves, and after work, wash your hands thoroughly. warm water with soap.

In fairness, it should be noted that there have been cases of severe allergic reactions and even acute heart failure, but these are isolated cases caused by the individual intolerance of the body to the chemical elements of the flower juice.

Another thing is when the juice gets on the mucous membranes of a small child, who usually pulls everything that catches his eye into his mouth. The consequences can be much greater, such as temporary blindness or loss of speech, severe dizziness, and spatial disorientation. Therefore, it is best to remove the plant further away, hang it on the wall or put it on a tall kitchen cabinet.

For pets, especially cats, dieffenbachia is deadly. A pet that has bitten a leaf of this plant will most likely not be able to breathe due to severe laryngeal edema. Another question is that cats are wise enough animals and try to bypass this plant.

In general, we can conclude that it is possible to grow dieffenbachia at home, but only if all precautions are taken. The main thing is to do everything deliberately, as they say with the head. If in doubt, it is better to give a flower to a family where there are no small children and animals.

The birthplace of Dieffenbachia is located in the rainforests of America. The plant also grows on tropical islands. The Pacific but mostly as a weed. The flower is very popular among landscape designers due to its rapid growth and decorative appeal. What is dieffenbachia, is it possible to keep at home, how to reproduce and much more - we will analyze in our article.

Dieffenbachia description

Dieffenbachia is a juicy, multi-layered stem, top part which is covered with foliage, oblong in shape. The color of the leaves depends on the variety of the flower, but mostly has a dark green color with a different pattern of pale green color. Dieffenbachia grows fast enough, having a powerful root system... Despite this, it is quite capricious in its content: it is necessary to observe temperature regime, protect from drafts and monitor the irrigation regime. Dieffenbachia blooms often, but only in wildlife, indoor flowering is possible only when grown in ideal conditions... The inflorescences of the plant are in the form of a greenish-beige cob, the flowering period is rather short and it is recommended to remove the flower after wilting, which takes away a lot of nutrients from the root system.

The most popular types of dieffenbachia

There are more than 40 species of this plant, both natural and hybrid, but we will describe the most common.

Spotted dieffenbachia

This type of plant is the most popular, it reaches a length of about a meter and is considered the shortest of its kind. The leaves have light green and white spots all over the leaf and veins along the edge.

Dieffenbachia Baumann

This variety of Dieffenbachia is popular because it has the most long leaves reaching up to half a meter. The crown is usually dark green with small light streaks in the central part of the leaf.

Dieffenbachia Camilla

Dieffenbachia Camilla is hybrid flower... Reaches a height of 50 cm, has a bushy structure with a short stem and lush, almost white leaves.

Dieffenbachia Leopold

Dieffenbachia Leopolda is dwarf plant with small leaves, up to 25 cm long. The leaf plates are dark green in color, with a clear white vein along the central part of the leaf.

What are the benefits and harms of dieffenbachia?

Having familiarized yourself with the pros and cons of this flower and following the recommendations, you can safely grow dieffenbachia in the house.

Plant danger

There is an opinion that this flower is not so harmless as it might seem at first glance. What is the harm of dieffenbachia to human health? One of the main disadvantages of the plant is the sap of the leaves and stem. When it comes into contact with the skin, it causes itching, swelling and redness, and an allergic reaction appears after a while, in some cases after a day. The main thing is to try to prevent the poisonous liquid of the flower from getting on skin covering and mucous. For the same reason, it is not recommended to keep the plant in the open for children and animals, to transplant and reproduce without gloves. Is it possible to keep dieffenbachia in an apartment? Certainly, the danger of dieffenbachia is exaggerated, it is worth noting that if all precautions are taken, serious harm to health is excluded.

Useful properties of dieffenbachia

One of the benefits of dieffenbachia is air purification in apartments. It not only actively releases oxygen, but also absorbs formaldehyde vapors released, for example, from finishing materials, furniture, stretch ceilings... Dieffenbachia also produces an enzyme that cleans the air from pathogenic microbes and viruses.

Folk omens and superstitions regarding dieffenbachia

Dieffenbachia as a torture tool

Can you suffer from dieffenbachia? V modern world this plant no longer poses a serious danger, but in the 19th-20th centuries, the flower acquired a very bad reputation.

Everyone knows that in the old days, the instruments of torture were very sophisticated. Dieffenbachia also found a very original application. Stems wild plant cleared of leaves and used as "fire rods", from which blows appeared inflamed cuts and severe burning. The leaves of the flower were also used, forcing the victim to chew and swallow them thoroughly. Ultimately, there was swelling of the larynx, which made it impossible for a person to breathe and he died in terrible agony.

Celibacy flower

There are many folk signs associated with dieffenbachia. One of the most common is the so-called "flower of celibacy". It is believed that the plant interferes with the creation of a marriage or meeting with a soul mate, dooms to loneliness.

Is it possible to keep dieffenbachia in the bedroom already held married couples? Popular opinion states that this plant possesses negative energy, capable of breaking the bonds of marriage, provoking troubles and misfortunes.

Dieffenbachia care and breeding methods

First of all, the plant needs good lighting, but the light should be diffused, without direct sunlight, which can form burns on the leaves. Also, a tropical plant needs constant moisture in the soil and air. It is recommended to water dieffenbachia every 2-4 days and wipe the leaves damp cloth... Frequent transplantation is also not required, about once every 2-3 years, if necessary, dead roots should be removed and cuts should be repaired garden pitch... Inspect plants regularly for yellow spots on the leaves and stem.

The most common propagation method is top cuttings. Cut off the top of the leaf and plant it in the ground, wrapping it in foil for several days. This is a great way to renew Dieffenbachia.

Whether it is worth believing in the plant's bad reputation or not - everyone decides for himself. If it seems to you that a series of problems or a negative atmosphere in the house has been created thanks to dieffenbachia, we advise you to get rid of the plant. But you shouldn't blame the flower for everything, inclining towards superstitions, we unconsciously succumb to their negative impact.