If you are considering purchasing some plants for your house or office, then Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia cannot be ignored. Both of them are very famous plants having their own characteristics, but sometimes people get confused between them. If you are also curious to know about the difference between these two, then do not worry. We are here with a detailed guide, after going through which you will be able to differentiate between the two.
What is Dieffenbachia?
Dieffenbachia plant is famous for its colorful nature. It is very commonly used for home decoration purposes. This plant has approximately thirty different kinds of types but most of them possess a contrast of green and white color. The most popular type among them is “Tropic Snow”.
What is Aglaonema?
On the other hand, the Aglaonema plant is also famous for its colorful nature. It is also used for decoration purposes in different houses and offices. It is quite a common thing among people to get confused between Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia. It is because both of them share some common characteristics.
Aglaonema vs Dieffenbachia
Many factors are needed to be considered while trying to differentiate between Aglaonema vs. Dieffenbachia. It is necessary to know the name of the plant because different plants require different kinds of care. For example, some of them might need water daily, while some of them will require to be watered on a weekly or monthly basis. Sunlight requirement for different plants is different. Therefore, to know the name of the plant, you should know the characteristics and features based on which they can be separated.
- The Shape of their Leaves
The most common difference between Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia is that both of them have different shapes of leaves. Edges are quite pointy in the case of Dieffenbachia, whereas round edges are found in the case of Aglaonema. Most experts understand the type of plant just by observing its shape of it.
- Surrounding Conditions
As mentioned above, sunlight plays a major role in the lifecycle of a plant. Some of them need more, whereas some can grow with a very little amount of it. In the case of Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia, Dieffenbachia is the one that needs more sunlight to grow properly. On the other hand, Aglaonema can grow with very little sunlight. Other than sunlight, surrounding temperature also plays a vital role in the growth of plants. In our comparison of Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia, Aglaonema needs a warmer environment than Dieffenbachia.
- Amount of Water Required
Water requirements also differ from plant to plant. Sometimes providing a plant with more water than necessary can result in rot in the root of the plant. Aglaonema requires very little water to grow healthily whereas Dieffenbachia needs to be watered more often. We can give a gap of about a week to Aglaonema watering. The best way to check that the plant is not being overwatered is by checking the moist level of the soil in which it is planted. This is the best trick to avoid overwatering the plant.
- Side Effects
Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia are poisonous, and both have different kinds of side effects on humans. Aglaonema is reported to cause skin diseases when humans interact with it. On the other hand, Dieffenbachia has been reported to cause diarrhea and food poisoning when swallowed. Some of the patients who ate Dieffenbachia also faced irritation in their throats.
- Rate of Growth
Some researchers did their research on the growth rate of Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia. What they observed was that Dieffenbachia has a higher growth rate as compared to Aglaonema. Therefore, if you looking for a plant that fills your place with leave quickly then you should go with Dieffenbachia.
- Requirement of External Support
It has been reported that Aglaonema grows in form of clusters whereas Dieffenbachia grows in a linear fashion, which is quite similar to cane.
Conclusion
It can be concluded from the above discussion that both Aglaonema and Dieffenbachia are beautiful and both of them grow in different kinds of conditions. You should go with the one that suits your local conditions because in this way you will be able to achieve the growth rate desired by you and demanded by your garden’s aesthetics.