Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could ID the plant below? And then help explain why I'm losing all the old larger leaves?They've been browning off at the tip and the slowly dying back like in the first picture. I have been away a lot recently and left watering to my housemates...

Thanks,
Sam

Hi Sam,

Its a Dieffenbachia. Over-watering and under-watering look exactly alike because the results are the same: dead roots. Try to find out what kind of watering or non-watering your housemates might have done.

I would start by taking the smaller pot out of the larger pot to check if your plant has been floating around in water. Over-watering Dieffenbachia is more serious than under-watering. Feel the soil. It should be dry about an inch down before you water. AND the plant should never sit in water.