---
title: "Okay so the WEIRDEST thing is happening right now! I went out of the…"
description: "Okay so the WEIRDEST thing is happening right now! I went out of the country for the weekend, literally ONLY the weekend, and my dieffenbachia was totally fine…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/ss9wcvWl6ZHxw1PTetm8eG"
community: "Anything about plants"
author: "HamburgerHelpless"
published: "2026-06-17T23:01:08.615727Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/7am2NwhqExzXf-zLGbcgxtn2dONHyXig7tgQ5i4gi6c/lj7ds_o4SaWNQAVHZvSSJA.webp?size=large"
---

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# Okay so the WEIRDEST thing is happening right now! I went out of the…

_Posted by HamburgerHelpless on 2026-06-17_

Okay so the WEIRDEST thing is happening right now!

I went out of the country for the weekend, literally ONLY the weekend, and my dieffenbachia was totally fine and healthy when I left.

I get home 3 days later and a TON of the leaves have all turned yellow, and the plant literally smells burnt??? Like, kind of what your hair smells like after you use a hot tool on it without heat protectant LOL. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever witnessed. I didn’t move the plant or leave it unwatered or in direct sunlight or anything, I have no idea what the heck happened and I’ve had 0 issues with this plant since I got it up until now. Anyone know what could be happening??

EDIT:

I think I’ve figured out why and I wanted to share because I think it’s interesting!

So I only started smelling that burnt smell once I began to cut the yellow leaves off of the plant. After some research, apparently dieffenbachias literally just smell like that on the inside of the plant because of their sap/natural chemical compounds. They have a strong chemical/burnt odor to them, especially if leaves are damaged or if you cut them off. That’s so wild, I had no idea! Very interesting thing to learn today lol. I still have no idea why so many leaves turned yellow while I was gone, I’m hoping the plant was just dry and will recover now that she’s been watered and given a trim 😌

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/7am2NwhqExzXf-zLGbcgxtn2dONHyXig7tgQ5i4gi6c/lj7ds_o4SaWNQAVHZvSSJA.webp?size=large)

## 6 comments

### Plantlover commented on 2026-06-17

That’s so weird. I have no idea what happened.

### Kelley Kelly’s commented on 2026-06-17

Plants can catch negative energy.

### I love plants commented on 2026-06-17

I am so sorry that I can’t help you but I just had to say I love that little bear!!!!🐻

### abitofbrit commented on 2026-06-18

Yes! I found this out too. I used to have one in my bedroom. The smell was so distinct and pungent any time I trimmed the leaves, and once I finally realized that it was coming from the plant, I moved it out of my room. It was awful!

### Brooke commented on 2026-06-18

I honestly think plants miss us sometimes and get stressed when we leave..this has happened to me a few times on short trips too. Just give her lots of love!!

### Summz commented on 2026-06-19

I’d be willing to bet it had water sitting in the tray. Maybe you forgot to dump out the excess after watering?

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