Aglaonema

All you need to know about

How to care for
your Aglaonema

Aglaonema

Overview

Aglaonema, also known as the Chinese Evergreen, is a member of the Araceae family and native to the tropical forests of Asia, like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. A floor plant, Aglaonemas are low-maintenance plants that make it a mainstay of many homes and offices thanks to their unique and lush foliage that come in vibrant colours. Depending on their varietal, you’ll bump into really stunning leaves, patterned leaves that are dark green, silver or red.

They’re quite a slow-growing and stable houseplant, so you can expect Aglaonemas to call the pot they’re in home for a long time while still looking splashy and beautiful AF. Rarely do they blossom, but once they’re in their element, they’ll flower small, pretty and inconspicuous flowers.

Aglaonema Type

Aglaonema Jubilee
Aglaonema Silver Bay
Aglaonema Spring Snow
Aglaonema Red Siam
Aglaonema Emerald Bay
Aglaonema Harlequin
Aglaonema Black Lance

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Varieties of Aglaonema

The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Aglaonema

Add two more Greek words your lexicon, you aspiring polyglot! The name Aglaonema comes from the compound Greek words, aglos = bright or shining & nema = thread.
Some Aglaonema produce red berries when they’re flowering – please feast with your EYES and not your mouth.
For the 90s cinephiles out there, in the classic Léon: The Professional starring Jean Reno and Natalie Portman, Jean’s character, Leon, gifts Natalie’s character, Mathilda, an Aglaonema as a symbolic gesture of a fresh start at the (spoiler alert!) end of the film.
An Aglaonema varietal, Silver Queen was a hybrid cultivated 40 years ago and is still considered one of the most popular indoor plants grown and sold today – it’s like the Wicked of Broadway.

Plant Care Tips

Care Level

Aglaonemas are excellent beginner-level plants, especially if your home doesn’t have a ton of light to work with.

Plant Care Tips

Light

Chinese Evergreens are very adaptable and can thrive in all ranges of indirect light – even if it's main source is completely reliant on fluorescent light. Not great for selfies, but it can work for Aglaonemas. And unless you live in the sewer with Pennywise, Aglaonemas can still be situated in dark areas of your home. Be mindful that they’re kept away from direct light as even one hour of exposure can quickly result in sun-scorched and bleached leaves. Variegated Aglaonemas can lose their famous patterns if they’re not getting enough light, whereas if it gets a lot of indirect light, they’ll get exaggerated variegations peppered with green pigmentation. A good rule of thumb for Aglaonemas is if their leaves and stalks are dark, it’ll need less light than their brighter kin.

Plant Care Tips

Water

Aglaonemas thrive with dry intervals between watering. Use the golden index finger or stick method to check soil moisture. Under-watering causes dry edges and yellowing, while over-watering leads to stunted growth and root rot. Poke holes in the soil to improve drainage if you tend to overwater.

Plant Care Tips

Humidity

Aglaonemas really appreciate humidity – like really, really appreciate it. It reminds them of their rainforest past in days of yore. A humidifier, pebble tray submerged in water, trip to the shower and a good misting will keep them very happy and shiny. Browning leaf tips mean the air is too dry.

Plant Care Tips

Temperature

Aglaonemas thrive in 21 to 29°C conditions, they generally prefer warmer spaces but can also flex in colder conditions if you water them less in low-light conditions.

Plant Care Tips

Pets

Aglaonemas are mildly toxic to pets. The plant is quite bitter – please take our word for it – so it’s unlikely Cooper, Max or Bailey will consume any more than just a nibble. That nibble might induce puking and drooling. If the whole plant is gone, you’ll want to take them to the vet, STAT.

Plant Care Tips