Aglaonema

The Chinese evergreens: a small genus of tropical Asian aroids grown for patterned foliage, from silver-green classics to the modern pink and red hybrids. The green ones are among the best low-light houseplants there are; the colored ones ask for a bit more. This guide covers the genus; the standout cultivars get their own cards.

Care at a glance

Origin & history

One rhythm across the genus. Aglaonema is a genus of about twenty-five aroids native to tropical Asia, from northeast India through Southeast Asia to New Guinea (Plants of the World Online, n.d.). They grow on shaded forest floors, which is why the green forms cope with less light than almost any other foliage houseplant. They stay compact, upright and bushy, so they never need staking.

Breeders have taken the wild, silver-marked species and drawn out cultivars in cream, pink and vivid red. The care is the same across all of them, with one exception worth knowing, which is on the cards and in the note below.

They come from the warm tropics and have little tolerance for cold. That, more than anything, is what to watch indoors.

Care in depth

Light. The green and silver forms are the champions of the low-light shelf, holding on in spots too dim for most plants. The red and pink hybrids are the exception: they need bright, indirect light to keep their color, and turn muddier and greener without it. Keep direct sun off any of them.

Water and warmth. Let the top third of the mix dry before watering; Aglaonema is drought-tolerant and rots if kept wet. Warmth matters more than with most houseplants: keep it above about 60°F (16°C), away from cold drafts and chilly windows, since a chill leaves greasy grey blotches on the leaves.

Substrate and feeding. Pot in a well-draining, peaty aroid mix with a little bark or perlite, in a pot with drainage. A light monthly feed through spring and summer is plenty; over-feeding just scorches the leaf edges.

Common problems & pests

What you see	Likely cause	What to do
Yellowing leaves	Overwatering or a chill	Let it dry; move somewhere warmer.
Greasy grey blotches	Cold damage	Warm it up; keep off cold glass and drafts.
Brown leaf edges	Dry air or over-feeding	A little more humidity; feed lighter.
Colour fading toward green	Too little light (red/pink types)	Brighter, indirect light.
Fine webbing or cottony tufts	Spider mites or mealybugs	Rinse; 70% alcohol; then oil.

In this genus

Each plant inherits the genus care above; the note is only what differs. Photos to come.