Chinese Evergreen Plant
Aglaonema
Chinese Evergreen "Emerald Beauty"
A Chinese Evergreen plant is one of the easiest and best-looking houseplants to have in your home or office. Aglaonemas, the scientific name for Chinese Evergreen plants, are a hardy hybrid from the Aroid family and originally came from the subtropics of Southeast Asia. Chinese Evergreen plants can be used as upright table plants or, as they get larger, bushy floor plants. All of the many Chinese Evergreen plant varieties have long, shiny, leathery leaves with unique patterns of green, gray, pink, red, and cream. NASA lists the Chinese Evergreen as one of its top ten plants to clean the air of harmful toxins.
These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
Chinese Evergreen Plant
Light
Chinese Evergreen plants are probably the only indoor plant with large, colorful, variegated leaves that can live in low-light conditions. If placed in medium light, these plants grow more quickly.
Water
Allow the top 25-30% of the soil to dry out before watering. When the soil of a Chinese Evergreen plant is too wet, the stems become mushy and die. When the soil gets too dry or too wet, yellow leaves develop.
Fertilizer
Chinese Evergreen plants need very little plant food. Feed every other month with a balanced plant food diluted to 1/4 the recommended strength.
Temperature
Temperatures below 50°F (10° C) may damage the leaves; keep a Chinese Evergreen plant away from cold winter drafts and air conditioners.
Humidity
Chinese Evergreen plants do well in regular household humidity or higher.
Flowering
Remove Chinese Evergreen flowers as soon as they appear. The flowers are not very attractive and use energy that the plant needs to produce its beautiful leaves.
Pests
Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants., scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew., and AphidsSee a picture, learn to identify, and read about Aphid houseplant pests in the Glossary of Houseplant411.com.- The " green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.
", sprayed on the entire plant, usually solves pest problems. (recipe for green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.
in the Glossary)
Diseases
In high humidity, the large leaves of a Chinese Evergreen plant may develop bacterial diseases such as Leaf Spot.
Soil
Use a well-aerated houseplant potting mix that drains quickly.
Pot Size
Keep a Chinese Evergreen a little root-bound in a small pot so that the soil can dry out quickly.
Pruning
If a Chinese Evergreen plant becomes thin and leggy, prune the stems back to where they start to bend. The plant will branch out all along the length of the remaining stem.
Propagation
Stem cuttings and plant divisionLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary.
Clean Air Plant
NASA lists the Chinese Evergreen plant as one of the top 10 plants to clean the air of harmful chemicals.
Poisonous Plant Info
Chinese Evergreen plants are poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. with a #2 toxicity levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222******
Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant.
Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties.
Level #3: These houseplants are very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur.
Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening.
Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets.
See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in
Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
because of the calcium oxalate crystals in the plant. Adverse reactions include: skin irritations after contact with the sap, irritation of mouth, lips, throat, and tongue if leaves are eaten.
Should I cut off the flowers that appear on my Chinese Evergreen Plant?
I would remove the flowers from a Chinese Evergreen plant as soon as they appear. The flowers of a Chinese Evergreen Plant hinder leaf growth, are not very attractive, and produce berries that weaken the plant.
How do I propagate my Chinese Evergreen Plant?
Propagating a Chinese Evergreen plant is very simple and is done by stem cuttings or plant divisionLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary.
What is the sticky stuff that is all over the leaves of my Chinese Evergreen Plant.
The sticky "stuff" on the leaves of your Chinese Evergreen Plant is called "honeydew." Honeydew is excreted by a Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pests called Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants.. Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. are small sucking insects that look like tiny pieces of cotton.
Why are the stems of my Chinese Evergreen Plant getting soft and mushy and breaking?
The stems of a Chinese Evergreen Plant get soft and mushy when the plant is over-watered. The lower the light the less water a Chinese Evergreen needs. Move your Chinese Evergreen to a brighter, warmer location until the soil dries out. Once you move your plant back to its original location, be sure to allow the top 25%-30% of the soil to dry out before watering.
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