The Chinese evergreen is most commonly found in South East Asia, where you’ll find it basking in the dappled light under large tropical trees. Introduced to the UK in the late 1800s, it’s become a very popular small indoor plant because it’s so low-maintenance, suitable for homes or offices.
The name aglaonema is derived from the Greek ‘Aglos’, meaning bright, and ‘nema’, meaning thread, because of those variegated patterns on its leaves. There are a huge number of different varieties and colours (check out Anna our silver version).
It’s a cinch to care for. It needs very little water and is happy to live in most light conditions. As with most brightly coloured plants, you’ll notice its foliage is brighter if it gets more light. And when it gets the right amount of light it is spectacular. You'll see even more spectacular growth if you give it a feed with liquid fertiliser once per month in spring and summer.
Did you know?
In China, the Chinese evergreen is considered a lucky plant. Who knows if it works, but worth a try, right?