House Plant Index
CHINESE EVERGREEN
Aglaonema modestum
| Flowers |
Rarely in cultivation |
| Potting or re-potting time |
Late spring |
| Position in garden during summer |
Light shade |
| Potting Mixture |
4 with some charcoal |
This Malaysian aroid-cousin to Calla lily and jack-in-the pulpit-has handsome 10-inch leaves, plain green in colors mottled and slashed with white. Aglaonema grows well in water and is often used in conjunction with aquatic plantings in aquariums. It will grow also in soil where with warmth and moisture, it exhibits an enthusiasm never evinced when growing in water.
Aglaonema produces minute flowers on short, club-like spadices, which extend from small green or greenish-white spathes. They are rare under house culture, although they do appear on plants grown in greenhouses.
Aglaonema costatum is seldom met with in window gardens yet is a better foliage plant than modest. It is short stemmed and branching, with leaves 8 inches long and 3 or 4 inches in width, patched in white and with white midribribs. Propagation is by division of the rootstock or by stem cuttings. Neither process offers any difficulties. |
