Types and varieties of aglaonema

Aglaonema is a shade-loving plant native to India. However, the flower grows well at home, decorating the darkest areas of the yard and office premises.

Among all the existing variety of ornamental deciduous plants, I would like to separately highlight aglaonema, which is distinguished by a real abundance of varieties. According to the botanical classification, this plant belongs to the aroid family, whose representatives have always been famous for their exquisite beauty and uniqueness of their forms. In its natural environment, aglaonema grows in the lower tiers of tropical forests, therefore it prefers humid, low-light living conditions.

Aglaonema comes from the countries of the Malay Archipelago and the eastern regions of India, but today the area is no longer limited to these territories - Aglaonema can be found on the Thai Islands, Indonesia, Cambodia, the forests of China, the Philippines, Vietnam and New Guinea.

To date, many varieties have been bred that are successfully cultivated as indoor plants. Many novice growers often confuse them with dieffenbachia due to some external similarity, but the latter has more rounded and large leaf plates. The closest relatives of aglaonema are spathiphyllum, monstera and anthurium. All of them look very impressive, stylish and can decorate any interiors of residential and office premises.

Let us dwell in more detail on the botanical description of the culture. Aglaonema is a shade-loving herbaceous shrub with an erect fleshy stem near the base, which becomes slightly flatter as it approaches the top.

The size of the aglaonema is not high - in most cases the length does not exceed 40-55 cm, but in a favorable environment, for example, in a greenhouse with a humid microclimate, the plant can stretch up to 80 cm.The leaves have a variety of colors, are characterized by a rich shade range and graphics.

The color of this decorative culture is not at all limited to standard green colors, the leaves can be beige, pink, yellow, silver, red and even blue, while the plates show intense patterns in the form of contrasting stripes, spots, zigzags and figures.

The shape of the leaves is oval, elongated, can have pointed or heart-shaped edges, the butterfly shape is often found. The sheets themselves are dense, the surface is glossy, the central vein is depressed. In artificial conditions, it blooms very rarely, but if this happens, then the aglaonema releases a small arrow with an inflorescence in the form of an ear about 5 cm long. At the budding stage, each plant throws out 2-3 flowers, flowering can be repeated every 6-8 months. At the end of flowering, in place of the inflorescences, fruits of scarlet and bright orange color appear.

Nowadays, several varieties of aglaonema are known, although not all are used for indoor gardening. This is due to the specificity of care and the requirements of the content of the culture.

• The most famous variety is aglaonema changeable (changeable). This species unites a group of varieties with oval or lanceolate leaves; light gray and cream strokes, specks, and spots are noticeable on the leaf plates.

• Aglaonema ribbed - a smaller shrub plant, a distinctive feature of which are rather wide leaf plates growing on shortened petioles. The leaves are decorated with textured veins and random spots. During flowering, the plant throws out only one peduncle, which reaches about 15 cm in height.

• Aglaonema modest - another short representative of this family, the height of the bush does not exceed 40-50 cm, while the color of the leaves, unlike other aglaonem, does not differ in noticeable variegation. Monochromatic shades of green prevail here. The shape of the leaf plates, as a rule, is oval, slightly pointed near the edges. In May, when creating suitable living conditions, it blooms. This flower is dearly loved by growers for its ability to cleanse the air of streptococci, dust and some dangerous chemicals.

• Simple (alpine) aglaonema looks quite interesting - This plant is widely used for decorating aquariums with low water levels. The stems grow up to 40 cm, the leaves are oval, slightly elongated, the color is monochromatic. Flowering is observed in April.

• Among the high representatives, a special place is occupied by curly aglaonema. This is a rather unusual flower, a characteristic feature of which is a curly branching crown, the leaves are elongated (about 25 cm) with pronounced silvery veins, making the plant especially impressive.

Let us dwell in more detail on the description of individual varieties of aglaonema that are in demand in indoor gardening.

• Aglaonema "Maria Christina" - a tall bush with deep green leaves. This plant is distinguished by its endurance, therefore it can be placed in rooms where only artificial lighting is available - in shops, corridors of residential buildings, kindergartens and schools.

• "Treiba" - has small leaves, the length of which is no more than 15 cm, greenish color with a pronounced light silver pattern.

• "Silver Queen" - Aglaonema with this name grows to 35-45 cm and requires good lighting, since the leaf plates have a delicate silvery-bluish tint and, in the absence of daylight, turn pale and lose their decorative effect.

• Pattaya Beauty - a very refined and elegant plant with slender refined stems. The leaves are large, light gray near the center, and greenish closer to the edges. As this flower matures, the color of the leaves becomes slightly darker, but no less spectacular. This is a rather unpretentious plant that develops quite successfully in rooms with poor lighting and low humidity.

• "Friedman" - one of the highest aglaonemas, in greenhouse conditions it can reach 1.5 m, has wide leaves with wavy edges. The color is green, but large silvery spots often appear in the center, and dark, almost black specks at the edges.

• Silver Bay - a very massive bush, like "Friedman" can grow up to a meter and even more. The branches grow directly from the rhizome, so the trunk is bare very slowly, thus, the bush retains its splendor and density for many years. The leaves are large, up to 25-30 cm, oval, slightly pointed at the ends. There are light spots on the surface of the plates, which become much darker over time. Cold resistance is considered a distinctive feature of Silver Bay.

Aglaonema loves darkened areas and diffused lighting, which is why you should not choose southern windows to place such a plant, where the flower will be exposed to bright sunlight. In general, caring for this exotic plant is extremely simple, but nevertheless, you should know some of the nuances.

• Aglaonema prefers well-humidified air, it is optimal that the corresponding parameter is close to 80%, which is impossible to provide in a living room. In order for the flower to feel good, it must be sprayed several times a day with soft water from a spray bottle, it is advisable to place a container with water or a small fountain nearby, as an alternative, moss laid out on the tray of the pot will do. From time to time, aglaonema needs a warm shower, only in this case its leaves will always be rich and bright.
• After buying a color, it must be transplanted into a new substrate. The fact is that at trade enterprises, special additives are interfered with the substrate, which in the short term improve the appearance of the plant, but in the future, on the contrary, worsen its condition. Your new pet should be placed in a suitable soil - aglaonema prefers lands with high air permeability, which include leafy and soddy soil, as well as river sand and always peat.
• When arranging a container for a flower, it is very important to pay special attention to drainage - a layer of expanded clay should be at least a quarter of the total volume of the pot. In the future, the young bush will need to be transplanted every year; an adult plant needs one renewal every three years.
• Aglaonema prefers moist lands, but so that moisture stagnation does not occur. Accordingly, irrigation should be moderate, but regular, you need to focus on the condition of the land and the conditions for keeping the flower. For example, in a cold room, watering should be infrequent, and in a warm room, on the contrary, more frequent.
• For watering, you need to take exceptionally soft, settled water, ideally boiled. If you take water directly from the tap, the leaf plates will soon become stained or begin to turn yellow, this is due to the high chlorine content of the liquid.
• Full care of the plant requires the obligatory application of fertilizers: every two weeks you need to feed your green pet with a mineral fertilizer with a high content of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. The plant responds very well to foliar dressing, the same preparations are used for spraying as for application to the soil, but the concentrations should be lower. It is best to spray the flower a day after irrigation, preferably in cloudy weather or in the morning.

This plant is propagated at home, usually by dividing the bush or by cuttings.

• The first method is considered the easiest. - in the course of growing aglaonema, the bush will grow and new shoots will appear. They should be carefully separated and placed in a new container. It is advisable to choose strong seedlings with large leaves and a decorated root system. After transplanting, young flowers are covered with polyethylene for a couple of weeks to facilitate adaptation to changed conditions.

• Cuttings - also a simple method that even novice florists can do. For this, the apical or lateral shoots with several leaves are cut off and placed in water for rooting. To prevent the appearance of rot, activated carbon is added to the liquid. To create favorable conditions for root formation, you should build a kind of greenhouse and add a little "Kornevin" or another preparation of a similar action to the water.As soon as the roots appear, the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place.

When cultivating aglaonema, the following problems often arise.

• Brown spots on the leaves indicate content in conditions of low temperatures or excessive water hardness during irrigation. The flower should be placed in a more comfortable place, and the water should be defended.

• Curvature of leaves will be a signal that the humidity in the room is clearly low for the normal life of the flower. Try to spray your pet with water and shower as often as possible.

• Leaves turn yellow with excessive moisture - in this case, the roots begin to rot, and the ground part does not receive the necessary water and micronutrients. If you do not change the watering regime, then the plant dies very quickly.

• Of insect pests, the greatest danger to aglaonema is thrips, aphids, mealy worms, and spider mites. With the timely detection of the pest, it is possible to quickly restore the plants; for this, the bush should be washed in a solution of laundry soap, and after a couple of hours, arrange a warm shower. Two to three days after mechanical treatment, the plant should be sprayed with special formulations from parasites.

For information on how to properly grow aglaonema at home, see the next video.