Every plantita and plantito has her or his own plant favorite. Much like fashion and other collectibles, it’s a preference. While many have been growing crazy over varieties of Monstera, orchids, or succulents, I have long been partial to Aglaonema. These plants are more commonly known as Chinese Evergreens and they are ever so lovely. Here are the reasons why I prefer them and collect them, too.
Why I Love Chinese Evergreens (Aglaonema)
Being Filipino-Chinese is not the reason why I love Chinese Evergreens. Long before I knew that they belong to the plant family, Aglaoenema, I have always loved collecting these kinds of plants.
Before I knew it, I already have several varieties in the garden, along with other plants that feature patterned and different colored leaves.
And now that we are staying at home most of the time because of Covid-19, I had replanted many Aglaonema in colorful pots. Then I moved some of them indoors because our bedrooms need some green energy from live plants.
Moreover, I put some plantlets in the toilet and bath areas. We really need fresh air in our urban dwellings. And the Chinese evergreens provide them well.
I intend to propagate them some more so that I can have some more pots of them inside the house.
Having Lush Chinese Evergreens Indoors
Anyway, here are the reasons why I prefer collecting Aglaonema over other plants and why they figure inside our home.
Interesting Patterns and Colors
I am not fond of taking care of flowers not because I don’t like them. It’s just because flowering plants need a lot of care. They need the right amounts of sunlight and it’s hard to find the perfect spot for them around my limited space.
Then, of course, there is the issue of watering, which I cannot do regularly because I am very busy with work, cooking, and homeschooling.
- Related: Benefits of Homeschooling
In lieu of flowers, the Chinese evergreens provide color to our garden. Their leaves look like blooming flowers from afar. And when you arrange them well, your garden will look like you have blooms all year round.
And these plants are part of preparing the kids for the new normal because I don’t want them to grow up surrounded by gray walls.
They are never boring.
Aglaonema never gives you a boring view. Aside from the fact that different varieties produce different kinds of leaves, Chinese evergreens also come up with different patterns.
Each leaf is never the same and the color spatters are just so lovely to look at.
Easy to Grow
Chinese evergreens are very easy to grow. They are not sensitive to the kind of soil used. My pots have different kinds of soil, depending on what I get to buy. I don’t make my own soil mixes either—I no longer have the time to do that.
But they still thrive. I think that if I take care of them better, I will get a better yield and propagate them faster.
There was one time that I threw some roots in the compost pile. After a couple of weeks, I saw a leaf emerging.
Though only a little leaf was trying to fight its way out of the other dried leaves and twigs on top of it, I knew from afar that it was an Aglaonema. I just wasn’t sure what kind it was because the leaf was still so tiny.
So I immediately removed the root from the pile and replanted the little growth. Now, it has two leaves and is gracing my husband’s toilet.
Propagates Fast
When cared for properly, Aglaonema propagates very fast. You can then remove the little plants and transfer them in pots.
Or you can just put one plant in a big pot and wait for it to grow into several plants, that way, you will get a really big bunch.
Awesome as an Indoor Plant
What I realize is that the Chinese evergreen is very nice as an indoor plant because it is low maintenance.
Honestly, I just water my potted plants inside the room every other day. As for sun exposure, I just move them around the room so that they get a few hours of sun every week. No need to take them out.
- Related: Improve the Air Quality in Your Home
Moreover, they like it where it’s shady, so they just grow well indoors.
Effective as an Air Purifier
I have read that NASA has established in their studies that indoor plants help purify the air from chemicals that come from synthetic materials in the home.
They might have less horsepower than electric air purifiers, but they are pretty, affordable, and very therapeutic.
It was said that the Chinese evergreen can eliminate benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, among other gases that are polluting the air indoors.
These usually come from synthetic materials like carpets, fabric conditioner, perfume, and cleaning agents.
My Chinese Evergreen Collection
So far, I have five varieties of aglaoenema. Pots of them may be found all over the living room, dining area, bedrooms, toilets, and baths.
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They are refreshing, especially for the eyes. When I take off my eyeglasses after staring at my computer screen for very long, I find them very pleasing to the sight.
Plus, they are very strong against heat, humidity, sudden drops in temperature, and lack of sunlight.
But I am still propagating them in order to have more of these plants indoors.
Varieties of Aglaonema
There are so many varieties of Chinese evergreens. There are like 2 dozens of them and I don’t even know what their names are.
But these are perhaps the top 12 most common kinds of aglaonema out there.
- Aglaonema modestum
- Aglaonema nitidum
- Red Peacock
- Cutlass
- Emerald Bay
- Harlequin
- Silver Queen
- Silver King
- Suzy
- Red Gold
- Red lipstick
- Dona Carmen
How about you? Do you also like aglaonema?
Gardening Tip
I am not really using store-bought fertilizer because of the harmful effects of chemicals that I might inhale. So instead, I use diluted Thieves Household Cleaner by Young Living Essential Oils.
Once or twice a week, I lightly spray on the leaves and on the soil. New plants or leaves grow faster plus even dying plants get revived. I also noticed that the colors of the leaves are more vibrant.
Note: If you use your Covilyzer UV Sterilizing Lamp in the bedroom, make sure that you take out the plants before you turn it on. The UV light will mess up with the plant growth or even kill them.
Home Improvement
Meanwhile, here are stories about the home as well as home improvement articles that might interest you.
- Covid-19 has brought upon us the new normal. Read more on how to How to Prepare Your Kids for the New Normal.
- Since the whole family is home most of the time, let’s make our living quarters more comfortable. Here are 4 Tricks to Make Your Home Cozy for Kids.
- Free up yourself from the tedious chore of ironing clothes. Make Your Clothes Wrinkle-Free with Tom and Sheri’s Iron in a Bottle.
- Our urban home has a very small space for a garden. And we live on the third floor. But it is our family goal to be able to buy our own land that we will transform into a forest. Read: Setting a Family Goal and Working Together to Achieve It
- I am already experiencing menopausal symptoms. So I eat a lot of sesame seeds. Read this: Health Benefits of Sesame Seeds for Menopausal Women
Very informative blog post naman po nito momsh, perfect talaga ito sa mga plantitas & plantitos na ito yung hobby ngayong my pandemic. Nakkatuwa malaman na yung Chinese Evergreen plants pala ay madaling alagaan at tumubo. And super refreshing sya sa mata because of its diff. variety & shape of leaves.
Ang Gaganda ng mga Aglaonema mo mommy.Dami po palang variants nyan
I like this article very much, I want to suggest you few best indoor plants,Searching for the best indoor plants? Look no further! These beauties not only add a touch of green to your space but also thrive indoors, making them perfect companions for any home.