Adored for their big, beautiful, colorful leaves and easy care, Chinese evergreens are often suggested for people who believe they don’t have a green thumb. Their low-maintenance requirements and their ability to adapt to a variety of conditions makes them great for houseplant beginners.
Chinese evergreen plants, also known by their genus, Aglaonema, hail from the shaded floors of Southeast Asian tropical forests. There are over 20 known species, which vary in their leaf patterns and colors. Cultivars are available with streaks and speckles of white, yellow, or even pink and red. Scroll through the photos above and take a peek at the many colorful and uniquely patterned varieties available in our greenhouse.
Chinese Evergreens will tolerate a wide range of light conditions from very low light to bright, but not direct sunlight. Besides adding a decorative element to any space, Chinese evergreen is also a powerhouse when it comes to cleaning your indoor air. Scientists from NASA have been studying how plants can clean the air on space stations for years, and the results are quite impressive. In some controlled conditions, certain plants were able to remove up to 82 percent of pollutants in the air within 24 hours. Chinese evergreen is among the top 50 in B.C. Wolverton’s list of houseplants that purify the air. So, take a deep breath and look no further than this beautiful, resilient and easy to care for plant.
TIP: How to determine low-light conditions? Ask yourself if you can read a book comfortably without a light on in the location where you are going to set the plant. If you struggle to say yes, then you’ll need to select a plant that will survive in low-light conditions.