Aglaonema varieties: the most beautiful at a glance

Katja
Katja
Katja
Katja

I study landscape ecology and through my studies have discovered a love for plants. Plants are not only beautiful, but also have countless fascinating survival strategies. To bring a bit of nature into my home as well, I nurture my houseplants and herbs on every possible windowsill.

Favourite fruit: rhubarb and all kinds of berries
Favourite vegetables: onions and garlic

The variety of colour and pattern combinations in Aglaonema plants is impressive. With its shade tolerance, Aglaonema varieties can also bring colour to darker homes.

Various aglaonema varieties
There are many Aglaonema varieties to choose from [Photo: Shoutloud/ Shutterstock.com]

To make the decision for the appropriate Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) a little easier, we have compiled a selection of the most beautiful species and varieties. The shade-tolerant plant comes in numerous patterns and colours. Whether a Aglaomena in green, pink, red or spotted, there is something here for everyone.

Aglaonema species: how many are there?

The plant genus Aglaonema belonging to the Arum family includes 22 different species. They differ mainly in the occurrence, size and pattern of the leaves, and the varieties usually come in different colours. However, the pattern may also vary among varieties and may vary in intensity. The Aglaonema varieties listed here can all be kept as houseplants. Since the plants are native to Southeast Asia, cultivation in the garden or on the balcony is not possible here. In the trade, mostly species hybrids are offered, i.e. crosses from two different species.

Chinese evergreen with pink midrib
Aglaonema varieties with a high proportion of white need a bit more light than others [Photo: Puspa warna/ Shutterstock.com]

The most beautiful Aglaonema varieties at a glance

Anyone who wants to keep a chinese evergreen plant as a houseplant is first faced with an incredibly vast choice of different cultivars and species of Aglaonema. To make the decision a little easier, we briefly present the most beautiful variants here.

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Aglaonema pictum

Aglaonema pictum grows naturally in Sumatra and Borneo. There, the plant grows on the ground as an erect shrub, forming decorative leaves 10-20 cm long. The dark green leaves have a light greenish variegation.

Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' leaves
Aglaomena pictum ‘Tricolor’ has a very unique leaf pattern [Photo: Ambia maulana aditia/ Shutterstock.com]
  • Aglaonema pictum ‘Tricolor’: This is probably the best known variety of this species of Chinese evergreens. Silvery white and light green spots litter the dark green leaves, creating a camouflage-like pattern.
  • Aglaonema pictum ‘Bicolour’: As you can guess from the name, this variety looks similar to ‘Tricolor’, with the pattern consisting of only two colours.

Aglaonema commutatum

Native to the Philippines, the poison dart plant or Aglaonema commutatum is available in numerous varieties as a houseplant. In nature, the plant, which grows up to 50 cm high, forms many green leaves with grey spots. This species requires a little more light compared to other Chinese Evergreens, so it should not be too far from the nearest window.

Aglaonema commutatum 'Red Star' leaves
Red leaves with green margins are characteristic of Aglaonema commutatum ‘Red Star’ [Photo: Parijatplant/ Shutterstock.com]
  • Aglaonema commutatum ‘Red Zircon’: The leaves of this cultivar are green at the margins and adorned with a pink, blotchy pattern in the centre.
  • Aglaonema commutatum ‘Silver Bay’: With this cultivar, the green leaves are tinged silver in the centre. Towards the outside, the silver runs into the green base colour.
  • Aglaonema commutatum ‘Maria’: The cultivar ‘Maria’ has dark green leaves interspersed with a stripe-like, silvery pattern. This variety can cope with a little less light than the original species.
  • Aglaonema commutatum ‘Albovariegata’: In this variety, the stalk and stem of the plant are coloured white.
  • Aglaonema commutatum ‘Red Star’: The red leaves with the green edge make this variety a real eye-catcher.

Aglaonema crispum

The so-called painted drop-tongue is also known as Aglaonema roebelinii. It forms quite large leaves about 30 cm long and also becomes a large shrub in nature, over one metre in size. The leaves are bright silvery and interspersed with green patterns. This species is also suitable for particularly dark corners of the room.

  • Aglaonema crispum ‘Deborah’: The leaves of this cultivar are an almost whitish light green, with the leaf veining trailing in a dark green.

Aglaonmea nitidum

Aglaonema nitidum grows quite slowly, but after some time can reach heights of 90 cm. It is found in Borneo, Sumatra and Burma.

Many Agloanema nitidum 'Ernest's Favorite' plants
The variety Aglaonema nitidum ‘Ernesto’s Favorite’ has bicoloured foliage [Photo: Cheng Wei/ Shutterstock.com]
  • Aglaonema nitidum ‘Cortisii’: In this cultivar, the green leaves have silver edges.
  • Aglaonema nitidum ‘Super Green’: Here the leaves have no markings at all, but are a solid, glossy green.
  • Aglaonema nitidum ‘Ernesto’s Favorite’: The leaves of this cultivar are green with a broad, silvery stripe on the midrib.

Aglaonema costatum

This species is quite low-growing and forms many leaves that stand close together. The leaves are green with a white midrib. The light requirement is rather low, so the species is also suitable for somewhat darker areas in the room.

Many Aglaonema costatum plants
Depending on the variety, Aglaonema costatum can also have white speckles [Photo: Satria Arissandy/ Shutterstock.com]
  • Aglaonema costatum ‘Foxii’: In this variety, the dark green leaves have a pale midrib and white speckles.

Aglaonema modestum

Unlike the other species, Aglaonema modestum does not form patterned leaves, but is naturally solid green. A place with little light is absolutely sufficient for the glossy green leaves to develop magnificently. Too much light or even direct sunlight has a negative effect on leaf colour.

Plain green Aglaonema varieties
Plain green Aglaonema varieties prefer to be somewhere a little darker [Photo: Passakorn Stamp/ Shutterstock.com]
  • Aglaonema modestum ‘Spilt Milk’: Where this cultivar got its name is obvious at first glance. With the large white spots on the green leaves, it looks like a glass of milk has been spilled over the Chinese Evergreens.

Like Chinese evergreens, snake plants can do well in locations with less light. In our articles, we show you how to plant and care for snake plants.

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