Painted Drop Tongue Aglaonema nitidum

Evergreen tropical perennial shrub to 1.5 feet, erect and bushy. Plant in rich, well-drained soil and place in indirect light or a shaded area.  The stem is upright, sometimes reclining on the ground as the plant gets larger.  This plant works well in containers, as a houseplant, or on a shaded patio or protected under some trees.  If it is outdoors it will need to be brought in for the winter as it is not cold hardy in NC.  It is low maintenance and often seen in the interiorscapes of offices or malls because it requires infrequent watering and it withstands even very low light.  It just needs a watered-down weak fertilizer once or twice a year. Tall stems and flower stems can be trimmed back to redirect energy to foilage growth.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Relatively problem-free.  Leaf spot, nematodes, and fusarium are occasional problems.  Direct sunlight will cause scorch.  Too much water will cause the rhizomes to rot.  Allow the growing medium to dry out between waterings, but do allow to go completely dry for more than one or two days, and avoid using cold water.

Quick ID Hints:

• Stem present is sugarcane-like with growth
• Leaves are mostly silver or green variegated silver
• Lanceolate leaves have 5-8 main lateral veins
• The spathe is greenish, maturing to white or cream

Distinguished from Dieffenbachia by a tendency to have only 5-8 main lateral veins 

Distinguished from A. commutatum by predominence of silvery-green coloring in A. nitidum.

Prefers low to medium light, moist soil and medium relative humidity; intolerant of constantly wet soil and of direct sunlight; some pest/disease problems.