Aglaonema Snow White
Deep green leaves so heavily speckled with ivory that some come out almost entirely white. Aglaonema is the plant that handles the rooms nothing else will — a dim hallway, an office corner, a bedroom that only gets light through a curtain — and keeps its colour while it does it. Water when the top inch of soil is dry and it asks for nothing else. Not pet-safe: the sap irritates mouths, so keep it up off the floor in a cat or dog household.
Botanical Name
Aglaonema commutatum 'Snow White'
Pet-Friendly
No (Toxic to cats and dogs)
Sunlight
Low to bright indirect light
Watering
When the top inch of soil is dry
Size
Approx 10-12 Inches tall
Hand-Delivered Safely
Specially packaged for transit, anywhere in Pakistan. If it arrives unhealthy, we replace it.
The plant for the room with no light
Aglaonema — Chinese Evergreen — is the one we hand to people who have already killed a pothos. It comes from the forest floor of Southeast Asia, where almost nothing reaches it directly, so a dim Islamabad hallway or a north-facing bedroom is not a compromise for it. It is simply where it lives.
'Snow White' is the heavily variegated form. Each leaf is dark green scattered with ivory flecks and splashes, and on a well-lit plant some leaves emerge nearly white. Unlike most variegated plants, it does not need bright light to hold that pattern, which is what makes it genuinely useful rather than just pretty.
Light
Low to bright indirect light, and it means low. It will hold form under an office tube light or three metres back from a window. What it will not take is direct sun — an hour of Twin Cities afternoon sun through glass will bleach and scorch the pale sections first, because they have no chlorophyll to protect them.
Water
Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, and let the excess drain away completely. Aglaonema is more forgiving than a succulent but less forgiving than a ZZ Plant: it will sulk if it sits bone dry for a month, and it will rot if it sits wet. Through the dry Islamabad winter, indoor heating pulls moisture out of the air and you may find the leaf tips browning — that is air, not soil, so group it with other plants or sit the pot on a tray of pebbles and water rather than watering more often.
Air and temperature
It is one of the better air-purifying houseplants and it is comfortable in exactly the range a home already sits in. Keep it away from a cold windowpane in January and out of the direct blast of an air conditioner in June — both cause sudden leaf drop.
Good to know
Aglaonema sap contains calcium oxalate crystals and is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Put it on a plant stand or shelf rather than the floor if you have pets. For placing it well in a small flat, our guide to the best indoor plants for Islamabad apartments covers which corners actually work.
Care Guides for Aglaonema Snow White
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