Plant breeders from Bangkok and Thailand have given the once-ordinary looking Aglaonemas a new look with their new and exciting crosses of the said plants. Cross-breeding different species from all over Asia for over ten years, Thai scientists have come up with varieties that have thicker, broader leaves with glossy, waxy surface.
Some varieties are bright red in color with little markings and edgings of emerald to bright green. Others are a combination of red, orange and green, while still another variety is yellow orange with shadings of faint pink.
Because these new Aglaonemas are slow growers and still hard to propagate, there are only very few in existence and still in the meticulous care of experts. Plant collectors will go out of their way to pay a “king’s ransom” just to get them. In fact, just recently, a plant trader bought a “ruby-red” aglaonema from a breeder in Bangkok and paid one million Baht (roughly US$30,000) for it. The trader says he will give it as a gift to a member of an Asian royal family who is also a collector of rare plants.
Filipino skeptic pseudo-experts say that these types of Aglaonemas will never set foot in the Philippines or if at all, it will take a very long time if it does. That “expert” says no one can or will afford to buy a single plant. But to prove him wrong, the Garden Ranger was able of the million peso “Royal Aglaonemas” from a plant collector-propagator who wishes to be “incognito” for now. The anonymous collector-propagator says he is studying ways to improve the propagation of these rare plants for others to afford at a lower price.
In the meantime, he shared with us some invaluable information regarding aglaonemas and gives us tips on how to prepare our gardens for the coming of “Royal Aglaonemas.”
Pollution is a serious problem that we are now facing due to the modernization of science and technology. Man doesn’t seem to be contented with what he already has, his cravings show his greed for material enrichment. Thus he tends to overlook the problems modernization will bring him. Now he tries to find ways to solve the problem of pollution through complicated means. Little thus he know that one simple way is by gathering plants that absorb carbon and other harmful elements in exchange for oxygen which is essential for life. Actually, all plants can do the function of cleansing the atmosphere, but there are some specific ones that do the function better than the rest.
A group of plants called Aroids have been found to combat pollution of their thick, wide and durable leaves. To this belongs the Aglaonema, sometimes called the Chinese evergreen. These plants originated from the tropical jungles of Asia. They grow naturally on the forest floors and received half the life that seeps through a dense overhead canopy of trees. They need little light and high humidity with barely enough moisture to make them survive. They withstand shade better than most other plants thus the Aglaonemas are ideal for indoors. The broad leaves with streaks, spots, blotches or shadings of white gray, yellow or beige make a beautiful blend with red or yellow roses, pink dahlias, white carnations, violet dendrobiums, orange or pink lilies, red anthuriums, etc. Those leaves last long as cut-foliage in flower arrangements.
The Aglaonemas are often compared or even mistaken with another member of the Aroid family, which is the Dieffenbachias or Dumbeanes. They are as handsome and need exactly the same care. Some popular species of Aglaonema are Commutatum with bold dark green leaves decorated with cross bands of gray-, and robelini which is similar but has two broad irregular bands of gray running lengthwise on each leave. Both cluster of bright red berries containing each a single seed that can be planted for propagation.
Another species, Costatum is a low stemless plant; each leaf is marked with a white mid vein and white spots. More difficult to grow than the other, A. costatum thrives best in a controlled environment such as a terrarium or a greenhouse. This is propagated only by division. Modestum or the real Chinese evergreen is one of the easiest plants to grow. It will live for long periods in water alone but thrives better in soil. Indoor pocket gardens, shaded patios or lanai, dark corners of a room, in a rock garden or portions of outdoor garden landscapes where there is little or no sunlight will definitely be brightened up by aglaonemas.
The Aglaonemas are also referred to in Spanish as “La Suerte” like the Dieffenbachias. They are superstitiously believed to be lucky plants when given away as gifts. Direct sunlight can easily burn the leaves of Aglaonema plants leaving unsightly permanent damage. It thrives in almost any kind of soil and needs very little care and attention.
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