Aglaonema ‘Bit Kisses’

Origin of Aglaonema ‘Bit Kisses’

‘Bit Kisses’ is a cultivated Aglaonema selection. Aglaonema occurs naturally from north-eastern India through tropical South-East Asia to Papua New Guinea, where many species grow in humid forest.

Growing Aglaonema ‘Bit Kisses’

• Protect the narrow blades: Give new leaves enough clearance to unfold without being bent or rubbed. Handle them near the base.
• Light: Filtered light suits the plain-green foliage; lower light is tolerated, but growth may slow and new leaves may remain smaller. Avoid direct sun.
• Water and roots: Check below the surface before watering, then soak the root ball evenly and let it drain. Use an airy, moisture-retentive mix that drains freely around the clustered bases.
• Warmth and humidity: A range of about 18–27 °C works well. Keep it clear of cold glass and draughts; ordinary household humidity is usually enough unless very dry heated air is affecting new leaves.
• Feeding: Apply a modest balanced fertiliser while the plant is actively producing leaves, reducing the amount during slower growth and flushing salts occasionally.
• Propagation: Divide a rooted offset once it has its own root system; a healthy cane section with a node can also be rooted warm.

Common issues with Aglaonema ‘Bit Kisses’

• Bent or split leaves: A sharp fold on one otherwise firm green blade usually comes from pressure during transport, cleaning or unfolding. Leave the leaf if it is still healthy and give new blades more room; the existing crease will not repair.
• Wilting: Check the root ball before assuming the plant is thirsty. Water thoroughly if it is genuinely dry. If the mix is still wet, let it dry further and clear blocked drainage; if roots are soft or dark, remove only the damaged tissue and repot the firm roots in fresh airy mix before watering again.
• Brown leaf tips: Repeated drying, dry heated air and fertiliser salts can all affect the narrow tips. Flush salts if they are visible, steady the moisture cycle and reduce strong feeding; see the brown leaf tips guide.
• Thrips: Rough silvery scars, black specks or distorted young leaves are reasons to inspect the folded young growth and both leaf surfaces closely. Confirm thrips by finding slender moving insects or black specks beside fresh silver scarring there before treatment. Isolate the plant, rinse the foliage and remove badly infested debris. Apply an indoor-plant treatment labelled for thrips to the folded new growth and both leaf surfaces, then repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course.
• Root rot: Yellowing with a loose or soft base while the mix stays wet suggests root damage. Unpot only when those signs are present, remove clearly soft dark roots with clean tools and repot into fresh airy mix sized to the remaining healthy roots; follow the root rot guide.

Aglaonema ‘Bit Kisses’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Who first published Aglaonema, and what does the name mean?

Aglaonema combines Greek aglaos, meaning shining or splendid, with nema, meaning thread or filament.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Aglaonema in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 1829, page 892.