Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’

The two-stage cross behind Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’

Richard J. Henny and Jianjun Chen developed Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’ through the University of Florida programme at Apopka. Aglaonema commutatum ‘Manila’ was crossed with Aglaonema commutatum ‘Tricolor’, and a seedling from that cross was then crossed with Aglaonema nitidum ‘Curtisii’. The cultivar was released in 2009 and represents cultivated wet-tropical Asian ancestry.

Care for the broad lime leaves of Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’

• Light: Use bright indirect light for the broad yellow-green and grey-green blades. The white petioles and pale leaf areas are prone to scorch beside hot glass, while weak light slows this naturally vigorous cultivar. Turn the pot occasionally when the main light source reaches it from one direction.
• Watering: A large crown can hide the pot surface, so lift the container and check moisture through the side or deeper in the mix. Water once the pot is distinctly lighter and the lower root ball is no longer wet. Saturate the mix evenly, drain it well and adjust the interval as the root system fills the pot.
• Temperature, humidity and airflow: Keep it at 18–27 °C and above 15 °C. Around 45–60% humidity is normally enough. If humidity stays below about 40% and edges keep drying, move the plant away from heating or use a humidifier. Normal room airflow is enough; avoid cold draughts and direct fan or radiator air.
• Feeding: Use a complete houseplant fertiliser at a low dose every three to four waterings during active growth. Feed less often whenever growth slows, regardless of the season, and never fertilise a dry root ball or a stressed plant.
• Substrate and repotting: Use coco coir or peat, small bark and perlite or pumice in a draining pot. Let a newly delivered plant settle before changing its pot or substrate. Repot when roots fill the container or the mix compacts, using a pot only slightly larger than the root system.
• Leaf care: Support the substantial blades during cleaning and wipe from the midrib toward the edge. Check the pale petiole bases for trapped debris, mealybugs and water held inside overlapping sheaths.
• Propagation: Use a well-rooted basal shoot for the simplest division. A firm cane section with a viable node can also be placed in warm, lightly moist mix; a stable pot helps the larger leaf growth remain upright while roots develop.

Scorched, curled or persistently wilted leaves on Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’

• Scorch: Bleached patches with dry edges, concentrated on the window-facing side, indicate direct sun or heat. Move the plant into filtered light and compare the pattern with the sunburn guide.
• Curled leaves: Check moisture and temperature during leaf development, then inspect both surfaces for thrips and spider mites. The leaf-curl guide helps separate the likely causes.
• Wilting in wet substrate: A loose base and soft dark roots confirm root failure. Photograph the loose base and damaged roots before disturbing the plant, then keep every firm pale root and remove only soft dark tissue. When softness and dark colour confirm root failure, remove dead roots and place the firm remainder in a pot closely matched to its root system.
• Pests: Check leaf undersides and petiole bases for thrips, spider mites, mealybugs and scale; isolate the plant when found.

Pet safety: Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’

Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’ is not pet-safe. Aglaonema contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause immediate mouth pain and irritation, swelling of the mouth, tongue or lips, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing if chewed. Sap may also irritate skin and eyes.

The meaning built into Aglaonema ‘Key Lime’

Aglaonema combines Greek aglaos, meaning shining or splendid, with nema, meaning thread or filament. Botanist Dan H. Nicolson rendered the resulting name as “shining stamen” in his monograph of the genus. Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established Aglaonema on 8 September 1829 on page 892 of issue 108 of Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Litteratur, Theater und Mode.