Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’

A pale-edged cultivar from cultivation

Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’ is a cultivated selection with cream-to-lime leaf margins. Its breeder, original cross and place and date of selection are unknown. The commercial name is not tied to a species pedigree, so the wild range and habitat represented in the cultivar’s ancestry cannot currently be identified.

Care for the pale-edged foliage of Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’

• Light: Give the pale or strongly patterned leaves bright indirect light. Pale areas contain less chlorophyll and benefit from a well-lit position for steady growth; the pattern itself is genetic. Increase exposure gradually and shield the foliage from direct sun through glass, which can scorch the light tissue.
• Watering: Water when the surface is dry, the pot feels lighter and the root ball below is no longer wet. Small pots in bright, warm positions dry much faster than large pots in lower light. Water thoroughly, let the container drain and empty any water held in the cover pot.
• Temperature, humidity and airflow: Keep Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’ 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 suitable; protect the leaves from 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 apply fertiliser only to a moist, healthy root ball.
• 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: Wipe the pointed blades with a soft damp cloth, supporting each leaf near its base. Watch the cream-to-lime edges for the first signs of scorch or repeated drying.
• Propagation: Divide a rooted basal shoot, or root a cane section with at least one healthy node in warm, lightly moist substrate. Keep recently rooted sections in filtered light while they establish.

Brown pale margins and cold injury on Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’

• Brown margins: Drying along several cream-to-lime edges points to interrupted watering, direct hot airflow or concentrated salts. The brown-tip guide helps compare the causes before the routine is changed.
• Cold injury: Dark water-soaked patches appearing after a draught or contact with cold glass are chilling damage. Return the plant to stable warmth and wait until the tissue stops changing. Keep the affected leaf while the cold-damaged area is changing, then remove it only when the tissue is fully dry, soft or beginning to spread.
• Pests: Inspect the underside, midrib and petiole bases for thrips, spider mites, mealybugs and scale. Sticky residue or cottony material around the stem joints deserves particular attention.

Pet safety: Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’

Aglaonema ‘Lipstick Green’ 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.

How the name Aglaonema was formed

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.