Aglaonema 'Prosperity'

Background of Aglaonema ‘Prosperity’

‘Prosperity’ is a cultivated Aglaonema with pink-green leaves, coloured petioles and compact basal growth. Aglaonema species naturally range from north-eastern India across tropical Asia to Papua New Guinea, and many grow rooted in humid forest floors beneath overhead vegetation.

Caring for Aglaonema ‘Prosperity’ indoors

• Root moisture: Let the upper part of the potting mix dry before watering, then soak the root ball evenly and let all excess escape. A loose mix with fine bark plus perlite or pumice keeps moisture available without leaving the roots airless.
• Light: Place ‘Prosperity’ in medium to bright indirect light. Keep the broad leaves out of strong direct sun through glass, where heat and light can bleach or scorch them.
• Stable warmth: Keep the plant in normal warm-room conditions and away from cold windows and draughts. Moderate household humidity is usually sufficient; avoid direct blasts of hot, dry air.
• Ongoing growth: Feed modestly while new leaves are opening regularly and reduce feeding as growth slows. Repot when roots fill the container. Several basal shoots alone do not require a larger pot. A well-rooted basal shoot can be divided, and healthy stem sections with a node can also be rooted warm.

Problems you may see on Aglaonema ‘Prosperity’

• Brown, brittle tips or margins: Repeated drying, very dry heated air or a build-up of fertiliser salts can all contribute. Check how evenly the pot is drying, flush the mix with plain water if it has been heavily fertilised, and resume feeding more lightly. The brown leaf tips guide covers the main patterns to compare.
• Yellow lower leaves with persistently wet mix: One old leaf can yellow naturally, but several yellowing leaves above a wet, heavy root ball point to poor aeration or excess watering. Let the mix dry further and confirm that the pot drains freely. If the plant continues to decline, inspect the roots; trim only roots that are clearly soft or rotten, then settle the remaining firm roots into fresh, well-aerated substrate.
• Grey, dark or greasy-looking patches after cold exposure: Chilling injury can appear after a cold journey, draught or contact with winter-cold glass. Move the plant to a warmer stable position and wait until the damaged tissue has stopped changing before trimming fully dead areas.
• Sticky residue with cottony clusters or fixed brown bumps — mealybugs or scale: Isolate the plant and confirm the pest around the petiole bases and hidden folds. Remove the insects you can reach, then apply an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil labelled for the confirmed pest and suitable for houseplants to both leaf surfaces, the petiole bases and hidden folds. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course, keeping the plant isolated until fresh growth remains clean.
• Fine stippling with webbing — spider mites: Inspect the leaf undersides, tops and folded new growth for moving mites or their fine webbing, and move the plant away from nearby foliage while you check. Once confirmed, rinse the foliage thoroughly and apply a treatment labelled for spider mites to the leaf undersides, tops and folded new growth. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course, and wait for clean fresh growth before ending isolation.
• Silvery scarring with tiny black specks on new growth — thrips: Isolate the plant, then inspect the new growth, both leaf surfaces and petiole bases for slender moving insects or black specks beside fresh silver scarring. After confirmation, apply a treatment labelled for thrips to the new growth, both leaf surfaces and the petiole bases. Follow every label-directed interval for the full course, and continue isolation until fresh growth remains clean.

Aglaonema ‘Prosperity’ 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.