Aglaonema pumilum

A low forest species from Myanmar and Thailand

Aglaonema pumilum is native from southern Myanmar to southern Thailand, where it grows in wet tropical evergreen forest. It remains close to the forest floor, with a slender decumbent or creeping stem and small leaves that may be plain green or softly ash-mottled.

Care for creeping Aglaonema pumilum

• Light: Use medium to bright filtered light. A very dark position slows the creeping growth. Direct sun can mark the leaves. Increase exposure gradually after transport or a darker period.
• Watering: Keep the root zone lightly moist, never saturated. Water when the surface begins to dry and the pot loses some weight, after checking below. Small, shallow pots dry quickly; cooler or lower-light conditions slow them down. Water thoroughly and drain the pot.
• Temperature, humidity and airflow: Keep it at 20–27 °C and above 15 °C, particularly when wet. Aim for about 60–75% humidity. A humidifier or cabinet may be needed in a drier room; in a cabinet, use gentle ventilation so moisture does not sit around the low stem.
• Feeding: Use a complete houseplant fertiliser at a low dose about every four waterings during active growth. Feed less often when growth slows, and wait until newly arrived or rooted plants resume growth.
• Substrate, stem position and repotting: Use a fine, porous mix of coco coir or peat, small bark and perlite or pumice in a shallow draining pot. Let a newly delivered plant settle before repotting. Keep the creeping stem on the surface with its roots covered, moving to a slightly wider pot when the rooted stem reaches the edge.
• Leaf care: Clean the small leathery leaves gently when dusty. Remove loose papery material from the creeping stem, but leave firm living leaf bases attached.
• Propagation: Divide a creeping section that already has roots, or place a stem section with at least one node on warm, lightly moist substrate. Lay the node on the substrate surface and cover only the roots that emerge from it.

Keeping the creeping stem of Aglaonema pumilum healthy

• Buried creeping stem: Wet substrate covering the horizontal stem can soften the nodes. Keep firm stem tissue on the surface with only the roots covered, and check any previously buried section for softness.
• Curled leaves: Check moisture through the shallow root zone, recent heat and both leaf surfaces. The leaf-curl guide helps separate dryness, heat and pest damage. Rehydrate evenly when dry, but do not keep the creeping stem wet.
• Stem or root rot: A sour smell with collapsing dark tissue indicates stem or root decay. Trace the damaged section along the creeping stem before cutting, then preserve each firm rooted length and every healthy node. When the damaged part of the creeping stem is fully visible, remove the affected section and preserve a firm rooted length.
• Pests: Inspect beneath the low leaves and along the exposed stem for thrips, spider mites, mealybugs and scale.

Pet safety: Aglaonema pumilum

Aglaonema pumilum 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.

Why pumilum means “dwarf”

Aglaonema is rendered as “shining stamen” from Greek aglaos, shining or splendid, and nema, thread or filament. Latin pumilum means dwarf or diminutive. Joseph Dalton Hooker described the species in 1893 on page 530 of volume 6 of The Flora of British India.