Aglaonema ‘Red Dragon’

The horticultural background of Aglaonema ‘Red Dragon’

‘Red Dragon’ is a cultivated Aglaonema associated with Chiu Hua Flower Co., Ltd. in Taiwan.

Aglaonema is native from north-eastern India through tropical Asia to Papua New Guinea, and many wild species grow on humid tropical forest floors. ‘Red Dragon’ is a cultivated form distinguished by its strong red-pink foliage.

How to care for Aglaonema ‘Red Dragon’

• Keep it warm: Protect ‘Red Dragon’ from cold draughts, unheated rooms and winter-cold glass. Aglaonema can develop delayed chilling damage, so avoid abrupt cold exposure.
• Filtered light: Bright indirect light supports steady growth without exposing the red-dominant blades to hot direct sun. In gentler light the plant can still grow, but the pot will usually dry more slowly.
• Water and roots: Let the upper portion of the mix dry, then water the whole root ball and empty any runoff. Use an airy substrate that retains some moisture but contains bark, perlite or pumice to preserve air around the roots.
• Maintenance and propagation: Feed lightly only while the plant is actively producing growth. Clear dead material from closely spaced petiole bases and remove fully yellow leaves. Divide a basal shoot once it has its own roots, or root a firm stem section containing a healthy node.

Troubleshooting Aglaonema ‘Red Dragon’

• Dark, translucent or greasy patches after a cold spell: This pattern is consistent with chilling injury. Restore warm, stable conditions first; damaged tissue will not turn healthy again, so remove it only after the affected area has stopped expanding.
• Dry tan or bleached patches on the exposed side of a leaf: Strong direct sun or excessive heat can damage tissue. Move the plant back from the glass or filter the light. Leaves with severe bleaching may remain marked even after conditions improve.
• Several yellow leaves while the pot stays wet: Check drainage and the moisture deeper in the pot before adding more water. If decline continues, slide the root ball out carefully, remove only roots that are clearly soft, dark and dead, and replant the firm roots in fresh, airy mix. See the root rot guide for a step-by-step check.
• Sticky honeydew with bumps or cottony material — scale or mealybugs: Isolate the plant and inspect the red blade undersides and petiole bases to confirm visible scale bumps or cottony mealybugs. Wipe off what you can, then apply a treatment labelled for the confirmed pest, such as a horticultural oil or insecticidal soap suitable for houseplants, to the leaf bases and undersides. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course.
• Fine pale stippling and webbing — spider mites: Keep the plant isolated while you inspect both surfaces of the red blades and the newest folded leaf for moving mites or their fine webbing. After confirmation, rinse both leaf surfaces and apply a product labelled for spider mites to both leaf surfaces and the newest folded leaf. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course.
• Silvery scars and black specks on newest leaves — thrips: Isolate the plant, then confirm thrips by finding slender moving insects or black specks beside fresh silver scarring in the folded growth or on the leaf undersides. Apply an indoor-plant treatment labelled for thrips to the folded growth and leaf undersides. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course.

Aglaonema ‘Red Dragon’ 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.

What does the name Aglaonema 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.