Aglaonema 'Silver Queen'

Bob McColley’s early commercial hybrid

Bob McColley of Bamboo Nursery in Orlando, Florida, bred Aglaonema ‘Silver Queen’ from Aglaonema commutatum ‘Treubii’ and Aglaonema nitidum ‘Curtisii’. It became one of the major early commercial Aglaonema hybrids. Both parent species come from wet tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Malesia.

Care for the long striped leaves of Aglaonema ‘Silver Queen’

• Light: Place the striped foliage in medium to bright indirect light. The long outer blades can reach close to a window, so leave distance from hot glass and direct midday rays. A brighter stable position supports active shoots, while a dark corner extends the wet period around older cane-like stems.
• Watering: Use the weight of the pot and moisture in the centre of the root ball. A dry surface beneath a wide crown can conceal wet mix below. Once the container is noticeably lighter, water slowly across the full pot, let excess drain and adjust the next check to current warmth and light.
• 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 tips keep drying, move the plant away from heating or use a humidifier. Normal room airflow is enough; avoid cold draughts and direct hot 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 stable draining pot. Let a newly delivered plant settle in its original pot. Repot after roots fill the container, choosing a pot only slightly larger than the root system.
• Leaf care: Support the extended blade along its length while removing dust. Check the green spaces between silver bands for mite stippling or thrips scarring, then inspect the upright stem bases for scale.
• Propagation: Take a rooted basal branch when the plant has several shoots, or use a firm cane section containing a healthy node. Warm, lightly moist substrate and filtered light support rooting while the long emerging leaf remains tender.

Permanent folds and drooping in Aglaonema ‘Silver Queen’

• Folded leaves: Long blades retain bends caused by packaging, cleaning or contact with furniture. Leave healthy damaged leaves in place and give new growth more clearance.
• Drooping: Feel moisture through the root ball and compare pot weight. Thoroughly soak genuinely dry roots; limp growth above saturated mix needs a drainage and root check before any additional water is given.
• Pests: Inspect along the long undersides and midribs for thrips or spider mites, then check petiole bases for mealybugs and scale.

Pet safety: Aglaonema ‘Silver Queen’

Aglaonema ‘Silver Queen’ 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 botanical name carried by ‘Silver Queen’

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.