Aglaonema ‘Sunray Green’

What is known about the lime-striped line

Aglaonema ‘Sunray Green’ is a cultivated selection with a bright central line and mottled lime-to-silver-green fields. No one has established who bred it, which plants were involved, where the selection arose or when it entered the trade. Its species ancestry remains open, so the wild range and habitat of the plants behind it cannot be identified.

Care for the lime-patterned foliage of Aglaonema ‘Sunray 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 ‘Sunray 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 dust from the broad patterned blades and inspect the mottled undersides at the same time. Turn the pot occasionally if the strongest light reaches only one side.
• 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 tips and several yellow leaves on Aglaonema ‘Sunray Green’

• Brown tips: Check pot weight and moisture below the surface, direct airflow from a radiator or fan and salt deposits on the mix. The brown-tip guide helps determine which clue matches the whole plant.
• Several yellow leaves: Inspect moisture in the lower pot and review recent cold exposure. A sour smell, loose base or soft roots in wet substrate confirms root damage; a single ageing lower leaf does not.

Pet safety: Aglaonema ‘Sunray Green’

Aglaonema ‘Sunray 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.

The genus name behind Aglaonema ‘Sunray Green’

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.