Want to add a chinese evergreen plant to your houseplant collection? They are beautiful and easy to care for! Here’s my complete chinese evergreen plant care guide!
Looking for a super lush and easy to care for houseplant? The Chinese Evergreen plant might be perfect for you.
What is a chinese evergreen plant?
Chinese Evergreen is the common name for the Aglaonema plant.
I love these plants because they grow low and wide, with big dark green leaves with light variegation.
They are extremely easy to grow and happy even in low light situations!
I love that it is a floor plant – it grows low and wide, great for filling an awkward corner.
Other names for chinese evergreen plant include:
- Aglaonema
Chinese evergreen plant origins
This plant is originally from Thailand and the Philippines. It naturally grows in the shady undergrowth of the tropical rainforest.
Is Chinese evergreen plant rare?
No, these are a super common and popular houseplant!
Is Chinese evergreen plant toxic?
Yes, this plant is toxic to people and pets. It can make you very ill if eaten, but it can also give you a rash if the sap gets on your skin. If you are doing rough handling, wear gloves!
Free printable PDF Chinese Evergreen Plant Care Guide
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Chinese evergreen plant care guide
Chinese evergreen plants are super easy indoor plants to care for!
Chinese evergreen plant watering
These plants like moderate watering. This means you can water them every 7-10 days, and let them dry out in between waterings.
Be sure your pot has drainage holes to avoid pooling water, which can lead to root rot.
Read my guide on drilling drainage holes in pots!
How often should I water my Chinese evergreen plant?
I water my plant about once a week. Once every 7-10 days is typically fine.
Should I mist my Chinese evergreen plant?
These plants grow naturally in the rainforest and like humidity. To keep up your chinese evergreen humidity, you can mist them a couple of times a week! However, I find they do OK as indoor houseplant even if you don’t mist them.
Chinese evergreen plant lighting needs
Lighting is actually the most important and unique part of chinese evergreen care, in my opinion. Most house plants want bright, indirect light. However, Chinese Evergreen plants do better with medium to low light.
They do want light – they won’t live in a dark room – but they don’t need too bright of it. In the wild, they grow under huge shade trees. Give them similar shade in your home.
I actually moved one of our Chinese evergreen plants to the porch while we were re-doing our bedroom and the leaves got SCORCHED from direct sunlight. Even before it got direct sunlight, the plant started drooping from just too much sun.
So, definitely stick to indirect light for these plants!
Can I keep Chinese evergreen plant outdoors?
You can keep these plants outdoors, but just be sure that they are in the shade. They will need to be brought inside when the outdoor overnight temperatures drop below 50 degrees.
Chinese evergreen soil + potting
These plants need well draining soil. Regular potting mix is fine, just be sure that your pot has drainage holes to keep it from getting soggy.
Does Chinese evergreen plant like to be root bound?
These plants are OK being a little root bound, but as they grow it’s best to move them into larger pots. I actually like to divide my plants as they grow and split them into multiple pots, that way no bigger pot is needed!
Chinese evergreen plant fertilization
You can give your Chinese evergreen a basic balanced fertilizer every month or so during growing season (spring and summer). This will help them grow faster, though they grow just fine without it.
Cleaning the leaves
Chinese evergreen plants have big, beautiful leaves. They live for a long time and can get dusty. Clean them! Here’s my guide to cleaning plant leaves!
How to propagate Chinese evergreen plant
It is extremely easy to propagate Chinese evergreen plant in water with stem cuttings.
- Identify a healthy branch, preferably with new growth
- Snip the branch with sharp scissors
- Remove any lower leaves
- Place in water so at least 1 – preferably 2 – nodes are underwater
- Change the water once a week and top off as necessary
- See roots form in 2-4 weeks
- Once the roots are 2-3 inches long, plant in soil
How to divide a Chinese evergeen plant
I actually prefer to propagate my evergreen plants with division. These plants will shoot up new baby plants – at least 2 or 3 a growing season. Once they are about a foot tall, dig them out and move them to their own pot! Super easy!
Troubleshooting Chinese evergreen plant
Does a Chinese Evergreen plant flower?
Yes! You can get flowers on your plant – I just got some! They are small and thin and white with a long stamen. Gorgeous!!
Do Chinese evergreens need sunlight?
Like all plants, Chinese evergreen needs light to live. However, it does fine with lower light, and fluorescent lighting can be enough! That makes it a great cubicle plant!
How often should I water Chinese evergreen?
Water your plant when the soil is dry to the touch – once a week or so should do it.
How do you care for a Chinese evergreen plant?
Chinese evergreens are easy care plants. Keep them out of bright light, water once a week, be sure the pot has drainage holes, and repot them once a year and you are good!
Should I cut yellow leaves off Chinese evergreen?
Yellow leaves have lost their chlorophyl and aren’t getting it back. You can let them fall off naturally or cut them off.
Here is my guide to cutting off dead plant leaves.
Be mindful if your plant is getting a lot of yellowed leaves, that is not normal and you should try to identify and correct the problem!
Why is my chinese evergreen plant turning yellow?
What is the best fertilizer for aglaonema?
These plants do great with a regular houseplant fertilizer – 10-10-10 or 20-20-20!
Why is my chinese evergreen plant leaning?
These plants will lean towards the light. Rotate them 1/4 turn each time you water them to get them to straighten out. Here’s my guide to rotating houseplants!
Do Chinese evergreen plants grow quickly?
No, these are slow growing plants. But, they will spread taller and wider over time, and shoot up some baby plants! You can fertilize them monthly in the summer to slightly speed up their growth.
Thanks for reading!
Hey there, I’m Morgan, a houseplant enthusiast from sunny Charleston, South Carolina. Growing up surrounded by my mom’s lush orchids and African violets, I discovered the magic of bringing nature indoors. Thanks to the pandemic, I delved deeper into houseplants, discovering their power to uplift moods and transform spaces. I’m here to spill all my secrets, helping you pick the perfect houseplant – and make it happy. Let’s keep your plants alive, together! 😊