Chinese evergreen care guide

Chinese evergreen is one of the best plants for a dim room. Its leaves come in silver, green, pink, and red, and it puts up with low light and missed waterings. The one thing it hates is cold.

Light

Green and silver types grow well in low to medium light, such as a north window or the back of a room. They are among the best plants for offices and dim corners.

Pink and red types need more light to keep their color. Give them bright, indirect light near an east window.

Direct sun scorches the leaves.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. In low light and in winter, it needs water less often.

Yellow lower leaves with wet soil mean too much water. Droopy leaves with dry soil mean too little. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Use a well-draining houseplant mix with some perlite.

Chinese evergreen grows slow and likes a snug pot. Repot every two to three years in spring, one size up. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine. Brown leaf tips can mean the air is too dry.

Cold is the danger. Keep it between 18 and 27°C (65 and 80°F), and above 13°C (55°F). Leaves that touch a cold window in winter, or sit in a draft, get dark, water-soaked patches. On the trip home from the store in winter, wrap it up.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Skip fall and winter.

Pruning

Cut yellow or damaged leaves off at the base. If it grows a flower that looks like a small peace lily, you can cut it off to save the plant’s energy for leaves. Leave it if you like how it looks.

Propagation

Chinese evergreen grows in clumps. Divide it when you repot, keeping roots on each piece.

Tall, leggy stems can be cut and rooted in water. Cut a piece 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) long with a few leaves. Roots grow in four to six weeks.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Yellow lower leaves, wet soil	Too much water
Dark, water-soaked patches	Cold damage
Brown leaf tips	Dry air, or minerals in tap water
Pink or red types turn green	Not enough light
Pale, scorched patches	Direct sun
Droopy leaves, dry soil	Too dry

Pests

Mealybugs and scale can hide where leaves meet the stem. Spider mites show up in dry air. Fungus gnats mean the soil stays wet too long. Read how to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants.

Pet safety

Chinese evergreen is toxic to cats and dogs. It contains calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing causes mouth pain, drooling, and sometimes vomiting. Keep it out of reach of pets that chew.

Varieties

• ‘Silver Bay’ has silver-green leaves and handles low light well.
• ‘Maria’ has dark green leaves with silver bands. It is one of the toughest.
• ‘Silver Queen’ has leaves that are almost all silver.
• ‘Siam Aurora’ has green leaves with red edges.
• ‘Lady Valentine’ and ‘Pink Dalmatian’ have pink leaves.
• ‘Red Gold’ has red and green leaves.

In my house

Mine is a green one.

My cats and kids dig in the dirt of my houseplant pots. It is just something that happens.