''Aglaonema modestum'', called Chinese evergreen, green-for-ten-thousand-years, and lily of China, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''

Aglaonema ''Aglaonema'' is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea.

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, Laos,

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, and southeast and south-central China. In these areas, it is found in tropical swamps and rainforests.

Cultivation

It has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. ''A. modestum'' is typically tall and wide. It occasionally produces white spathe-and-spadix

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

that give way to oval-shaped, reddish

fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particul ...

that are long. Its lance-shaped leaves measure , and are borne on stalks that arise from a central growing point. ''A. modestum'' requires a shaded location, and should not be exposed to temperatures below , which can damage the foliage. It cannot endure direct sunlight and is a good choice for dimly lit rooms. It requires ample moisture except for a very short winter rest period, in which watering can be somewhat reduced. Young plants should be repotted every spring, while mature specimens need be repotted only every two to three years.

Toxicity

This plant contains

calcium oxalate Calcium oxalate (in archaic terminology, oxalate of lime) is a calcium salt of oxalic acid with the chemical formula . It forms hydrates , where ''n'' varies from 1 to 3. Anhydrous and all hydrated forms are colorless or white. The monohydrate ...

crystals which are poisonous to humans, dogs, cats, and horses. If ingested, it may cause severe burning and swelling in the mouth and tongue. Contact with the sap may also cause skin irritation.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4056964 modestum House plants Plants described in 1879 Taxa named by Adolf Engler