Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor'

Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' is the plant that anchors serious Aglaonema collections, with a matte-textured leaf broken into an irregular, camouflage-like patchwork of dark green, mint green, and grey-silver. Unlike the chimeric variegation seen on many other aroids, pictum's patterning is a naturally occurring trait of the species itself in parts of its Sulawesi range, which is part of why demand has stayed high even as tissue culture has slowly improved availability. Growth is slow and it dislikes being disturbed, so a settled specimen is worth more, both financially and horticulturally, than a fresh division.

Native range

Natural variegated form of Aglaonema pictum, native to Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Classification

Genus

Aglaonema

Family

Araceae

Type

Variegated

Growth habit

Clumping, cane-forming

Morphology

Leaf shape

OvateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base.

Leaf length

15-25cm

Leaf width

8-14cm

Petiole colour

Green

Venation

PinnateVeins or lobes arranged like a feather, branching out symmetrically on both sides of a single main central vein., obscured by patterning

Texture

Matte

Variegation

Naturally occurring (not chimericVariegation caused by a cell mutation. Often produces high contrast but can be unstable and revert to all-green.) camouflage-like pixelated patterning in dark green, mintVariegation featuring a speckled, marbled, or light pastel-green pattern. green, and grey-silver, a stableVariegation that is genetically locked, meaning new leaves will reliably display the variegation pattern. species trait rather than an unstableVariegation that is prone to disappearing (reverting to solid green) if lighting conditions are poor or if not pruned. sport

Growth habit

Upright clumping canes