Are you looking for a beautiful and easy-to-care houseplant? We are introducing another attractive cultivar, the Aglaonema Mary Ann Plant. The long pointed leaves with variegations in green grow from a common base getting about 3 feet tall on maturity.
Just like other Aglaonemas, the plant shows tolerance for different levels of indirect light and humidity. This makes it a perfect choice to beautify any spot in your home and office.
A part of the beauty, it also holds a place in NASA’s list of air-purifying plants. Want to know more? Keep reading for a summarized guide about the care and propagation of the Mary Ann Aglaonema Plant.
Aglaonema Mary Ann Classification
Family: Araceae
Genus: Aglaonemateae
Cultivar: Mary Ann
Genus Aglaonemateae:
The members of this Aroid genus are commonly known as Chinese evergreen plants. The Chinese culture has considered them to be a sign of good luck and prosperity since ancient times.
The attractive appearance and easy-to-care nature make them a center of attraction for cultivation and experimentation. A large number of cultivars are introduced from time to time. Some of them become successful while others get dropped out due to occurring problems.
The majority of these plants have close resemblances making them hard to distinguish. However, the good news is that all of them come with similar nature and more or less similar requirements.
Features of Aglaonema Mary Ann Plant
Size
An average mature plant can get around 3 feet tall with a similar width. The size depends upon the space and growing conditions available for the plant.
Leaves
Each elongated leaf can get about two to three feet or more in length, depending upon the size of the plant.
Flower
Aglaonema mary ann blooms beautiful Lilly-like flowers in white to pinkish shade on warm days. Howbeit, blooming is not commonly seen in this genus.
Air-purification
Aglaonemas are air purifiers for toxins like benzene and formaldehyde. These commonly present substances in our indoor environment are harmful to our health. Thus, apart from beautifying our surroundings, these plants also work to freshen up the air around us.
Toxicity
Aglaonemas contain high levels of calcium oxalate crystals in the foliage making them toxic and unsafe for us and animals. Ingestion can lead to serious health issues like diarrhea and ulceration in the mouth. So, make sure kids and pets don’t mingle with the plant. Moreover, don’t ignore contacting emergency medical aid in case of ingestion.
Aglaonema Mary Ann Care
These pretty bushes are no-fuss plants, making them suitable for everyone including the beginners and the lazy peeps.
Quick Guide:
Water: Moderate.
Sun: Moderate to the low indirect sun and fluorescent light.
Humidity: Loves high but tolerates low levels.
Fertilizer: Mild concentration in spring and summer only.
Let us get a detailed understanding of “How to take care of the Aglaonema Mary Ann Plant?”
Water Requirement
Aglaonema mary ann like moderate watering. Just water the soil thoroughly and let the upper soil get dry before you water again. The key here is to avoid over-watering, as it can kill the plant. So, make sure you are watering moderately and not keeping the soil wet or soggy.
The frequency of watering depends upon factors like temperature and sunlight. A plant standing in brighter light and warmth demands more water. As a general estimate, once to thrice a week is enough for spring and summer. On the other hand, once every two to three weeks is enough for the cold days of fall and winter.
Light Requirement
Aglaonemas like to stay in the indirect light of medium intensity. They are patient enough to withstand lower levels as well. Howbeit, it may slow down the growth or affect the variegation of the plant.
Bright and direct sun is what the delicate foliage can not bear. It can not only scorch out the foliage but can also kill the plant.
Aglaonema mary ann gets well along with artificial light. So, you can grow them well in underlit areas with the help of artificial growing lights.
Temperature Requirement
These plants like to stay in comfortably warm temperatures. To be precise, a range of 65 to 80 °F is ideal for them.
On the other hand, they show poor tolerance for cold and frost. A temperature below 60 °F can results in brown patches on the foliage and can even kill the plant.
So, don’t forget to place them in some warm indoor spots before the weather gets cold. This is more important for the regions with colder winters.
Humidity Requirement
Aglaonema Mary Ann plants belong to humid areas and must have a moisture level of 50% to survive. Anything higher will be preferable, keeping around 70% as the ideal moisture level for them. Besides this love for humidity, they show good tolerance for lower moisture levels as well.
People in dry areas need to help the plant by ensuring appropriate humidity levels. For this, you can follow any of the common methods like using a humidifier or a pebble-water tray. Also, you can add some moisture by misting the plant once or twice a week. However, it must stand in a well-ventilated spot to avoid staying wet for long or getting soggy.
Soil Requirement
Well-draining soil is ideal for all the Chinese evergreen plants. You can use any common house plant mixture for the purpose. People opting for self-mixed products should consider using peat-based mixtures in combination with perlite or sand.
Fertilizer Requirements
Extra nutrition will result in better growth for these slow growers. The key is to fertilize every other month or lesser in spring and summer only. Make sure you use a balanced and graded fertilizer in mild concentration.
Growers must follow proper professional guidelines to ensure proper fertilization. Alternatively, over-fertilization can scorch out the foliage and can even kill the plant.
It is important to mention here that the growth rate and nutritional requirement of the Aglaonema mary ann plant minimize on cold days. Fertilizing at this stage is quite harmful. Thus, never fertilize the plant after the middle of the summer.
Potting and Repotting Requirements
Use a pot with drainage holes at the base. These plants like to stay root slightly root-bound. This eliminates the frequent repotting requirement. So, unless the plant prominently grows out from the pot, let it stay there for about two to three years. Also, roots growing out from the basal holes are another sign that it’s time to get a new pot.
Pruning and Pinching Requirements
Cut and remove the older and damaged leaves to help the plant get rid of them. This will not only make the plant look fresh but also make it healthy.
You can pinch your plant to look bushier to enhance the look. Just pull and remove the new leaves completely from the base without leaving any part. Please keep in mind that scissors are not used for this technique.
Aglaonema Mary Ann Propagation
Aglaoenemas are easier to propagate plants with more than 50 hybrids. So, feel free to increase your collection by any of the common methods explained below:
Season:
The warm days between the middle of the spring and the middle of the summer are ideal for plant propagation.
Propagation by Root division:
This is the quickest propagation technique for creating exact replicas of the cultivar plant.
- Just select a mature and well-grown plant and take it out very gently, without damaging the roots.
- Use sterilized gardening shears or a knife to cut and spate about 1/3rd of the plant along with the roots.
- Replant each part in the desired place.
- Make sure you don’t follow heavy watering for the newly planted peep. Water the soil mildly to avoid washing it out. After about three to four weeks, the plant will get settled and you can follow the complete care mentioned above.
Propagation by Stem-cuttings:
- Cut about 5 to 7 inches of the stem with the help of a sterilized knife. Prefer taking an older stem or the one with at least 5 leaves.
- Now, remove the lower leaves and keep around 2 to 3 at the top.
- Plant these cuttings 3 inches deep in a well-draining growing mixture. Place the setup in mild indirect light and water the soil mildly after it gets dry.
- 3 to 4 weeks and you will see tiny shoots protruding out. This baby plantlet will need about 2 months until you can follow the care plan for mature plants.
Propagation in water:
You can also grow your pretty Aglaonema Mary Ann in a jar of water. Just cut the cuttings and place them dipping the lower 3 inches in the water. Don’t forget to change the water every week to avoid stagnation.
Once the rooting system develops, you can also move these cuttings into soil. This will support a healthier and bigger bush as compared to the one planted in the water.
Summary
Aglaonema mary ann is an uncommon cultivar belonging to the famous Chinese evergreen plants. It has elongated leaves with beautiful stripped variegations in shades of green. These leaves join at the base and form a small bush that can get about 2 to 3 feet tall on maturity.
Besides the attractive appearance, the easy-to-care and adjustable nature make it a perfect houseplant for beginners. It prefers indirect sun of medium intensity, humidity, and watering after the upper layer gets dry. They have a good tolerance for low light although it makes them grow slower.
This air-purifying plant is known to be toxic for us and animals. So, don’t let your kids and pets mingle with it. Also, contact emergency medical help in case of emergency and ingestion.
