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| Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman |
| The bold leaves of ‘Silver Bay’ Chinese evergreen make a dramatic statement indoors. |
‘Silver Bay’ Chinese evergreen is a large, robust houseplant that reaches about 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide when grown in a 12-inch pot. The leaf blade is a foot long and 4 inches wide, with the petiole about 5 inches long. The inner portion of the leaf is a field of solid gray, with the outer third of the leaf marked with a patchwork of alternating tones of green and gray. The canes are typical for the species and have good basal branching.
This Aglaonema hybrid is probably the best of all midsize foliage plants. It’s large enough to have a significant impact on the interior landscape and tough enough to thrive with average household conditions. Aglaonemas are native to the monsoon forests of southern China, an area where six months of wet, dripping weather is followed by an equally long dry spell. Because of their tolerance for both moist and dry conditions and the fact that they can thrive with very low light conditions, Chinese evergreens make excellent houseplants. The new hybrids, like ‘Silver Bay’ are self-branching, so they produce new shoots to keep the basal stems covered with foliage. ‘Silver Bay’ can also thrive in cooler indoor temperatures, which is a real plus. Make sure the plant has adequate nutrition from spring through summer, when light conditions are good. A slow-release fertilizer or fertilization with a 1-1-1 liquid fertilizer once a month will keep the plant growing and the foliage looking good. Water on an as-needed basis, allowing the surface of the soil to dry slightly before rewatering.
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