Aglaonema Plants

Choosing one is the same decision as choosing jeans: dark wash, washed or white, same fit, same easy care.

Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA · Potted before it leaves · Pick-up 702 Queen St W · Designed in Toronto since 2004

Aglaonema, the Chinese evergreen, is a genus of about 26 species of tropical plants in the arum family, Araceae, from Southeast Asia and New Guinea. Grown indoors for patterned leaves in green, silver, pink and red, it copes with medium to low indirect light, dislikes cold below about 15°C, and is toxic to pets.

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At Chive Plant Studio, our plant shop at 702 Queen St W in Toronto, the Chinese evergreen is the plant we send to the room the others avoid. Most apartments have one: the north side, the far end of the living room, the corner the window barely reaches. People describe theirs to me as if it were an awkward relative. A Chinese evergreen will live there, slowly and handsomely, as long as there's some daylight, no direct sun and no January draft.

Siam Pink is the one everybody wants. Customers arrive already pointing, and when the pink ones are gone they look at the green ones as though we've hidden something. We carry Chinese evergreens from a 4-inch pot up to a 10-inch pot, with the rarer patterns when we have them, grown by our nursery partners and brought to Queen West. They are toxic to cats and dogs: the ASPCA lists Chinese evergreen as toxic because of the calcium oxalate crystals in its leaves. It lives in the room the cat isn't allowed into, which the cat considers a personal insult.

Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA, or pick up at 702 Queen St W. Every aglaonema is potted before it leaves the shop, in its grow pot or one of the house pots, with the potting included in the price shown.

Chinese Evergreen

"Chinese evergreen" is the common name for the whole Aglaonema genus; the plants grow wild across tropical Asia, from northeast India and southern China to New Guinea, and stay green year-round, as NC State Extension describes. The solid green and silver types handle the lowest light; the pink and red types lose colour in a dim spot and need a brighter one, according to Clemson Extension and UF/IFAS.

Our Chinese evergreens sit on the plant floor at 702 Queen St W, where Ryan Hearst looks after them and writes our aglaonema care guide. In Toronto the risk is cold: University of Florida research on aglaonemas found that chilling leaves dark, greasy-looking patches, and that it can happen in transit as easily as at home, which is one reason every plant we deliver in winter goes out wrapped in paper. At home, keep it a few metres from any door or window that opens in winter. Aglaonema at a glance: medium to low indirect light, never direct sun · water when the top few centimetres are dry · keep above about 15°C · toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA) · easy · pots from 4 to 10 inches. For more plants that cope with a dim room, see our low light houseplants.

Aglaonema Plants varieties we grow

Reviewed by Ryan Hearst, Plant Shop Manager · Updated October 2026

From our shop floor:

When a nervous customer confesses to killing plants, the Chinese evergreen is the one we point to. (TODD-TRUE)
Ryan Hearst, who runs the plant floor, gives Chinese evergreens to friends who forget things. (chive.ca)
Designing ceramic pots in Toronto since 2004; running the Chive plant shop on Queen Street West since 2020.
Grown by our nursery partners and brought to Queen West; every plant is potted before it leaves.
Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. Pick-up at 702 Queen St W.

Aglaonema Plants Frequently Asked Questions

Is an aglaonema the same as a Chinese evergreen?

Yes: Chinese evergreen is the common name for Aglaonema, a genus of about 26 species of tropical plants from Southeast Asia and New Guinea, according to NC State Extension. The name covers every variety on this page, from Silver Bay to Siam Pink.

Do you deliver aglaonema plants in Toronto?

Yes. Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. You can also pick up at the Chive plant shop, 702 Queen St W, and in winter every plant goes out wrapped in paper.

Where can I buy an aglaonema in Toronto?

You can buy aglaonemas at the Chive plant shop, 702 Queen St W, or order them on chive.ca for hand delivery across Toronto and the GTA; we don't ship aglaonemas elsewhere in Canada. We've been designing ceramic pots in Toronto since 2004 and running the Chive plant shop on Queen Street West since 2020.

Is an aglaonema toxic to cats?

Yes: the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plants list shows Chinese evergreen as toxic to cats and dogs; its calcium oxalate crystals cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing if chewed. If a pet has eaten some, call your vet. For a home with a chewer, start with our pet friendly plants instead.

Will an aglaonema grow in low light?

Yes: it copes with medium to low indirect light and grows slowly there, but it still needs some daylight, and the pink and red types need brighter light to keep their colour. Low light, yes. No light, no. A dim room with a window somewhere in it is fine; a room behind a door that stays shut isn't low light, it's a cupboard with furniture. Our aglaonema care guide covers light in detail.

Can you pot my aglaonema before it leaves?

Yes, every aglaonema is potted before it leaves the shop, and the potting is included in the price shown. Choose the grow pot or one of the house pots offered with each plant and size; potting is $1 per inch of pot, already built into that one price.

What sizes of aglaonema do you carry?

Our aglaonemas come in pots from 4 inches up to 10 inches; most grow slowly to about 30–50 cm tall indoors, with Silver Bay the largest.

Is an aglaonema the same as a dieffenbachia?

No: aglaonema and dieffenbachia are different genera in the same arum family, Araceae, and both are toxic to pets; dieffenbachia usually grows taller, with larger leaves.

About Chive Plant Studio

More from the plant shop: every plant we carry is on our plants Toronto page. If you're starting with one, start with the aglaonema silver bay, the largest of the group. For a pet-safe genus that also patterns its leaves, try a calathea. For the right size of home for any of them, see our small indoor plant pots.