Siam Aurora

Siam Aurora (Aglaonema 'Siam Aurora') is the indoor plant to reach for when a room needs colour rather than another green leaf. Broad leaves are marbled cream and deep green with hot pink midribs and edges, on a clump that settles at about 80cm tall and 60cm across. It holds that colour in far less light than most variegated foliage.

Why you'll love it

• Pink that does not fade indoors. The colour sits in the leaf itself rather than in a flush of new growth, so it lasts all year.
• Content in moderate light. Bright indirect light is ideal, but it holds condition well back from a window, which suits most living rooms.
• Slow and tidy. It grows steadily rather than quickly, so it stays in proportion to its pot for years without repotting or staking.
• Genuinely low maintenance. Water when the top few centimetres dry out, feed twice over the warm months, and it asks for little else.

Where it works best

Indoors. Living rooms, offices, bedrooms and hallways all suit it, anywhere in the country, because inside your climate stops mattering. Keep it clear of an air conditioner.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 250mm to 300mm wide is right for a single plant. Outdoors it wants a warm sheltered spot in filtered light, and only in tropical or subtropical gardens.

Mass planting under cover. Set 40cm apart in a shaded bed or a long trough, the pink foliage lifts a planting that would otherwise read as all green.

Growing Siam Aurora in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the strongest colour, and direct sun scorches the leaves. It is frost tender and wants to stay above 15 degrees, so in temperate and cool gardens treat it as an indoor plant year round.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix with extra perlite or bark for air. The pot needs a drainage hole, and the saucer needs tipping out after every water.

Water and feed. Water once the top 3cm to 4cm of mix is dry, roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. A half strength liquid feed monthly through spring and summer keeps the variegation strong.

Pruning. Very little. Remove tired lower leaves at the base as they yellow, and pinch out the small flower spathes so the plant puts its energy into foliage.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes, 125mm pots in packs of ten and 180mm pots in packs of six, so it is priced for a whole room or a fitout rather than a single specimen. The 125mm plants are young with three or four coloured leaves; the 180mm plants arrive as filled clumps ready for a decorative pot.

Thick foliage travels well, and you should expect little visible growth in the first month while the roots settle. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Indoor plants for rooms with less light
• Browse other variegated foliage plants
• Find an indoor pot that drains properly

Common questions

How dark a room can it handle?

It copes with low light better than most coloured foliage, but the pink dulls and growth slows in a genuinely dim corner. A spot a couple of metres from a window keeps the colour good.

Why are the leaf tips browning?

Almost always dry air, salts building up in the mix, or the pot sitting in water. Flush the mix through with clean water every few months and move the plant away from vents.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Like other aglaonemas the sap contains calcium oxalate crystals, which cause mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting if a pet chews the leaves. Keep it on a shelf or bench in a home with a chewer.