The Gorgeous Variegated Indoor Plant That Thrives In Humid Rooms

Imagine a houseplant whose leaves look like nature's own abstract painting — perfect for brightening up steamy bathrooms, cozy kitchens, or other humid spots in your home. Think a showstopper shrub from the tropics that is relatively easy to grow. Introducing Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor', sometimes called camouflage plant, with its highly variegated tricolor leaves that some see as three shades of green, and others perceive as two greens and a silver. This shrub is a cultivar in the 26-species Aglaonema genus, the members of which are commonly called Chinese evergreen.

In its native tropical environment, the plant puts out flowers and red berries, but these are not often seen on indoor plants. As you might imagine with a plant this dramatic in appearance, the shrub is popular, and can be hard to find; collectors and specialty nurseries that deal in tropical plants may be your best bet. It's important to note that Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' is toxic to cats and dogs, and humans should also avoid ingesting it. Care that takes into account the plant's tropical rainforest origins will likely be the most successful.

Learning how to settle in your new tropical plant so it doesn't just survive, but thrive is key. Plant Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' in a well-draining, soilless houseplant potting mix. "Warm" and "humid" are the watchwords for this plant's environment. Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' seeks a room temperature of 68 to 80 degrees Farenheit, and never below 55 degrees Farenheit. Ideal humidity is above 65%. Given that recommended house humidity is between 30% and 60%, consider supplementing with a humidifier nearby. You can also place it in a room with higher humidity. It's easy to grow healthy houseplants in your bathroom to achieve that humidity level so long as you're also meeting light requirements.

Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' is one of those plants for which you need to find a sweet spot between underwatering and overwatering. Allow the top inch of soil to dry between waterings and avoid root rot by never letting the roots get soggy. Don't offend your tropical plant by watering with cold water. Water less in winter.

Ideal lighting conditions match the lighting in the rainforest — dappled and indirect sun. Avoid direct sunlight on foliage. Fertilize monthly with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer in spring and summer; follow label instructions and fertilize less in fall and winter. Prevent leaf burn by not overfertilizing. Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' should not need pruning, and cutting it back does not encourage bushy growth for this plant. If you should see any flowering or fruiting on the shrub, remove the blooms and berries so that plant can invest its energy in growth.

Aglaonema pictum 'Tricolor' is one of the pretty plants that only need a little bit of water to propagate, and you can also propagate it by rooting stem cuttings or dividing. Relatively easy propagation yielding free plants is a big advantage when you have a hard-to-find plant that may be expensive.