The Variegated Thumb

Sometime in late December or early January I had an Aglaonema bloom.  I was planning on collecting some of the pollen and using it to pollinate future blooms on my other Aglaonemas, but I didn’t get any after all.  I have left the inflorescence alone and was surprised to see a couple weeks after the spadix was “finished” that berries were beginning to form on the lower half of the spadix.

Aglaonema commutatum infructescence - Feb 3, 2011

Time ticks by and the berries begin to get larger and darker green.

Aglaonema berries - April 28, 2011. Notice that a couple berries are getting large.

At the same time, the 2nd inflorescence on the plant began to set fruit as well.  But these berries were a little behind the other set and eventually this infructescence shriveled up and fell off the plant.

Aglaonema berries on 2nd infructescence - April 28, 2011

The berries on the original infructescence stayed large and firm with very little change in color or size over the summer.  Then, all of the sudden, I noticed the berries were orange.  I reached down to feel of them and the first big berry had become soft and fell right off the spathe.  This is the sign I was looking for.  I plucked the berries off and here they are.

Aglaonema berries - August 18, 2011

The berries vary greatly in size.  There are a total of 11, 3 of them of decent size and the others pretty tiny.  I’ll get these cleaned and planted this week, knowing they need to be fresh.

Now I have another Aglaonema setting berries, Aglaonema Decora.  Wish me luck with all of my aroid seedlings.  I’m going to need it with these extreme temperatures!