Also known as the Poison Dart plant, Chinese Evergreens are commonly grown as a low-maintenance house plant. Most varieties offer striking patterned foliage, and you’ll often find it on lists of Feng Shui plants. While it can work well for introducing more energy into the home, Chinese Evergreens still needs placement with its care preferences in mind. Find the right spot in the home where the Chinese Evergreen plant will both thrive and produce the best effects, according to Feng Shui at the same time.
- Where to Position Chinese Evergreen Plants in the Home – The Essentials
- About Chinese Evergreen Plants
- Chinese Evergreen Plants and Feng Shui
- Where to Position Chinese Evergreens in the Home
- Where Not to Place Chinese Evergreens in the Home
- Where to Place Chinese Evergreens Outdoors
- Essential Chinese Evergreen Plant Care
- Where to Position Chinese Evergreens FAQs:
- The Final Word
Where to Position Chinese Evergreen Plants in the Home – The Essentials
Chinese Evergreens grows in almost any part of the home with indirect light, but Feng Shui principles dictate it is best placed in the Southeastern, Northern, or Eastern parts of the home. Keep it out of the center of the home and away from exits or entryways where drafts are common for optimal plant care.
About Chinese Evergreen Plants
Chinese Evergreen is a genus that includes nearly two dozen plants, but the Aglaonema commutatum species is most commonly grown as a house plant. The other species can be too large for indoor growing or need more humidity than is practical to supply inside the home. This variety of Chinese Evergreen is native to the Philippines and the islands of Indonesia.
It has naturalized in many subtropical and tropical areas, including Cuba and Bangladesh. This genus is part of the Araceae family, making it remotely related to many other popular house plants.
In the wild, Chinese Evergreens grow in tropical areas where they’re part of the undergrowth of taller trees and shrubs. This keeps them out of direct sunlight most of the time and encloses the plants in a humid and warm environment at all times.
They aren’t exposed to cold temperatures or direct winds, so they cannot deal with these conditions in your home either. Providing humidity and warm temperatures is more important than providing light, making this plant a good choice for many parts of the home.
Aglaonema will adapt well to more home conditions as long as you use the right soil mix.
Chinese Evergreen Plants and Feng Shui
Chinese Evergreen plants were first domesticated in China and have been kept as house plants there for centuries. Since Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that aims to generate energy and guide where it flows, this plant likely has a long history of being used as part of it. In general, the Chinese Evergreen plant is associated with symbolism like:
- Good luck
- Wisdom acquired from growth and age
- Beauty and grace
- Positivity
- Purity and innocence
- Patience and hard work.
As one of the few plants actually used in the traditional form of Feng Shui, Chinese Evergreens have their own elemental association. Most live house plants and dried plant materials are considered to represent the wood element, which provides stability, strength, and steady growth.
Chinese Evergreens are a unique choice for the home because it’s considered to represent the water element instead. In Feng Shui, the water element represents the career, shifting, and mutable conditions, wisdom, movement, and social opportunities.
Where to Position Chinese Evergreens in the Home
Chinese Evergreens are helpful for decorating if you’re interested in practicing Feng Shui at home. Feng Shui was initially used for the layout of crypts and official buildings, but now it’s applied to homes as well.
You start by finding the North orientation of the home with a compass. The map that determines how energy is generated and flows through the home is known as the Bagua, and this diagram is aligned over the floor plan of the home. Eight sectors align with the cardinal directions of the compass. Once you determine which room of the house corresponds with each sector, you can maximize its natural energy pattern with the correct decor.
Live plants, in general, are recommended for placement in parts of the home associated with the wood element, which governs both the East and Southeast sectors. The Eastern part of the home is the Zhen, or the sector that governs the family and all new beginnings. The Southeastern part of the home is known as Xun, representing the sector of wealth and financial success, but surprisingly not the career.
Instead, the career sector is in the North or Kan part of the home. This sector is aligned with the water element. It’s the ideal place for the Chinese Evergreen plant due to its association with this element. However, the plant will also do well when added to the East or Southeast due to its more general association with the wood element.
Consider the Plant’s Care
Since Chinese Evergreens need relatively little specific care compared to some more delicate and demanding plants, they’re pretty easy to adapt to Feng Shui patterns.
However, they need specific care to thrive and show off beautiful patterns. Keep them away from direct light sources, which is relatively easy in Northern rooms but may be trickier in Eastern and Southeastern facing areas.
Keep them away from drafts and cold temperatures as well. Make sure they have a source of humidity, or consider placing a small humidifier near the plant to keep it happy.
Where Not to Place Chinese Evergreens in the Home
The center of the house is considered a space you should never place live plants in. This includes the Chinese Evergreens and its relatives. It’s regarded as a wood element area and is weakened by the energy of both wood and water elements.
Placing live plants of any kind in the northeast and southwest sectors of the home is also not recommended due to the clash with the elements of these areas.
The bedroom is another area where live plants aren’t recommended in Feng Shui. Since they’re growing and generating energy at all times, they can be disruptive to the calming environment you want there.
For general care, you just need to avoid areas with bright lights or drafts of dry air.
Where to Place Chinese Evergreens Outdoors
Chinese Evergreens need to stay above 50 degrees F at all times, so it’s mostly only brought outdoors in the summer and is rarely planted outdoors in most climates. Keep it in a shady area where the moving sun won’t burn it during the day since it’s a plant that prefers indirect light.
Avoid placing it near a source of heat that might dry it out, such as a wall that could warm it up too much over the course of the day. Hanging baskets are an excellent choice to keep them on a covered porch and away from bright light or wind.
Essential Chinese Evergreen Plant Care
Chinese Evergreens don’t need much to thrive. Give it a watering when the top inch or two of soil dries out completely, and keep it in a humid room or near a humidifier for the best-colored foliage.
Make sure the soil mix it is growing in is very loose and well-draining since it can be prone to root rot.
Keep it exposed to indirect light, such as light about two to three feet away from a window. Temperatures must stay above 55 degrees F and under around 80 degrees F to keep the plant happy. If possible, aim for an average humidity above 60% around the plant.
Expect to repot your Chinese Evergreen plant at least once per year for the first three years, after which it should reach maturity. Trim off dried leaves and flowers as they occur due to the aging process. Other pruning shouldn’t be needed. Fertilize it once or twice during the active growing season each year.
Where to Position Chinese Evergreens FAQs:
What room is best for Chinese Evergreens?Â
According to Feng Shui, it can be placed in the Northern, Southeastern, or Eastern parts of the home. It’s adaptable enough to thrive almost anywhere there’s some light.
How far away from the window should a Chinese Evergreen be?Â
Keep this plant two to three feet from a window with direct light or a foot from a window that only receives indirect light.
Can I put my Chinese Evergreen in a corner?Â
Chinese Evergreens can thrive in a corner since it’s protected from drafts, but only if there is enough indirect light.
Can Chinese Evergreens thrive in low-light environments?Â
This plant doesn’t need direct light, but it does need bright enough indirect light from a nearby window or bright artificial source.
Can Chinese Evergreens tolerate drafts?Â
Protect this plant from all drafts since both cold and hot air can cause it to wilt.
The Final Word
No matter what kind of name you use for this plant, it’s an easy-to-keep choice for almost any part of the home. Choose a Chinese Evergreens plant if you want something to boost energy flow in the practice of Feng Shui. Not only does this plant have its own elemental associations due to centuries of cultivation in China, but it’s also adaptable enough to grow almost anywhere you decide to place it.
If you’re looking for your next Chinese Evergreen to add to your collection, see our in-depth guide to the best plant shops delivering Chinese Evergreens nationwide.
Andrew is the Editorial Director at Petal Republic. He holds a BSc degree in Plant Sciences and has trained professionally at leading floristry schools in London and Paris. In amongst overseeing a global editorial team, Andrew's a passionate content creator around all things flowers, floral design, gardening, and houseplants.
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