Woman in S'pore shares photo of her plant, gets quite a bit of attention for its leaves

That's some expensive camo.

Alfie Kwa | October 31, 2021, 03:22 PM

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

A Facebook user had posted an image of her unique tri-coloured plant on the private Facebook group, Urban Farmers (Singapore), yesterday (Oct. 30).

Unsure about the species of her plant, she sought help from the members of the group.

Speaking to Mothership, the woman, who wanted to be known as Natalie, expressed surprise that her post caught the attention of so many members.

At the time of writing, the post had over 200 likes and 90 comments.

The unusual pattern caught her eye

Natalie bought the plant at a store near Maxwell Food Centre about four to five years ago.

She told Mothership that she was drawn to the plant's unusual patterns and colours but was surprised to hear that it cost slightly over S$200.

The store owner explained that the plant's leaves had an uncommon distribution of colours. It also had many leaves, yet another factor that added to its value.

She decided to buy it and bring it home.

Natalie wasn't the only one who is amazed by the plant's unique pattern, however.

Some commented on her Facebook post that the plant is "beautiful" and that the patterns on the leaves looked like they were "painted on".

The plant is an aglaonema pictum tricolor

Some commenters pointed out that the plant is an aglaonema pictum tricolor.

According to Plantophiles, aglaonema pictum tricolor is a slow-growing sub-tropical shrub. It is often referred to as the camouflage plant because of its unmistakable pattern – spots of dark green, bright green, and white.

These plants can be hard to find and tend to be quite pricey.

One commenter said that he grew his own aglaonema pictum tricolor plant and sold it on Carousell.

He added that Natalie's plant has "perfect variegation", referring to the pattern on the leaves, and estimates that it can be sold for S$80 to S$100.

However, Natalie has no intention of selling her plant.

Where can you buy the plant?

There are aglaonema pictum tricolor plants being sold on Carousell, ranging from S$28 to S$490.

It also can be found at Candy Floriculture Pte Ltd for S$198.

How to maintain the plant?

Taking care of an aglaonema pictum tricolor is relatively easy, according to Sprouts & Stems.

It can be placed indoors near a window, as it only needs medium to bright indirect light.

It will also need lightly moist soil, and be placed in a warm, and humid environment to survive.

Follow and listen to our podcast here

Top image via Natalie and Carousell.