Natural leaf aging
An occasional yellow lower leaf on a healthy Chinese Evergreen is completely normal.
Diagnosis
Natural leaf aging
What's happening
Aglaonema retires its oldest leaves to put energy into new growth from the center of the plant. If only one or two of the lowest, oldest leaves are yellowing and the rest of the plant looks full and richly colored, nothing is wrong.
How to fix it
Snip the spent leaf off at the base if you like the tidier look, and carry on with your normal care. Just keep an eye out that the yellowing stays limited to the oldest leaves and doesn't start climbing up into newer growth.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Chinese Evergreen care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this