Anthurium Care

Important! Anthurium are poisonous if ingested, so be very careful if you have pets and/or small children. The sap can also cause skin irritation.

Anthurium

Evergreen tropical perennial shrub to 3′, upright and multi-stemmed. Common houseplant Anthuriums are grown for their brightly colored flower spathes and their ornamental leaves. They need bright but indirect light.

Blooms in wild tropical areas in spring to summer; desired in interiors for long-lasting, pink to reddish inflorescence and erect, deep green leaves; spadix is at right angle to spathe and is twisted like a corkscrew in some species; used in interiorscapes as specimen or temporary flowering display.

Prefers medium to high light, moist well-drained soil, and low to medium relative humidity. Too little light will cause the plant to bloom less and grow slowly; south or west-facing windows are best. Water when the soil is dry to the touch. High-phosphorus fertilizer will encourage more blooms as well as pruning away old spent blooms. Wipe down the leaves of indoor plants periodically to remove dust. No serious pest problems.

Quick ID Hints:

• Spadix and pink to reddish spathe are at right angles to eachother
• Leaves are leathery, with truncate to cordate base
• Short stems develop as plant ages

VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for “Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti”, a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

• Attributes: Genus: Anthurium Family: Araceae Life Cycle: Perennial Country Or Region Of Origin: Mexico to Tropical America Dimensions: Height: 2 ft. 0 in. – 3 ft. 0 in. Width: 1 ft. 0 in. – 2 ft. 0 in.

• Whole Plant Traits: Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Houseplant Perennial Poisonous Habit/Form: Erect

• Cultural Conditions: Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours) Soil Texture: Loam (Silt) Soil Drainage: Good Drainage Moist

• Fruit: Fruit Type: Berry Fruit Description: A globose berry.

• Flowers: Flower Color: Gold/Yellow Green Purple/Lavender Red/Burgundy Variegated White Flower Inflorescence: Spadix Flower Value To Gardener: Long-lasting Showy Flower Petals: Bracts Flower Description: The flowers are small, in a slender (white, green, or yellow) spadix with a spathe below which may be shiny red, white, or other colors. Spathes are heart-shaped and waxy. The spadix is erect, cylindric, often tapering, sometimes twisted. The spathe is persistent and in right angle to spadix, an identifying feature for this genus. It is usually flat, sometimes hooded, erect, spreading or reflexed, margins not overlapping at base, and deeply veined. The scape is long, taller than foliage.

• Leaves: Leaf Color: Green Leaf Feel: Glossy Leathery Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Arrangement: Alternate Leaf Shape: Auriculate Cordate Ovate Leaf Margin: Entire Lobed Hairs Present: No Leaf Description: The leaves of this genus are alternately arranged on a basal stem, simple, crowded, cordate to ovate or even auriculate to sagittate in shape, acute with a truncate to subcordate base, entire or palmately lobed, peltate, and are glossy and moderately coriaceous (leathery) in texture. The petiole is usually long and pulvinate at apex. They are palmately veined and may have lighter colored veins than the rest of the leaf surface.

• Stem: Stem Is Aromatic: No Stem Description: Short, erect, sometimes elongate, climbing, with adventitious aerial roots.

• Landscape: Landscape Location: Container Houseplants Problems: Contact Dermatitis Poisonous to Humans

• Poisonous to Humans: Poison Severity: High Poison Symptoms: TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. CAUSES SEVERE PAIN IN THE MOUTH IF EATEN! SKIN IRRITATION MINOR OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Poisonous through dermatitis, ingestion, and eye irritant. (Poisonous parts: All parts). Symptoms may include: Irritation of mouth and digestive symptoms if ingested; irritation of skin and eyes following contact with sap. Poison Toxic Principle: Calcium oxalate crystals Causes Contact Dermatitis: Yes Poison Part: Bark Flowers Fruits Leaves Roots Seeds Stems

Anthurium

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Anthurium Care

Family: Araceae
Common Name: Flamingo Flower, Tail Flower, Painted Tongue Plant, Bird’s Nest Anthurium, Water Dragon Anthurium, Bird’s Nest Anthurium
Botanical Name: Anthurium andraeanum, Anthurium fruffles, Anthurium plowmanii

Psst..Here’s a little secret: the beautiful heart-shaped “flowers” are not flowers! Tell Everyone! What makes these durable, easy-care houseplants so appealing are red, white, pink, or purple waxy leaves called spathes that flare from the base of the fleshy spike where the actual tiny flowers grow. Now that you know that you are almost an expert!

These indoor plants are epiphytes, a type of air plant that comes from warm, tropical regions where they either grow on the surface of other plants and they can actually grow in rich organic humus. Therefore, as a houseplant, the anthurium is extremely durable and requires little care. Simply re-pot with a peat moss or a coco coir-based soil mixture, provide bright, indirect sunlight, and allow the soil to partially dry out between watering. For more robust, repeated “flowering,” allow your anthurium to rest for six weeks with little water during the winter at approximately 60°F. If you notice that the “flower” is green rather than the color you were expecting, it may be a new sprout that was forced to bloom when it should have been resting. If a “flower” is fading, it is likely an older bloom that is ready to dry up and fall off (see below for care).

Not all anthurium are coveted for their “blooms” (we apologize for the quotes at this point and you most likely get the point). Anthurium that are admired for their foliage have similar care requirements as the “flowering” kinds (we did it again). but the only difference is that they do not need as much light. Varieties like Anthurium superbum, Water Dragon, plowmanii and Jungle Bush can tolerate lower light!

Important! Anthurium are poisonous if ingested, so be very careful if you have pets and/or small children. The sap can also cause skin irritation.

Light

Flowering anthuriums need bright, indirect light (direct sunlight will scorch the leaves and flowers!). Low light will slow growth, dull the color, and produce fewer, smaller “flowers.” Place your anthuriums in a setting where they will receive at least 6 hours of bright indirect sunlight each day. to encourage leaf growth and healthy root development. If you have limited light entering your home, then you can supplement natural light with led grow lights.

Water

Water thoroughly when the few inches of the soil becomes dry to the touch, stopping when water starts draining from the drainage holes. Avoid over-watering (Anthurium roots are susceptible to rot!). The more light and warmth that your anthurium gets, the more water it will need, so check the soil for dryness every few days. These plants will provide signs of stress or thirst, so pay attention: thirsty plants will be light if you lift them and will have droopy or puckering leaves. You will not need to water as often in the winter when the plant is not actively growing.

Soil

Anthurium are epiphytes, meaning they do not necessarily need soil to grow! They use the moisture from the air and nutrients from their host (usually a tree or surrounding dead plant material. Their potting soil should contain more drainage materials (compared to soils for most indoor plants), such as wood chips, perlite, coarse sand, or pumice, to allow the water to drain quickly. Most bagged soil-less potting soil made for indoor plants will work fine but remember that you must let the soil dry out completely before watering it again. You can add cactus potting soil mix to your potting soil to help the water drain if you feel the roots are staying wet for too long! A great time to do this is when you need to re-pot your anthurium into a larger pot.

Temperature

Anthuriums prefers very warm temperatures (70-90°F), but don’t worry – these plants are extremely adaptable and can flourish in typical household temperature ranges. However, be careful of temperature extremes: if your thermostat drops below 50°F, the anthurium will stop growing; if your house gets too hot, your anthuriums will wilt.

Humidity

Most anthuriums thrive on humidity, but the flowering varieties can tolerate more dryness. If your humidity level is less than 50%, then consider using a humidifier to increase the level to at least 60%. Filling small trays with pebbles and water and grouping indoor plants together can slightly increase the humidity immediately surrounding your plants. Learn how to increase the humidity for your indoor plants!

Fertilizer

During the growing season (spring and summer), feed your anthurium once a month using a complete, ¼-strength liquid fertilizer. Note — too much fertilizer can do more harm than good. You can also top-dress the soil with organic compost like worm castings. add about a 1/2 inch thick layer to the top of the soil, scratch it in the surface and then water the soil. To encourage more blooms, use a fertilizer higher in phosphorus during the growing season.

Growth Rate

Anthurium are slow-growing indoor plants, averaging around 4″ per year! The leaves will become larger if cared for properly, but the plant itself will not exceed heights over 30″.

Pet Friend or Foe

All anthurium are toxic to pets! Foe!

Pro Tips

1. Use a fertilizer high in phosphorus to promote blooms in flowering varieties.
2. Use a soil that drains well to avoid root rot, but holds enough moisture for root absorption.
3. Don’t be alarmed when you see roots growing from the stems! These are simply aerial roots that would benefit from occasional misting. If you don’t like the look of these roots, you can cut them without hurting the plant.
4. As your anthurium grows, place it in a bigger pot. Crowded roots will stunt the plant’s growth!
5. When the flowers fade and you want to remove them, cut at the base of the flower stem, closest to the base of the plant.