Anthurium andraeanum gorgeous, one of our favorite indoor plants, that make plant care requirements little to none. It is important to note that they do have a reputation for being picky houseplants, so proper lighting and temperature is essential care needs. Similar to Peace lilies, Anthurium plants don't actually have flowers but have spathes/bracts instead. But, for the sake of not overcomplicating things, we'll have them called flamingo flower. The anthurium plant comes in a range of different colors (like purple, white orange, etc.), which makes it the perfect plant if you're trying to add diversity to your wall. Although most don't show signs of a smell, Anthurium are known to sometimes have a sweet fragrance.
Central and South America
Araceae
The botanical name for the anthurium plant is Anthurium andraeanum. Other common names are Tail flower, Heart flower, and Flamingo flower, anthurium arrow shaped leaves plant,.
Originally, the Anthurium plant did not have the many colorful and diverse varietals it has now. But over the last 70 years, the Anthurium family expanded into many different colors, with purple being one the newly developed color. Besides the Anthurium purple, there are a few other popular related plants: The flamingo flower (Anthurium andreanum), Anthurium scherzerianum, The velvet cardboard anthurium (Anthurium clarinervium), Black anthurium (Anthurium watermaliense), yellow spadix and The bird’s nest (Anthurium hookeri) and many other plants.
Toxic to pets and humans.
For healthy anthurium plants, we recommend that you add water to the glass every 1-2 weeks (or if you see that water levels have lowered) to replenish the water that evaporated or absorbed from the plants. Then, replace the water every 2-4 weeks.
Most tap water works great but distilled or filtered waters are recommended if available.
We recommend adding 1-2 of liquid nutrients to your plant’s water every month. If you see a new leaf or flower forming, you should add an additional drop of nutrients to further encourage and support new growth.
The key to maintaining that beautiful hue in your Anthurium is bright, indirect light! The more indirect sunlight they receive, the more your Anthurium will bloom.
Most plants are pretty durable and can tolerate low light for a while, making them great indoor plants. But, these conditions are not recommended since Anthurium does tend to slow growth and produce fewer flowers. On the flip side, don't place your plant in too much sunlight because that can dry out your plant and lead to leaf burns.
Anthurium grows great in warm temperatures (70-90 degrees Fahrenheit). Don't worry, these plants are highly adaptive and can grow in typical household temperatures. A general rule of thumb we like to follow is that if you are comfortable, then they will be comfortable too!
Stay away from extremes (anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit) because that can lead to health complications and slow plant growth.
Keeping humidity levels high is best for tropical plants like Anthurium. We recommend that you invest in a humidifier and run it for at least 1-2 hours a day to keep the humidifier levels balanced. Of course, you could always regularly mist your plant a couple times a day (depending on the dryness of your space).
A cool humidity hack we've heard of is to set a container of water near the plant, as the evaporating water will increase the humidity.
When propagating an Anthurium in water, we've had major success with using the division method. The division method is just gently remove potting soil to break up the mother plant (original anthurium planted in potting mix) into two or more smaller parts, where both the crown and roots are left in tact. Some roots are more acclimated to growing in soil than water. If you're propagating using the division method, we recommend cutting off the dirt roots off because the new root system comes in looking cleaner and less messy (overall, more aesthetically pleasing). But, it's totally optional if you decide to leave the roots on.
With the proper care and attention, you should see new growth in about 4-8 weeks!
Identification: The magenta hue in the anthurium's flowers are duller and darker, and some green will start creeping in from the edges
Cause: Don't worry, this is just a sign of old age! It’s normal for a mature spathe to show some fading in color over time.
How to treat:When the flowers fade, you want to remove the faded ones to open up more energy for your plant to grow fresh, colorful flowers. Simply, cut at the base of the flower stem, closest to the base of the plant. You'll see new tiny flowers develop as you see the anthurium growing.
Identification: The anthurium's flowers and heart shaped leaves turning you yellow. Anthurium spp starting from the edges, foliage tips will get darker in color.
Cause: Not enough indirect light
How to treat:Anthurium are tropical plants that prefer a lot of indirect, bright light throughout the day. Of course, finding the perfect lighting conditions can be difficult at first. We recommend placing your plant across from a bright window (away from any direct sun contact). With proper conditions, no direct sunlight anthurium care is simple.
We much prefer growing in water or soil-less mediums due to the simplicity, especially as the anthurium plant grows so well in water and you don't have to deal with issues like spider mites, we see this to be consistent for most indoor plants. However, many people grow anthuriums in peat moss, potting soil and other potting mixes. Make sure for your potting mix the that soil moist. Soggy soil or an orchid mix mixed with peat moss and a phosphorus rich fertilizer is the soil anthuriums prefer, just make sure you don't use too much fertilizer. A pot with drainage holes and well draining soil will prevent over watering and keep the anthurium roots healthy. You can always add additional sand for humid conditions to offer good drainage. What we love about growing in water is you can actually see the roots, making root rot much easier to prevent (this gores for most house plants, not just for anthurium care)
