If you ’re looking for a houseplant to add a chip of vividness to your place , it ’s not surprising you ’ve slip up across Anthurium . This tropic species is among the most popular indoor plants thanks to its beautiful bloom and has been selectively train for an telling scope of unlike heyday color .
But how do you make certain yours thrives ? Keep read for Anthurium care tips and everything you need to know about growing one in your own home !
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About Anthurium andraeanum
Description
The genus Anthurium is a penis of the family Araceae , the arum , which are characterized by their peak . The flowers , have it off as spathes , dwell of a foresighted spadix ( flower spike ) and a leaf - similar covering ( called a bract ) .
In most other arum plant life ( likePhilodendron gloriosum , Philodendron ‘ Pink Princess’,Alocasia ‘ Polly ’ , and otherAlocasia varieties ) , this blossom is bloodless and not much of an eye - catcher — the plants are grown primarily for their foliage .
tail-flower andraeanum is an exception . Also known as flamingo flower , flamingo lily , laceleaf , or painter ’s pallette , this houseplant is popular specifically due to its lovely blooms . In fact , it ’s so well - known that “ Anthurium ” usually refers to Anthurium andraeanum specifically , even though it ’s the name for the total genus .
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You ’ll recognize an tailflower by its expectant , vaguely heart - shaped green leaves and especially its shiny , leathery flowers . Some people might even say Anthurium flowers look shaping or almost fake — they’re that perfect . And because the “ blossom ” are actually qualify leaves , they provide long - lasting color on the plant .
Naturally , tailflower flower range from vibrant orangeness to lipstick cerise , but interbreeding and selective cultivation have resulted in a range spanning from blank to green to tap and everything in between .
Natural habitat
Obviously , the tailflower you ’ll find in your local plant store do n’t technically have a instinctive habitat . They ’re man - made hybrids produced through crossing unlike type of Anthuriums . Scientifically , these hybrids are conjointly referred to as Anthurium andraeanum ( Hort . ) .
There is , however , an “ original ” industrial plant : tailflower andraeanum Linden ex André . This name refers to the horticulturist who first identify it , with André having collected it in Colombia in 1876 . It ’s only in this country and Ecuador that the flora is of course launch , although it ’s also an invasive species in other regions , include the Caribbean .
In its natural habitat , Anthurium andraeanum can be feel in tropic forest , which are characterized by their limited light and mellow humidity . They ’re mostly epiphytes , mean they develop on and climb other industrial plant ( like trees ) in a non - parasitic manner . ( Other air plant you might be familiar with as houseplants includestring of turtles , ticker Hoyas , air plants , arrowhead plants , andChristmas cacti . )
Cultural significance and uses
Anthurium has been commercially grown since at least the offset of the twentieth 100 , so it has quite a chronicle behind it . It ’s a commercially significant plant in various areas , but as described by theUniversity of the West Indies , it has been a bumpy ride :
“ Jamaica became the heavy exporter into the US in the 1980 ’s , which co-occur with the decline of the anthurium industry in Hawaii spark by the bacterial blight disease ( … ) . Just as Jamaica was flourish , it too was hit by bacterial blight disease , which allowed and Trinidad and Tobago to dilate its output , soon making [ it ] the prominent supplier to the USA through the former 1980s and 1990s . However , commercial product in Trinidad started to turn down by the mid 1990s , again hit by bacterial blight and bacterial leaf billet ( … ) disease . ”
Today , tailflower are still very pop not just as houseplants , but also in the cut flush industry . Their waxy , alien efflorescence last quite long and make not bad additions to bouquets !
Anthurium varieties
With its history on botany spanning 145 years at the metre of writing this aid guide , horticulturists have had more than enough sentence to create interminable different Anthurium andraeanum hybrid and cultivar .
I ’m not even going to attempt to name them all , but if you desire to have a look at some of what ’s out there , you could check out the many , manypatented cultivars .
Here are a few of my personal favorites :
Did you know?Although it ’s not nearly as commonly betray , there ’s another Anthurium species that look very similar to andraeanum . Its name is Anthurium scherzerianum and it rollick those same amazing waxy blossom , but you’re able to tell them apart by the curled ( rather than straight ) flower spathe .
Where to buy Anthurium andraeanum plants :
Caring for an Anthurium
Light and temperature
When assay to figure out how to care for your Anthurium , it ’s crucial to keep its innate habitat in mind . Consider the tropic rainforest , where these plants are part of the understory . They do n’t naturally receive all that much light , as direct sun is block out by tall trees . Temperature - wise , they ’re used to thing being pretty toasty .
In the home , this does n’t signify your tailflower wo n’t appreciate plenty of Christ Within . You should definitely place yours on a windowsill if you want it to prosper and blossom , but it ’s good to prefer one that does n’t receive intense afternoon sunshine .
As for temperature , the most crucial thing is to protect your Anthurium from the frigidity . Room temperature is fine for these plant . Avoid chilly windowpane , spot near an A / century unit or draughty hallways , rather keeping thing above 60 ° F .
The sweet office for Anthuriums is between 70 ° degree Fahrenheit and 85 ° farad . Lower temporary worker may not cause your Anthurium to now go , but it definitely wo n’t produce much .
Water and humidity
The tropical timberland is decidedly not a dry billet , so an Anthurium houseplant absolutely appreciates a drink . Keep your plant ’s dirt lightly dampish ( but never soused ! ) during the summer month when it ’s actively growing . Let it dry a trivial further during the wintertime months ( about halfway ) , though ensure the soil never expire bone dry .
If you ’re not sure how much water your flora is take up , stick your finger into the dirt to check the moisture level can be helpful .
As for humidness , your Anthurium will appreciate mass of it . It needs proportional humidness to be at least 50 per centum , which is much more than the fair home interior . If your home is very ironical , you may want to acquire this one in the kitchen or bathroom . you’re able to also apply a room humidifier to boost humidness horizontal surface near your flora .
A few times a yr , give your tailflower a tonic rain shower ( in the sink or the bathtub ) to keep its leaves and bloom looking tidy and beautiful .
take more : The Sneaky Way to Water Your Houseplants ( and Why They Love the Shower )
Soil and planting
Like other aroid , Anthuriums do n’t appreciate dense potting land . Something light source and airy , but still slightly water system - retaining , is a much good idea . Not surprising considering the species ’ epiphytic nature ! Their heavy roots barely total in link with land in their natural home ground , a bit like an orchidaceous plant .
Everyone has their own preferred grunge admixture , so you could experiment to see what works for you . Some options include :
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Whatever concoction you go for , assure your plant is in a flowerpot with a drain hole that allows excess water to hightail it . Terracotta might dry out a bit too quickly for a tropical like this , so unless you ’re prone to overwatering , plastic may be a better choice .
Recommended production for Anthurium works care :
Fertilizing
Anthuriums are not too demanding when it comes to fertilizer . you’re able to practice some diluted melted fertiliser with a high Lucifer content during the summertime month , when your plant is actively grow , to help stimulate peak production .
bar fertilizing in wintertime . Anthurium andraeanum is comparatively sensitive to overfertilization ; if you see yellowing leaves , you may have exaggerate it . No sweat ! Just flush the soil with distilled H2O and be certain to go a piece easy on the works intellectual nourishment next meter .
recommend fertilizers for anthurium :
Pruning
by from slay dead leave-taking ( plant like Anthurium naturally drop their lower leave-taking once they lose their usefulness ) , it really is n’t necessary to prune an tailflower . If you feel your plant life is have too large , it make up more sense to just keep abreast the operating instructions on multiplication or variance .
Dividing or repotting
Has your flamingo blossom outgrow its planter or has it been a long time since you last gave it some fresh soil ? A repot with new grease is probably in order . you’re able to move the whole plant life to a larger pot to give it some extra quad , but in many case , you’re able to also divide it . This way , you may easily turn one plant life into two or even more !
Sometimes your flamingo peak will by nature fall aside into clumps when you take it out of its planter and shake the soil off the root . If that ’s not the showcase , you may extricate the root by paw and apply a sharp , clean knife to shorten through the root glob if need be .
All of the clumps can be potted up separately . They might reckon a morsel cranky at first , but since each already has its own tooth root system of rules , they should keep growing as usual .
Propagating Anthurium
If you do n’t want to divide your tailflower but would still like to propagate it to obtain more plants , there ’s another way . A mature tail-flower will have a seeable stem , which means that as with many other works mintage , you’re able to take stem cuttings .
for spread your Anthurium using stem thinning , just use a sharp , clean knife orpruning shearsto trim back the stem turn at any point you ’d like . As long as you include some leaves and a node or so , the propagation process should be quick and painless !
The cutting can be place in weewee to root — and in fact , Anthurium is aplant that happily spring up in just water — but if you want to grow it more traditionally , you’re able to dip the cutting in some root internal secretion and bug out it directly into Anthurium soil or gently moist bog moss peat moss .
Bonus points if you have a propagator and heat matt , or put the whole thing in a cleared plastic back to keep moisture and heat in .
How do you make an Anthurium bloom?
Anthurium andraeanum is a prolific bloomer that produces flush for much of the year ( including wintertime , which nominate it an idealholiday houseplant ) , but it can be a bit fussy about its environment . If yours has n’t produced any blossom for more than a couple of month , it can be handy to read through this care guide again .
The main reason for flamingo lily failing to blossom are insufficient wakeful , low temperature , low humidness levels , too much or too little water supply or offspring like bugs . ascertain if any of these apply to your plant , right and give it some clip . You could also view switching to a high-pitched phosphorus plant food if you were previously using a balanced one .
Common questions about Anthurium care
How cold can Anthurium tolerate?
While Anthuriums do considerably in steady temperatures of 70 ° F to 85 ° F twenty-four hour period and night , they can tolerate casual David Low down to 45 ° fluorine . The plant are quite sensitive to common cold and wo n’t thrive if placed near AC units , parky windows , or drafty hall .
Do Anthuriums like to be rootbound?
Anthuriums do n’t mind being a niggling tight in their pots , but they definitely do n’t wish to be potbound . If yours has outgrow its current container , you should repot it in a fresh container that ’s about 2 inches larger in diameter , or divide the flora into two or more plant .
How long does an Anthurium bloom?
Anthurium flowers ordinarily last about three months and will bloom year - rung if give honorable Light Within and adequate wet . The plants themselves can live for year , blooming again and again .
What is the lifespan of an Anthurium plant?
With proper care , an Anthurium can live for at least five years or more . However , you could keep an Anthurium around indefinitely by divide mature plants or spread fresh plants from stem cuttings every few age .
Are Anthuriums toxic to cats and dogs?
Like other plant in the aroid family , Anthurium is consider toxic due to its calcium oxalate content . This compound causes botheration , which fortuitously means that most pets do n’t endeavor to take more than a few bites , but it can still lead in rashes , swelling and a burning sensation .
By the way , Ca oxalate crystals in Anthurium sap can also be nark to your workforce , so it can be ready to hand to wear out gloves if you ’ve got sensitive skin .
Source :
Norman , D. J. , & Ali , G. S. ( 2012 ) . Anthurium Diseases : Identification and Control in Commercial Greenhouse Operations . EDIS , 2012(4 ) .
