Anthurium Plant Care Guide

This beautiful tropical Anthurium plant brings color with its pink, red, or white heart-shaped blooms, and its dense and brilliant foliage is very decorative in all seasons. A resistant indoor plant, it is nevertheless quite demanding under certain growing conditions!

Growing this beautiful tropical plant indoors is not easy. She prefers the warm and humid atmosphere of a greenhouse…. Find out what anthurium needs are.

Anthurium, a beautiful tropical plant

Anthurium plant is an epiphytic plant of tropical origin from the Araceae family. The type species comes from the forests of Colombia. Hybrids with large red, pink or white flowers are available in shops (garden centers, florists).

It is a plant that originally lives in the warm and humid forests of South America, it feels better in a greenhouse than in our interiors. Nevertheless, by following a few rules, it is quite possible to grow this tropical plant indoors.

Anthurium Plant Grow and Care

The beautiful glazed foliage of Anthurium andreanum can form a tuft of 1m in size, even if it is satisfied in practice with 50 to 60 cm.

Florists usually sell Anthurium scherzerianum, which is very flowering but more compact, its tuft remaining around 30 cm.

Advice on anthurium plant cultivation

Exposure

Anthurium plant requires a bright situation, without direct sunlight. Anthurium requires a lot of light to flourish, but direct sunlight is not recommended: it could dry out.

Temperature

He enjoys warm temperatures, between 18 and 25°C all year round.

Watering

Watering should be moderate, allowing the soil in the pot to dry. Always use fresh, non-calcareous water (remember to collect rainwater!).

A regular supply of fertilizer is a guarantee of flowering, every 15 days during the growing season, but nothing during its rest period. Moderate watering is recommended, the soil should remain a little moist, but anthurium plant does not like standing water.

Anthurium Plant Grow and Care

To ensure sufficient hygrometry (anthurium appreciates hot and humid environments), place the pot on a bed of wet clay beads and mist the foliage regularly.

Anthurium plant maintenance

Size

Cut the dry stems (yellow leaves, yellow or brown stems) 1 or 2 cm from the stump.

Multiplication

Spring potting can be an opportunity to divide the tuft and pot the young plants in a special potting soil (or a light substrate made of a mixture of potting soil, bark, moss or peat fibers). Then place the new pots in a hot and humid atmosphere.

Anthurium Plant Grow and Care

Flower support: staking

Sometimes, beautiful flowers tend to bow under their weight. Feel free to stake by planting thin wooden sticks or bamboos in the pot.

Frequent problems with anthurium plant

Yellowed leaves

If the leaves soften and turn yellow, if it seems to you that growth is stopped, it may be the sign:

  • of draughts, which anthurium does not appreciate…
  • from an atmosphere that is too cold.

Cut the stem near the stump after a flower has withered, and also cut the stems of the yellowed leaves. Flowers may need a tutor when they are very large. Anthurium plant does not like draughts or a cold atmosphere, which can cause yellowing and soften of the leaves, as well as reduced flowering.

Parasites and diseases

Watch for young shoots, which are susceptible to aphids, and red spiders that proliferate in hot conditions.

The entire Araceae family is susceptible to bacterial diseases such as Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachia. This bacterial infection is recognizable by the appearance of oily spots on leaves and veins, which ends in necrosis. No treatment for this disease, it is necessary to destroy the infected plant and disinfect its container and the tools used to avoid transmitting the bacterial infection to other plants.

Anthurium Plant Grow and Care

Young shoots are sensitive to red spiders, yellow spots appear on the leaves. It is necessary to spray an insecticide for dust mites and to bask your plant more frequently. A fungus attack causes brown spots on the leaves, apply a fungicide. Floury mealybugs cause woolly stains on leaves, remove them with a cloth soaked in methylated spirits or denatured alcohol.

Anthurium plant: make it bloom again

Anthurium is a plant of tropical origin that has some requirements: its flowering is delicate and implies respecting the rhythm of the plant, in particular, a rest period. After flowering, what care should be taken with an anthurium to make it flower again?

Maintenance of anthurium during the flowering period

Watering

Between November and February, anthurium (read our sheet) is in full bloom. At that time, this plant of tropical origin needs a high humidity level more than watering itself. For this purpose:

  • Bass him;
  • Grow your anthurium plant on a bed of wet gravel (or clay beads);
  • Spray the foliage regularly with non-calcareous water.

Temperature and exposure

The temperature of the apartment is well suited to anthurium throughout the flowering period. Give him the dimmed light he likes.

After flowering, a rest period

At the end of flowering, around March, the anthurium plant needs a rest period. Limit watering and put the plant in a slightly cooler situation if you can (15 to 16°C).

This “rest” before spring is the right time to repot and/or divide the stump.

Repotting every year is necessary for the flowering of anthurium when the plant is young, thereafter it can only be repotted every 2 or 3 years. Anthurium plant does not like pots that are too large, it may not even flower anymore, a diameter of 15 cm is sufficient. Cleaning the leaves with a damp sponge is beneficial. When planting or repotting, make sure that the collar (the place from which the flowers come out) is always in the light.

Anthurium Plant Grow and Care

Multiply anthurium

Splitting the tuft when you repot your plant in the spring or during its rest period allows you to easily obtain new plants, which you will install either in special potting soil or in a light mixture of compost and moss or peat fibers for example. Around the plant are small lateral shoots that you will delicately separate from the mother’s foot.

Summer care to trigger a new flowering

Watering and fertilization

Summer is the time when the anthurium plant should not be neglected if you want flowers in winter. The plant must not dry out. It is, therefore, necessary to increase watering since evaporation is stronger. Mist generously and regularly dip the foliage.

Add liquid fertilizer once a week.

If you can, during the summer, take the pot out in the garden, in the shade of a tree, in an un-wind corner: it will thus benefit from more light.

A little botany

Anthurium is a plant that can be epiphytic or terrestrial, belonging to the Araceae family. There are about 1000 species, some of which can reach 1m in height. Most of these species grow in the tropical forests of South America, but a few enjoy semi-arid environments. The leaves are alternating and can be corded, round or elongated.
The flower of the anthurium plant, the spadix, is the central ear, which is surrounded by a petal-like spathe, bracted, and open with a lateral slit.

Some varieties of anthurium

  • The most easily found anthurium is anthurium andraeanum, whose flowers can be white or yellow and the spathe bright, red, pink. It flowers all year round in ideal conditions and is often used to make bouquets.
  • Anthurium scherzerianum is the most resistant. Its inflorescences are red, pink or white, with a white or yellow spadix.
  • Crystalline anthurium crystal shows beautiful dark green leaves in the shape of an elongated heart, with light veins.
  • The inflorescences of the anthurium “Fantasia” are composed of a cream spathe highlighted with pink and a pink floral ear.
  • The “Laguna” anthurium plant shows a beautiful green spathe, marbled with pink and a pink ear.

Namely

Anthurium is toxic by ingestion and contact, it should be kept out of reach of children and pets in the house. Anthurium andraeanum can cause severe mucosal irritation. The fragrance of anthurium can be allergenic or cause migraines.
Anthurium removes air pollution from ammonia by absorbing it, so it is useful in a kitchen or bathroom.

In the language of flowers

Discovered in Colombia by botanist Édouard André in 1876, anthurium or “tongue of fire” has a different symbolism depending on its color. Red, it is sensual ardor, white, it is, on the contrary, timidity. The West Indies have made pink anthurium their official flower.

  • Rusticity: fragile
  • Height at maturity: 0.45cm to 1m
  • Soil composition: sandy, heather soil, leaf soil, peat
  • Soil PH: neutral, acidic
  • Soil moisture: drained
  • Exposure: semi-shade
  • Use in the home: indoor, greenhouse, veranda
  • Leaf color: green
  • Foliage: perennial
  • Flower color: white, yellow, orange, pink, red
  • Planting period: March, April, May
  • Level of care: medium
  • Watering: medium
  • Attributes: flowering plant

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