Anthurium scherzerianum

RHS Plant Profile
flamingo flower

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Anthurium scherzerianum?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
flamingo flower Dorling Kindersley 2003
flamingo flower RHS

Other common names

jack-in-the-pulpit, painter's palette, Scherzer's flamingo plant, tail flower

Award of Garden Merit
Conservatory Greenhouse Houseplants

An evergreen perennial with long-stalked, lance-shaped or narrowly oblong, dark green leaves and broadly ovate, bright red flowering spathes with orange-red spadices appearing intermittently through the year

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H1A

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Araceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Clump forming
Potentially harmful
Humans/Pets: Harmful if eatenskin/eye irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Anthurium are evergreen perennials, usually epiphytic and sometimes climbing, with large, simple or palmately lobed leaves, and spike-like flowering spadices each subtended by a colourful flat spathe
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Costa Rica

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow indoors in bright, indirect light, using an acidic potting mix of two parts ericaceous peat-free compost, one part perlite and one part orchid bark. Water freely and apply an orchid fertiliser every 2 weeks from spring to autumn. Provide high humidity by placing the container on a tray of moist gravel or pebbles. Water sparingly in winter, and keep above 18°C. See Anthurium cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division, stem or rhizome cuttings and offsets in spring or summer; or propagate by seed at 24 to 27°C as soon as ripe

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Houseplants
  • Sub-tropical
  • Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required, remove dead leaves or flower stems at the base

Pests

May be susceptible to mealybugs and scale insects

Diseases

May be susceptible to leaf spot, and root rot from overwatering