How to grow anthuriums

What are anthuriums?

Also known as flamingo flowers, these flamboyant, glossy-leaved houseplants come from tropical climes, so must be kept in warm, humid conditions and indirect light. They are compact enough to fit into any home, as most are only about 30cm (1ft) tall. 

Anthuriums are mainly grown for their colourful displays – their ‘flowers’ are in fact a leaf-like structure called a spathe with a central upright spike called a spadix. The glossy, waxy spathes can be vibrant red, pink or white, depending on the cultivar, appearing throughout the year and lasting for several weeks, creating a truly tropical spectacle.

Most anthuriums are epiphytic, meaning that in the wild they grow on trees rather than in the ground. Their fleshy roots cling to moss-covered bark for support, in a similar way to many tropical orchids. However, when grown as a houseplant, they are perfectly happy in pots of free-draining, acidic compost. They prefer to be watered with rainwater or filtered water rather than tap water, and should be misted regularly as they enjoy humidity.

Anthuriums belong to the arum family (Araceae), along with other popular houseplants such as the peace lily (Spathiphyllum) and Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), and enjoy similar growing conditions – see our guide to amazing arums. Like many of their arum relatives, anthuriums contain toxic compounds, so it’s safest to wear gloves when handling them, and they should be kept out of reach of children and pets.

Choosing anthuriums

The main difference between most anthuriums is the colour of the waxy spathes, which range from vibrant red, through shades of pink, to pure white. The central spike (spadix) can also vary in colour. A few are grown for their attractive foliage.

Popular choices include:

• Anthurium andraeanum – the classic anthurium, with waxy, vivid red spathes, it has an RHS Award of Garden Merit, proving it performs reliably

• A. White Champion – initially lime green, the spathes mature to pure white

• A. Zizou – glossy pink spathes with a darker purple central spadix

• A. crystallinum – prized for its large, boldly patterned leaves, it has an RHS Award of Garden Merit

Buying anthuriums

Anthuriums are widely available all year round from garden centres, other houseplant retailers and many online suppliers.

When buying in person, select a healthy-looking plant with unblemished leaves and no signs of wilting or insect damage. As these are tropical plants, take care to keep them warm when bringing them home.

Anthuriums can usually be kept in their original pot for a year or two, after which they should be repotted every two or three years. 

To give them the open, moisture-retentive but sharply draining, acidic conditions they need, use a mix of two parts ericaceous peat-free compost, one part perlite and one part medium-sized orchid bark.

Choose a pot that comfortably accommodates the roots, only one size larger than the previous pot. Avoid using a significantly larger pot, as overpotting causes the compost to stay wet for too long, risking root rot.

See our video guides to repotting houseplants:

Location

Place anthuriums where they’ll receive bright, indirect light, such as in a west- or east-facing window, or shaded by net curtains or thin blinds in a south-facing window. As they like humid air, a bathroom is an ideal location.

These plants are poisonous, so keep them out of reach of children and pets.

Temperature

Keep plants warm all year round, at 18–30°C (65–86°F), out of any cold draughts and away from direct heat, such as radiators.

Humidity

Anthuriums come from tropical regions and like humid air. So mist the leaves regularly or stand the pot in a saucer over a larger tray containing moist gravel – as the water evaporates, it will moisten the air. Grouping several plants together also helps to raise humidity. Or why not turn your bathroom in a tropical spa and fill it with anthuriums and other exotic houseplants?

If the air is too dry, which is often the case in centrally heated homes, anthurium leaves may start to brown at the edges.

For more tips on raising humidity, see our quick video guide:

Watering

To maintain the acidity of the compost (see Planting, above), use rainwater or filtered water at room temperature. In hard water areas, tap water is alkaline, which can harm these acid-loving plants.

Only water once the compost is approaching dryness – use your finger to check the moisture about 5cm (2in) below the surface.

Keeping the compost too wet, by watering too often or too liberally, or by leaving the plant sitting in waterlogged compost for long periods, can cause the roots to rot.

Feeding

Feed regularly during the growing season – from April to October – with an orchid fertiliser, as anthuriums require similar conditions.

Anthuriums need no pruning or training, other than removing dead leaves or flower stems at the base. Wear gloves when handling the plants, as their sap is an irritant.

Anthuriums can be propagated in several ways:

• Take a cutting of the stem/rhizome – insert into a pot of peat-free acidic compost in a closed, heated propagator at 21°C (70°F) and it will produce new roots and shoots from dormant buds on the rhizome

• Take a piece of stem with leaves and aerial roots and stand it in water in a warm, bright location. It should soon produce roots, and can then be potted up

• Pull apart a multi-stemmed plant to create several smaller individual plants with their own roots, which can be potted up separately

If you give anthuriums the warmth, humidity, rainwater and acidic compost they need, they are usually healthy plants that suffer few problems. But keep watch for the following:

• Browning leaves – may be due to dry air. Raise the humidity by standing the pot in a tray of damp gravel, misting the leaves or by moving the plant into a bathroom. See our video guide to humidity for houseplants

• Leaf scorch – can occur if plants are kept in direct summer sun. See our video guide to light levels

• Mealybugs – can sometimes colonise anthuriums

• Root rot – can be caused by overwatering or keeping the compost too wet – see our video guide to watering houseplants