Anthurium Care Guide

How to Care for Anthuriums

a beautiful long anthurium on display against a black background

Anthuriums are popular plants in ornamental horticulture. From the long, dark and elegant Anthurium warocqueanum to the odd, bullate, three fingered beauty Anthurium cutucuense, Anthuriums are as diverse as they are awe-inspiring.

The most commonly kept cultivars are grown for their beautiful spathes (large, often petal-like outer shields that protect the actual flowers) that come in almost every color of the rainbow, and can usually be picked up for a bargain at your local big box store. The arguably more beautiful velvety species and hybrids may be more difficult to come by but are starting to solidify their place in the collections of horticultural hobbyists.

One of the major reasons that they are not kept as widely is because of their reputation of being difficult to keep.

Our goal is to dispel these rumors and give growers the confidence they need in order to grow Anthuriums successfully.

Please Note:

The notes provided in this care guide will be predominantly geared towards caring for velvet complex hybrids, as there is a wide range in care within the genus.

We will break this care guide down into light, humidity, temperature, watering, soil, and fertilizing.

Anthurium Light

Anthuriums are understory plants, which means they live beneath the dense canopy of the rainforest. Therefore, the amount of light they need is minimal, and an abundance of light will prove to be detrimental.

Exact lighting requirements can vary by species and hybrid, and you may need to make adjustments based on how the Anthurium is behaving (which we will dive into in the next section). When starting out, you can grow your anthurium in bright, indirect light, such as in the filtered sunlight from an east- or west-facing window. This will allow it to get several hours of sunlight without getting scorched.

This will also give you a baseline for growth habits, and you can make adjustments accordingly. Your Anthurium will give you signs that it is getting either too much or too little light. Let’s dive in:

If your plant is overexposed (which is the more harmful situation), your anthurium may lose a lot of its color. Leaves will harden off to a light green/yellow and in time will sunbleach completely. It may stop growing altogether, going months without pushing a new leaf. The worst case scenario is that the cataphyll ( the sheath that protects new growth) itself burns, at which point the plant will have to start over from a new growth point. Furthermore, a dead cataphyll is extremely susceptible to rot, so it is extremely important to keep an eye on it, as it may need to be removed.

two anthuriums sit side by side with the left one darker than the right

Above: Anthurium crystallinum x debilis seedlings grown in different lighting (left grown in low light and right in high light).

a hand holding a sunbleached anthurium leaf

Above: Anthurium experiencing sunburn due to overexposure.

If your plant is underexposed, or growing in too low of light, emergent leaves and the petiole (the stalk that connects the leaf to the stem) will become etiolated, which is what happens when a plant’s stem and petioles become elongated or leggy. In other words, the plant is putting its energy into stretching itself out in search of light, so rather than form large, lush, compact leaves, it’s going to grow long stems and petioles while keeping leaves shorter, smaller, and spaced out.

a potted anthurium has long stems and small leaves due to under exposure to light

Above: Anthurium experiencing etiolation from not having enough light. Notice how small and spread out the leaves are.

By being able to identify these habits, you can adjust the light on your Anthurium accordingly.

That may look like moving it closer to or farther from the window, increasing or decreasing the photo period on your grow lights, changing the distance your Anthurium is from the grow light, trying a different window, etc.

Anthurium Humidity

Humidity is one of the areas where people seem to be highly opinionated. Some will say that anthuriums don't require supplemental humidity while others say that anything less than 90% will spell disaster for your plant. Though humidity ranging from 65%-85% is ideal, some growers have success growing anthuriums closer to the 50% range.

We will say that the higher the humidity, the easier it is to grow these plants, but as with all plant care, the best way to know what works for you, is to grow it yourself and see! We’ve seen success in various ranges of humidity, so we encourage you to not let that factor dissuade you from growing something beautiful.

Just like with lighting, give your Anthurium a home, and let it tell you how it’s doing.

The major sign to look for when it comes to lack of humidity are crispy edges. If all the leaves on your plant are yellowing and crisping from the outside edge inward, you might want to boost your humidity, like this:

an anthurium leaf with crispy brown edges and discoloration

Anthurium Temperature

Anthuriums tend to appreciate ambient to warm temperatures.

In the daytime, we recommend 75-85°F, and at nighttime, 65-75°F. If there is a risk that they will be exposed to 50°F or colder, they must be protected. If there is a chance they could be exposed to warmer (+90°F), some may tolerate it, but they must need strong airflow and high humidity to combat heat stress.

Watering Your Anthurium

When it comes to how much water an Anthurium needs, there is no set schedule we can recommend, as it purely depends on the soil conditions. Anthuriums don’t want to be dry, but their roots don’t want to stay too wet, either.

A good rule of thumb is to check your soil often, and if the top 1-2 inches feel dry, that’s a good signal that it’s time to water!

Topwater your plant until water pours out the bottom of the pot. We recommend doing the watering in your sink or outdoors, so that the pot can drain properly without making a mess! After you’ve watered, repeat the process: check it every day or so, and water once it has dried out. If you need to water more than a few times a week, it might be time for a bigger pot.

There are a few signs to keep an eye out for that may indicate over-watering or the use of a substrate that doesn't allow for proper airflow. Yellowing of newer foliage from the center of the leaf outwards, leaf rot at the base of the petiole, and drops of sap appearing on the back of the leaf (a process called “guttation”).

a close up centered image of anthurium roots blackening at the bottom

Above: Root rot shown in Anthurium roots.

a close up of healthy tan anthurium roots

Above: Healthy Anthurium roots.

If you see any of these symptoms, either slow down on the frequency of watering or repot your anthurium into a better drained substrate.

Anthurium Substrate

Caring for the roots of your Anthurium is going to be the most important aspect when it comes to your success growing these plants. Ensuring that the roots are able to dry out between waterings is of utmost importance.

That being said, peat based potting mixes do not work well for Anthuriums, as they typically stay far too wet for far too long and become difficult to rehydrate once they do dry out. They also don't allow for proper airflow around the roots, which makes for the perfect conditions conducive to rot.

Our Aroid Mix, which is available for purchase a la carte, is a 2:1:1 mix of perlite #3, moss, and orchiata.

Fertilizing

Feeding your anthurium can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be. We prefer to use Osmocote every six months in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, as well as a monthly fertilization with a seaweed-based fertilizer.

You may also use CalMag, fish meal, worm castings, or a plethora of chemical fertilizers; Anthuriums don't care that much as long as they get fed.

The symptoms to look out for that may be indicative of under-fertilizing your Anthurium are old foliage yellowing and dying out prior to pushing a new leaf. This happens as the plant tries to suck as much nutrient as it can out of the older foliage in order to sustain the new growth. Another sign of “malnutrition” is that the leaf may not exhibit proper color, despite being under adequate lighting.

Above: Chlorotic Anthurium. Chlorosis (lack of chlorophyll) is a condition that can be caused by nutrient deficiencies.

Summary

And those are velvet Anthurium hybrid basics.

If you have experience growing philodendrons, dieffenbachia, or spathiphyllum (peace lilies) then you are probably already providing a lot of the same conditions that Anthuriums need. They are wonderful plants with unmatched beauty among Aroids. They provide insight into the grandeur of our Earth's natural diversity, and keeping them is extremely rewarding.

If you follow these tips then you should have no problem bringing a slice of that diversity into your home. Feel free to reach out with any questions and we will be more than happy to assist you!