Anthurium also called as tailflower, flamingo flower, laceleaf are usually cultivated for its attractive, long-lasting flowers. What is commonly considered the flower is comprised of a colorful, modified leaf and hundreds of small, botanical flowers on the pencil-like protrusion rising from the base of the spathe.
Anthurium also called as tailflower, flamingo flower, laceleaf, is a genus of the Araceae family. The anthurium name is derived from the Greek words ‘Anthos’ which means ‘flowering’ and ‘Oura’ meaning ‘tail’. These plants are usually cultivated for its attractive, long-lasting flowers. What is commonly considered the flower is comprised of a colorful, modified leaf and hundreds of small, botanical flowers on the pencil-like protrusion rising from the base of the spathe.
IDENTIFY ANTHURIUM - FLAMINGO FLOWER
Anthurium ranges from Mexico (Tamaulipas on the Caribbean slope and Nayarit on the Pacific slope) to northern Argentina and Paraguay. Species diversity is greatest in the low and middle elevations of northern South America, Panama, and Costa Rica, with less important centers in the mountains of southern Mexico and southeastern Brazil. While the upper Amazon forests of Bolivia and especially Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia are rich in species, the lower Amazon is relatively poor in species.
Flamingo flower are herbs, usually epiphytic, rarely terrestrial (more commonly so in cloud forests where they grow on deposits of debris) with clustered leaves that are variable in shape. What makes anthuriums unique among the aroids is the presence of a geniculum and collective vein on the leaf structure. The geniculum is the portion of tissue between the leaf blade and the leaf petiole. This acts as a joint to allow the leaf to “turn” and orient itself for better light absorption. The collective vein is a specialized, sub-marginal vein found near the edge of the leaf.
The anthurium plant produces flowers throughout the year. One flower emerges from each leaf axil. The sequence of leaf, flower, and new leaf is maintained throughout the entire life of the plant. The interval between leaf emergences is shortened or lengthened with changes in environmental conditions. During the summer months when conditions are favorable for growth, more flowers can be expected per plant than during the winter when temperatures are lower and there is less light. The flowers come in a multitude of colors and shapes, and make excellent cuts for arrangements.
ANTHURIUM CULTIVARS:
Numerous anthurium cultivars have appeared over the years and can be broadly classified into standards, obakes, and tulip types.
- Standards type:
These cultivars usually have self-colored (single-colored) spathes. A desirable shape of the spathe is a broad, symmetrical, heart shape with slightly touching or overlapping basal lobes. The spadix should be shorter than the length of the spathe and gently reclined to facilitate packing for shipment. The five major anthocyanin spathe colors are red, orange, pink, coral, and white.
Anthurium 'Ozaki' is a vigorous grower and produces suckers. The spathe is bright red, broad, heart-shaped with overlapping lobes, and usually large. The reddish purple spadix is reclined but becomes more erect as the flower matures.
Anthurium 'Kaumana' is a rapid grow and produces many suckers. The spathe is dark red, heart-shaped. The spadix is reclined.
Anthurium 'Kozohara' - the spathe is dark red, heart-shaped with overlapping lobes, and usually large. The spadix reclining.
Anthurium 'Nitta' - the orange, broad, heart-shaped spathe with overlapping lobes. The spadix is white, reclining.
Anthurium 'Marian Seefurth' - the broad, heart-shaped, rich rose pink spathe has unusually large, overlapping lobes. The spadix is greenish yellow and reclining when young, and white and upright when mature.
Anthurium 'Blushing Bride' - the spathe with overlapping lobes, is tinged with pink on a white base. The reclining spadix is purplish pink.
Anthurium 'De Weese' - the white, open, heart-shaped spathe is usually small. The spadix is yellow, reclining.
Anthurium 'Ellison Onizuka' - the large, paper white spathe is heart-shaped with slightly fused basal lobes. The spadix is yellow. slightly reclining.
- The obakes type:
The plants of this type are extremely variable in size, shape, and color. They are usually bi-colors of green and the major spathe colors, e.g., red-green obake, orange-green obake, etc. The amount of green shown by the spathes of obakes may change with the season.
Anthurium 'Madame Butterfly' - miniature, dark red obake cultivar is also known as 'Mickey Mouse', The spalhe is triangular with open lobes. The spadix is red-orange.
Anthurium 'Anuenue' - the green and coral pink spathe is rounder than most other obakes. Its spadix are yellow to white, reclining.
Anthurium 'Mauna Kea' - its have white with green border, round spathe with overlapping lobes. Its spadix are yellow to white, reclining.
- The tulip-type:
These Anthurium cultivars are generally characterized by an upright, cupped spame similar to an individual tulip petal. The spadix is also straight and erect as contrasted to the reclining spadices of most standards.
Anthurium 'Calypso' - the spathe is dark pink to light red on the inner surface, while the outer surface is light pink. The spadix is dark pink.
Anthurium 'Trinidad' - the spathe is off-white with a light flush of maroon. The spadix is lightly darker in color than the spathe, and erect.
Anthurium 'ARCS' - the spathe is upright, slightly cupped and have purple color. The spadix is purple, upright.
Anthurium 'Lavender Lady' - the spathe is wide, narrow, pointed al the tip, and recurved. The purple spadix is erect.
- Others type:
Anthurium 'Midori' - the spathe is medium green, broad, heart-shaped, glossy with overlapping lobes. The reclining spadix is medium green.
Anthurium 'Asahi' - the spathe is white with red veins and a distinct red border, heart-shaped with overlapping lobes.
ANTHURIUM - FLAMINGO FLOWER CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Anthurium love shade. Long exposure to direct sunlight will typically burn flowers and foliage. Give them a good shady area to grow. However, do not deprive them of all sunlight. Ideally 75-80% shade is best. Extremely low light levels can shut down flower production. If that happens, move your anthuriums to an area that receives more light and wait for flower production to resume.
When grown indoors the plant will take about as much light as you can provide them with - but not direct sunlight. Place plant in an area with good, bright, diffused light. Try to place the plant between 5 and 8 feet from a window.
Temperature:
Flamingo flower grow best with day temperatures of 25 to 32 °C and night temperatures of 21 to 24 °C. A high temperature will results in drying of the foliage and flowers and finally ends with the fading of the plant. Night temperatures of between 4 to 10 °C can result in slow growth and yellowing of lower leaves. A temperature below 16 °C will kill the plant. It is also be affected by temperature above 32 °C. Keep your anthurium plant away from heat ducts, ventilator grills and drafts.
Substrate and growing media:
Anthuriums grow best in a well-aerated medium with good water retention capability and with good drainage. A good medium needs to be able to anchor the roots and stem so that the plant will not topple over as it grows larger, yet provide sufficient moisture, nutrients, and aeration to the plant. Organic matter (i.e., wood shavings, sugar cane bagasse, tree fern chips, taro peel, macadamia nut shells, or coffee parchment), volcanic cinder, or an artificial medium (i.e., rockwool, polyfenol foam) can serve as a good medium to anchor roots for anthurium plant growth and flower production.
At some point in time, your anthurium will need to be repotted. Symptoms will include severe root massing at the base of the plant, bulging on the sides of the pot (if it's plastic), and overall loss of plant vigor. Repot your plant early in the year, when new roots start to grow. Use a 6 to 7 inch (15-16.25 cm) pot filled half way with rocks. When repotting, as much as possible try to match the same media that your anthurium is already growing in. This will help your anthurium to root faster into the new media.
Watering:
High humidity and moist media is highly preferred. However, over-watering can cause root damage and sudden yellowing of leaves. While anthuriums love moisture, they do not like saturated media. So make sure to monitor your watering. Light, frequent watering is preferred to heavy soakings. Let the soil dry out in between watering. If you live in a hot area, water about once every 2 to 3 days; if you live in a rainy area, then water as necessary. Don't forget a light misting on the leaves to help with the humidity.
Too much drying of the plant will cease the plant growth and burns the tip of the plant. Flamingo flower prefers a winter rest at 15 °C for about 6 weeks with little water. It helps plant to bloom profusely in the next season.
Fertilizer:
Most growers use a slow time-release fertilizer monthly on their plants. Anthurium roots are very sensitive to uncoated quick-release fertilizers, which can burn their sensitive roots. Even powder organic fertilizers can cause root burn. Liquid fertilizers may be applied as foliar applications or incorporated at lower concentrations into surface irrigation water. Most foliar fertilizers for orchids will work well with anthuriums. Consistency will be the key.
Pests and diseases:
Thrips will be your worst insect problem on Anthuriums. They can damage flowers and leaves, causing large brown streaks. In severe cases, the leaves and flowers will become severely disfigured. Don't let it get to this point. The best method to control thrips is to monitor your plants and treat them quickly before they get out of hand.
Keeping your anthuriums and their surroundings clean is good preventative measure. Pinching off unopen thrip-damaged flower buds and disposing of them in a sealed bag is another good control measure. That way you will get rid of thrips feeding inside of the infested buds before they have had a chance to come out and disperse to other plants.
The single most important disease of anthuriums is called 'Anthurium Blight'. This is a bacterial disease with no know cure. Once the plant becomes infected, and the disease becomes systemic, the only course of action is to destroy the plant before it can infect other plants in your collection.
Since there is no cure, the best course of action is prevention. Quarantining new plants, keeping your existing plants in good health, scouting for early signs of infection, and isolating suspect plants can go a long way towards preventing this disease from being introduced into your collection.
Propagation:
Two propagation techniques are good to learn: division and cutting. Over time, many anthuriums will shoot multiple plants from the same pot. By careful division of the mother plant, you can create multiple plant clones from just one plant. Division will also provide each plant with actively growing roots, which will in turn give you faster plant recovery.
Cuttings will require more patience. Anthuriums, especially the older cut flower types, will become leggy and appear to be growing aerial roots. This is when you should consider taking cuttings. The cutting will consist of severing the leggy growth from the mother plant and planting it into a new pot. On top of cloning of your favorite anthurium, the mother plant will possibly send multiple shoots off of where you took the cutting. In time you will be rewarded with a fuller mother plant.
Seed propagation will give you the least chance of getting the same plant as the original. However, it will most definitely give you the most varied response. Since many of the anthuriums for sale are hybrids (having been crossed multiple times over the years), seedling propagation will give you a collection of many of the parents of these hybrids, some possibly going back multiple generations.
Another use of seed propagation is to create your own new variety. Pollinating one variety with another completely different variety will most definitely provide you with some new and unique anthuriums. Anthuriums from seed can take anywhere from 2 to 5 years to produce a true mature flower. From there, evaluating appearance, quality, and consistency may take another 2-3 years. But, if you have the patience, you may create something so unique that you - and possibly others - may cherish for a lifetime.
BUY ANTHURIUM - FLAMINGO FLOWER AND RELATED PRODUCTS
SOME SPECIES OF ANTHURIUM WITH CARE TIPS:
- Anthurium acutifolium
- Anthurium andraeanum - Laceleaf
- Anthurium Anouk
- Anthurium chamberlainii
- Anthurium clarinervium - Velvet Cardboard Anthurium
- Anthurium crystallinum - Crystal Anthurium
- Anthurium esmeraldense - Esmeraldas anthurium
- Anthurium Fantasy Love
- Anthurium gracile - Red Pearls Anthurium
- Anthurium hookeri - Bird's nest anthurium
- Anthurium insigne - Anthurium trilobum
- Anthurium Lady Love
- Anthurium Leny
- Anthurium macrolobium - Anthurium × macrolobum
- Anthurium Misty Rose
- Anthurium Orange Love
- Anthurium pedatoradiatum - Anthurium Fingers
- Anthurium plowmanii
- Anthurium radicans
- Anthurium Red King
- Anthurium Red Queen
- Anthurium reflexinervium
- Anthurium regale - Regal Anthurium
- Anthurium scherzerianum - Pigtail plant
- Anthurium Snowy
- Anthurium superbum
- Anthurium Sweet Love
- Anthurium vittariifolium - Anthurium vittarifolium
- Anthurium warocqueanum - Queen Anthurium
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