Anthurium Falcatum Care: 8 Full Guides & Tips

One of the most well-known tropical flowers is the Anthurium plant. Anthurium bouquets are common in tropical flower arrangements and are often used at weddings in Hawaii and other Pacific island countries.

With this beautiful houseplant, you can make any brightly lit room feel like you’re always on vacation. If you know how to take care of this exotic flowering plant indoors, you can enjoy it for many years.

Because of its beautiful red spathes, Anthurium andreanum is a popular houseplant. Photograph of Phanida Phansurin

Get to Know Anthurium Plant

Anthurium andreanum, which is often called “tail flower,” has a lot of blooms from spring to fall. Anthurium flowers last for a long time, and some of the newer types almost always have flowers.

The red, heart-shaped flowers are actually spathes that are covered in tiny flowers and stay on the plant for a few weeks. Some species have pink, orange-red, or white spathes.

The dark green, leathery leaves can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) long and are held up by stems that stand straight.

Anthurium leaves are poisonous. They have crystals of calcium oxalate, which make your tongue burn very badly.

Keep your pets away from the plant because they might play with its leaves or chew on them. You should also wear gloves when handling this plant to keep your skin from getting hurt.

A. Andreanum Varieties

Every time a new cultivar comes out, it’s more appealing than the one before it.

• Anthurium andreanum “Album” is a type of plant that has white spathes.
• Pink spathes make “Pink Champion” stand out.
• The salmon-red spathes on A. a. “Giganteum” are bigger than those on the species.

Anthurium Andreanum is a Keeper

Anthurium andreanum is a plant that comes back every year if it is taken care of properly. You can also divide older plants to make more.

Caring for Anthurium Plants as Houseplants

Make it more humid.

If the relative humidity drops below 50%, use a humidity tray or a room humidifier to add water to the air. Putting plants together also helps keep the air moist. Brown leaf tips could mean that the air is dry.

To repo or not to repo?

When your Anthurium plant starts to grow new leaves in the spring, this is the best time to move it to a new pot.

Move to a pot that is 1-2 inches (2.5–5 cm) bigger only if you have to. Set the plant up so that the top of the plant is above the soil.

Between repottings, use potting mix to cover any roots that come to the surface. Choose a container with drainage holes to keep the soil from getting too wet. Good drainage is very important.

Keep things clean.

The leaves of anthuriums have a natural sheen to them. Wipe them down with a damp cloth to keep them dust-free. Water that drips on the leaves can cause brown spots, which are caused by a fungus that needs to be treated with a fungicide.

Is there something wrong with your plant?

Spider mites may get into Anthurium in the winter if the air is dry. Most of the time, the first sign of an infestation is webs between the leaves and stems.

Any pests should be taken care of quickly.

Fungus gnats like moist, peaty potting soil, which makes them easier to get rid of.

Anthurium Plant Care Tips

Colombian origin

Height

up to 18 inches (45 cm); only 12 inches (30 cm) for compact cultivars. Tall flower stems might need to be held up.

Light

These beautiful blooms will grow and bloom better with a lot of light. Give your plant as much direct sunlight as possible (at least 4 hours a day) and at least 4 hours a day of brilliant indirect light.

If you put Anthurium in direct sunlight, its leaves will dry out and turn brown. The best thing is a sunny window with curtains that keep the sun out.

Water

Keep the soil evenly wet from spring to fall and a little less wet in the winter. Most of the time, too much water causes leaves to turn yellow. Use a pot with drain holes, give it a lot of water, and then empty the tray. If you let the soil get too wet, this plant will die.

Humidity

This animal, which lives in South American rain forests, requires high humidity all year. Keep the relative humidity at or above 50%.

A cool-mist room humidifier is the most convenient way to raise the humidity around your tropical houseplants.

Temperature

(65-80°F/18-27°C) Like people, Anthurium plants like to be kept warm all the time. Close doors, windows, and A/C vents to keep cold air from coming in.

Soil

The soil for African violets is great. It is made of peat moss and perlite, both of which help water drain.

Fertilizer

During the spring and summer, give the plants a phosphorus-rich, water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.

Propagation

When repotting, separate tight groups of roots. When a new crown grows on a plant near the parent plant, carefully pick it off and put it in a small pot, keeping the plant’s crown above the ground. About a year from now, the young plants should have flowers.