Anthurium (flamingo flower) care

Anthurium blooms almost year-round when it gets bright indirect light, a chunky bark-based mix that lets roots breathe, water when the top 1–2 inches are dry, and warm, humid air above 60°F. Low light is the reason most anthuriums stop flowering; soggy, dense soil is the reason most die.

The glossy red, pink or white "flower" is a spathe — a modified leaf — around a spadix packed with tiny true flowers. It's one of the longest-lasting flowering houseplants: Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center describes an office anthurium that has rebloomed multiple times a year for years with minimal care.

Anthurium at a glance

Light

Anthurium andraeanum is an epiphyte from the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador, growing on trees under a canopy. The RHS lists partial shade with east or west exposure. Indoors that means:

• Best: 3–5 feet from an east or west window, or behind a sheer curtain at a south window.
• OK: a north window in summer; usually too dim for blooms in winter.
• Avoid: direct midday or afternoon sun, which bleaches and scorches leaves.

Anthurium tolerates fairly low light, which is why it's sold as an office plant, but tolerance and flowering are different things. In a dim corner it keeps its leaves and stops making new spathes. A full-spectrum LED grow light on a 12-hour timer is the easiest way to get reliable blooms in a dark apartment. See grow lights and light basics.

Watering

Clemson HGIC advises watering thoroughly and allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings.

1. Push a finger into the mix. Water when the top 1–2 inches are dry.
2. Water slowly until it drains out the bottom.
3. Empty the saucer after 15 minutes.

In a 6-inch pot that's usually every 7–10 days in spring and summer, every 10–14 in winter. In bark mix, water passes through quickly and the pot dries faster; adjust by feel. The RHS recommends watering freely in growth and much less in winter.

Anthurium roots are thick and white and need air. In dense, wet potting soil they rot from lack of oxygen, which shows first as yellowing leaves and a plant that wilts even though the soil is wet. See overwatering and root rot.

Temperature and humidity

Keep it at 65–85°F; the RHS sets a minimum of about 64°F (18°C) for best growth. Below 60°F growth stops and leaves can be damaged. Keep it off cold windowsills and away from exterior doors in winter.

Humidity matters more than for most houseplants. Aim for 50–70%. In heated or air-conditioned homes, a room humidifier makes the biggest difference; grouping plants and a pebble tray help a little. Low humidity shows as brown, crispy leaf tips and edges, and invites spider mites. More in humidity.

Soil and repotting

This is where most anthurium care goes wrong. Supermarket plants usually arrive in dense peat that stays wet. Use instead:

• Clemson's 50/50 mix of cactus mix and orchid mix, or
• One-third each potting mix, fine orchid bark and perlite (a handful of horticultural charcoal is optional).

The RHS specifies an acidic potting mix, moist but well drained. Repot every 1–2 years in spring, or when roots fill the pot (Clemson's cue), into a pot only 1–2 inches wider with a drainage hole. Anthuriums tend to climb out of their pots as they age; at repotting, set the plant a little deeper so the stem and its aerial roots are covered. See repotting and potting soil.

Fertilizer

The RHS recommends an orchid fertilizer every 2 weeks from spring to autumn. Clemson notes anthuriums need very little feeding. A middle path works: a balanced or slightly phosphorus-rich liquid fertilizer at half strength every 2–4 weeks from March to September, none in winter. Over-feeding shows as brown leaf tips and a white crust on the mix; flush with plain water if you see it. See fertilizer.

Why anthurium isn't blooming

More general advice in not blooming.

Leaf spots and yellow leaves

The RHS lists leaf spot and root rot among anthurium problems. Remove spotted leaves, keep water off the foliage and improve airflow. See leaf spots and yellow leaves.

Propagation

The easiest method is division: at repotting, separate side shoots that have their own roots and pot them individually. Stem sections with aerial roots can also be cut and potted. Seed is slow and doesn't come true from hybrids. See propagation.

Pests

The RHS mentions mealybugs and scale; spider mites and thrips show up in dry air. Inspect leaf undersides and the base of leaf stalks every few weeks. If small flies hover over the mix, it's staying too wet — see our sister site's fungus gnat guide.

Toxicity

The ASPCA lists flamingo flower as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The toxic principle is insoluble calcium oxalates; signs include oral irritation, pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses) and difficulty swallowing. The RHS adds that the plant is harmful if eaten and a skin and eye irritant, and recommends gloves when handling. If a pet chews it, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435; for a child, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Pet-safe flowering alternatives include African violet and Christmas cactus — see pet-safe plants.

Types you'll see

• Anthurium andraeanum hybrids: the common flowering type, with red, pink, white, salmon, purple, green or bicolor spathes. Compact potted cultivars stay 12–18 inches.
• Anthurium scherzerianum: smaller, with a curly orange-red spadix — the "pigtail plant".
• Foliage anthuriums (A. clarinervium, A. crystallinum, A. warocqueanum): grown for velvety, veined leaves; they need higher humidity and are collector plants with different care priorities.

Growth habit

Anthurium grows from a single central stem that adds a new leaf, and often a new flower stalk, every few weeks in good conditions. Each leaf usually comes with a flower bud in its axil, so a plant that keeps making leaves in bright light keeps making blooms. Over years it forms offsets at the base, which you can leave for a fuller pot or divide.

Summering outdoors

Anthurium can spend summer on a shaded porch or patio once nights stay above 60°F. Choose deep, bright shade — even an hour of direct afternoon sun scorches the leaves — and protect it from wind, which tears spathes. Check the pot more often; outdoor heat dries bark mix quickly. Bring it back inside well before fall nights dip below 60°F, and inspect leaf undersides for hitchhiking pests before it rejoins your other plants.

Common mistakes

Grooming

Wipe leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks to keep them glossy and pest-free; skip leaf-shine sprays. Cut old spathes at the base once they fade, and remove yellow leaves at the stem. Use clean scissors and gloves, since the sap is irritating.

Cut flowers

Anthurium spathes are among the longest-lasting cut flowers. Clemson notes a cut bloom lasts several weeks in a vase. Cut the stem at an angle, place it in clean water at room temperature, and recut the stem every few days. Cutting blooms doesn't hurt the plant.

Anthurium vs. peace lily

Both are aroids with a spathe-and-spadix bloom and both are toxic to pets. Peace lily tolerates lower light, wants more water and grows in ordinary potting soil; its spathes are white. Anthurium needs brighter light, a chunky mix and more humidity, but its colored spathes last longer. For a dim office, choose peace lily; for a bright, humid room, anthurium gives more color. More choices in flowering houseplants.