Anthuriums are popular houseplants known for their beautiful, red leaves. These red leaves make them popular plants during the Christmas/holiday season. Unfortunately, these plants will begin to lose their flowers if they are not happy with their environment. However, with proper care, Anthuriums can produce blooms year-round.
Anthuriums will produce bloom year-round if they receive proper care. Each bloom will typically last 2-3 months depending on the environmental conditions.
For many houseplant parents, it can be frustrating to see their Anthurium grow healthy foliage and never bloom. Personally, I have had an Anthurium that grew several new leaves but did not bloom for a whole year!
Encourage your Anthurium to bloom by exposing it to plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Inadequate light is the most common reason Anthuriums do not bloom. It is also important to avoid overwatering your plant and to apply a balanced fertilizer diluted to 10% every week.
The following article discusses how to care for your Anthurium in such a way that it will bloom again.
About Anthuriums
Anthurium is actually a large genus comprised of over 600 species of plants. The most common type of Anthurium sold in stores is a hybridized version of Anthurium andreanum.
Anthuriums are native to tropical and sub-tropical rainforests in Central and South America. In their native habitat, these plants grow as epiphytes rather than in soil.
The colorful, heart-shaped part of the plant is not actually a flower. It is a spathe, and its purpose is to protect the spadix. The spathe surrounds the spadix which is the cone-shaped structure that contains the plant’s small flowers.
Lighting Requirements For Anthuriums
Lighting is the most common reason that Anthuriums do not bloom. Although these plants are adaptable and can produce beautiful foliage in lower light conditions, they need to be exposed to a lot of bright, indirect light in order to bloom. The best place for an Anthurium is near an east-facing window. If your Anthurium is near a south-facing or west-facing window, filter the light with a sheer curtain so the plant’s leaves do not burn.
Too little light will result in slow growth and is the most common reason Anthuriums will not bloom. When new blooms do appear, they will remain green rather than turning a vibrant red or pink color if Anthuriums are not exposed to enough sunlight.
Exposure to too much direct sunlight will burn the plant’s leaves. An example of a scorched leaf is shown below.
If you do not have a place in your house that receives enough natural sunlight, supplement natural light with full-spectrum grow lights. Simply place the grow lights 12-36 inches from the plant and keep the lights on for 8-10 hours each day. Do not keep your grow lights on all of the time. Just as humans need sleep, plants require periods of darkness in order for their circadian rhythm to operate properly.
Cleaning your Anthurium’s leaves is another important aspect of ensuring your plant is receiving enough sunlight. Anthuriums have leaves with a lot of surface area. This means that the leaves pick up a significant amount of dust. This dust can block the plant’s photoreceptors and diminish its ability to perform photosynthesis. Therefore, cleaning your plant’s leaves every couple of weeks keeps your plant functioning properly. You can clean your plant’s leaves with a damp cloth or by rinsing off the leaves in the shower.
How To Water Anthuriums Properly
Although Anthuriums are native to tropical rainforests, they actually do not have significant water requirements. To properly water Anthuriums, apply water until the soil is moist and allow the top one inch of soil to dry out between watering sessions. Wrinkling leaves are a sign that your Anthurium is not receiving enough water.
The most common houseplant killer is overwatering! This means that it is very important to check the soil moisture using the finger test or with a soil moisture meter before watering your plant. Yellow leaves are a sign of overwatering.
Waterlogged roots cannot absorb the oxygen they need to produce blooms. In their native habitat, Anthuriums grow epiphytically (on trees) rather than in their soil. They will not tolerate soggy roots! For these reasons, it is important to avoid overwatering your plant and to plant your Anthurium in a well-draining soil mix.
If possible, water your Anthurium using rainwater or filtered water. The chemicals and additives commonly found in municipal tap water can adversely impact your houseplants. Using filtered water or rainwater is especially important if you have hard water. Hard water can cause a layer of minerals (salts and calcium carbonate) to form on the soil surface or on the roots. Eventually, this mineral layer will repel water and diminish the plant’s ability to take up water.
Temperature and Humidity Levels That Are Suitable For Anthuriums
Anthuriums do best in temperatures between 65°F and 85°F as long as they are not exposed to sudden changes in temperature. Anthuriums are sensitive to rapid changes in temperature. For this reason, it is important to put you Anthurium in a location that is not close to a radiator, a fan, an air conditioning unit, or a drafty door/window.
As Anthuriums are native to a tropical rainforest, they do best in a humid environment. The relative humidity should be at least 50% to 60% near your plant. To increase the humidity in the vicinity of your Anthurium, place your plant near a humidifier.
Best Soil For Anthurium
If you have had your Anthurium for a while (2-3 years) and have not repotted it, consider repotting your Anthurium in a good soil mix. Repotting is essential if you start to see roots growing through the drainage holes of your plant’s container.
Mixing your own soil will increase the likelihood that your plant will bloom because you can mix a growing medium that is made specifically for the type of plant you are growing. The following soil mix was recommended by the main greenhouse keeper, who is responsible for hundreds of Anthurium specimens, at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri.
- 50% of high-quality potting soil
- 30% of an orchid potting mix (Schultz is a good brand)
- 5-10% peat moss
- 8-12% perlite (Add more perlite if you tend to overwater your plants)
- Add a handful of high-quality sphagnum moss that has been cut down into small pieces
Repotting Anthuriums
Mix the recipe listed above in a large, clean bucket and use it to report your Anthurium. Like other plants, it is best to repot your Anthurium into a container that is only slightly larger (1″ to 2″ larger) than the old pot. This is because an excessively large pot will retain more moisture than the plant needs. This excess moisture could eventually result in root rot issues.
If the roots of your Anthurium have formed a root ball, use a clean knife or garden shears to break the roots apart. This will allow the roots to grow freely in the soil.
Finally, plant your Anthurium is a container with drainage holes. Drainage holes will allow excess water to flow out of the soil profile which prevents root rot. If you have fallen in love with a pot that does not have drainage holes, simply plant your Anthurium in a plastic nursery pot with drainage holes and place the nursery pot in the container without drainage holes.
Fertilizing Anthurims
Fertilizer is used to supplement the nutrients provided by the plant’s soil. In nature, Anthuriums are constantly absorbing nutrients from decayed vegetation, forest debris, and the dissolved minerals from rainwater. Applying a dilute fertilizer solution every week closely mimics these plants’ natural habitat. Dilute a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10 or 13-13-13) to 10% strength and apply during a regular watering.
Anthuriums also benefit from an occasional application of Epsom Salt. Fertilize with Epsom Salt every 2-3 months by adding one to two tablespoons of Epsom Salt per gallon of water. Add water until the soil is moist, not completely soaked/soggy.
It is very important to dilute the fertilizer much more than the manufacturer’s recommendations. Over-fertilization can have very harmful effects on your plant.
Why You Should Prune Your Anthurium
Remove any dead or yellowing leaves as well as any dead flowers from your plant using clean gardening shears. Pruning you Anthurium will not only improve its appearance, but it will actually encourage your plant to produce new, healthy growth.
