Anthurium is a genus of roughly 1,000 species of flowering plants in the arum family, native to South and Central America, often growing as epiphytes, although some are terrestrial. While all Anthurium flower, not all have showy blooms. Many varieties of Anthurium are sought after for their foliage. Anthurium do best in a well lit, bright area, out of direct sunlight. Typically, but not always, the darker the leaves on an Anthurium, the less bright they need it, however, all do very well in bright, but shaded areas. This makes them perfect for just about any room of the house! Even bathrooms that have an indirect natural light source can be a great place to put a beautiful Anthurium. Anthuriums can be quite picky with their water, preferring purified or distilled water and do best when they are kept evenly moist at all times. Many Anthuriums' roots will grow up and out of the pot, which is perfect, as most naturally grow as Epiphytes. Higher humidity levels are a must for Anthuriums. Tanks, Terrariums, and Domes are perfect. Pebble trays under the pots also help, as well as humidifiers running on a continuous basis. This will prevent leaf browning, wilting, and wrinkling. While it is not completely necessary, you can use a general purpose, high quality fertilizer from Spring through Fall. We recommend diluting the fertilizer to about 50% strength. Fish Head Farms soil conditioner is a great option to use year round to provide essential nutrients and promote strong, healthy growth. A loose, well draining soilless mix is ideal. A peat based mixture with lots of chunky perlite, or vermiculite will do the trick. Many Anthuriums can also be grown, very successfully, in Sphagnum Moss. For a pre-mixed formula, we find that a cactus/succulent blend could be ok, but we recommend adding more perlite, vermiculite or even chunky moss to maintain moisture levels, but keep the roots airy.
