How to grow and care for anthurium plants
Anthurium plants are tropical, flowering plants with glossy leaves and heart shaped flowers. They’ll thrive outdoors in warm, tropical climates and can be grown as houseplants in all climates.
Anthurium plants, also sometimes called the Flamingo Flower, prefers a bright spot, out of direct sunlight. They also like a warm, humid climate and will benefit from being placed indoors in a naturally humid spot (like a bathroom or kitchen) or having their leaves misted regularly.
Anthurium flowers come in shades of pink, red and white and they make a long lasting cut flower too.
Top 5 steps to growing anthurium
- Anthurium plants can be grown as indoor plants in a bright spot, with indirect sunlight or outdoors in a warm, tropical climate
- Use a premium, open potting mix like Scotts Osmocote Orchid Premium Potting Mix as Anthuriums prefer a light, free draining soil.
- Anthurium plants require high humidity, mist their leaves regularly with Scotts Osmocote Mist+Feed for Orchids.
- Fertilise anthurium with Scotts Osmocote Orchid Pour+Feed during Spring and Summer, to encourage strong healthy growth and flowers.
- Wipe their large leaves from time to time, to keep them dust free and shiny.
Shopping List
- Anthurium plant
- A suitable pot, terracotta pots are ideal
- Scotts Osmocote Orchid Potting Mix
- Scotts Osmocote Mist+Feed for Orchids
- Scotts Osmocote Orchid Pour+Feed
- Garden trowel
How to care for anthurium plant indoors
Anthuriums should be planted into a pot with plenty of drainage holes, terracotta is ideal. Choose a pot no more than 2 times the size of the original nursery pot.
Half fill your pot with Scotts Osmocote Orchid Potting Mix and gently remove the anthurium from the nursery pot and position it into the potting mix, backfill around the root ball with more potting mix.
Water your new anthurium in well and tip out any excess water from the coverpot or saucer. Anthuriums like a moist soil, but will easily die from root rot if they are left sitting in water.
Growing anthurium plants outdoors
Anthurium plants can only be grown outdoors in warm, humid climates that are frost free - some species of anthuriums will tolerate milder temperatures, so long as it’s frost free.
Outdoors they still prefer to be grown in pots to give them the best drainage possible. Half fill your pot with Scotts Osmocote Orchid Potting Mix and gently remove the plant from the nursery pot and position it into the potting mix, backfill around the root ball with more potting mix.
Water your new plant in well and tip out any excess water from the coverpot or saucer. Anthuriums like a moist soil, but will easily die from root rot if they are left sitting in water.
Fertilising & Care
Depending on your climate and how dry it is inside your home, your anthurium will benefit from a regular mist of water or position them in a naturally humid environment like the kitchen or bathroom.
Fertilise anthurium fortnightly with Scotts Osmocote Orchid Pour+Feed to encourage greater growth. In Spring and Summer especially, mist regularly with Scotts Osmocote Mist+Feed for Orchids. This is applied to the leaves so the plant can quickly absorb the moisture and nutrients.
Don't forget to remove any spent flowers or dead foliage to encourage new growth!
Pests & Diseases
Look out for distorted new growth and obvious signs of pests on the undersides of leaves. Aphids and scale can from time to time become a problem on anthurium - use Defender Pyrethrum Insect Spray to control them if needed.
Yellowing leaves are a sign that your anthurium isn’t getting enough light or it’s too wet. Try moving it to the brighter spot and make sure it’s not sitting in a pool of water.
Fun Fact!
The brightly coloured section of anthuriums that people call the flower, is technically a bract and not a true flower. The flower is actually the pale/yellow or pale green column directly above the colourful disc-like bract - on it are hundreds of tiny flowers!
