Anthurium or Anthurium, is a genus of American tropical herbaceous plants, comprising approximately 825 species of the Arum family (Araceae).
The name of the genus comes from the Greek words anthos for "flower" and oura which means "tail", which refers to the spadix in the form of a tail. Being this plant native to South America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Features Anthurium
It is widely grown for the floristry trade for its showy, long-lasting flowers. The common names for these plants are flamingo lily, tongue of fire, tail flower or painter's palette.
Anthuriums thrive in bright colors and a wide variety of shapes. The flowering varieties of these plants are distinctive for their multi-colored spathes and tail-shaped bright red or yellow flower spikes. Other varieties have foliage with large leaves and deep veining.
The flowers can appear throughout the year in optimal growing conditions.
They are generally collector's plants and many of the more lavish varieties rarely found outside of greenhouses and botanical gardens.
Varieties
Anthurium andreanum
These have heart shaped leaves They grow to about 30 inches, with flowers available in red, white, pink, and mixed colors. They are distinguished by a straight beak of flowers.
Anthurium scherzerianum
It is the most forgiving anthurium, featuring an orange flower spike that curls and the leaves are arrow-shaped.
Anthurium crystalline
they have velvety dark green leaves with pronounced white backs. The leaves grow up to 60 centimeters wide.
Anthurium faustinomirandae
A large plant with rigid cardboard-like leaves that grow up to 150 centimeters long. This is almost exclusively a greenhouse plant.
These plants they are not just decorative, many are natural air filters that work to clean the indoor environment, absorbing irritating or harmful chemicals from the air and is that Anthuriums are a natural filter for ammonia and xylene.
However, you have to have be careful with the sap and leaves of the plant, can cause allergies in sensitive people and pets.
Care and cultivation
To better propagate the Anthurium, divide the plant while transplanting it or take cuttings from the tip or stem. Old foliage plants have many exposed aerial roots and grow too large in their pots.
These exposed roots you can cut them at ground level and place them in new containers.
Stems will grow from those roots and then leaves will emerge. These plants can be transplanted annually or because they have grown too large for the pot. Use high-quality potting soil.
Anthuriums plants thrive in bright, indirect light. They don't like exposure to direct sunlightexcept in the winter months or in plants that have been carefully acclimatized. It grows in rich, loose soil that must be kept moist at all times, but not soggy.
Dead flowers, old and yellowed leaves should be cut, because after the leaves and flowers are discolored, they do not recover again. The Anthurium will only produce new leaves and flowers.
It must be ferilized in spring and summer with any general-purpose fertilizer suitable for indoor plants.
Diseases and pests
When the plant has brown leaves and leaf tips you are getting too much or too little water.
Before giving him water, feel how wet the soil is in the pot. If it feels quite dry, the plant needs a little water, but if the soil is damp, wait a week before watering it again.
If the leaves are yellowish, the anthurium is probably getting too much sunlight and you should move it away from where it is. In the event that new flowers are born, but these are green, then may be receiving very little light And she needs you to bring her closer to the window
No serious insect or disease problemsHowever, do not lose sight of the mealybugs, mites or whiteflies.