Greetings from the realm of roots and leaves. We are Anthuriums, often called Flamingo Flowers, and while we are renowned for our glossy, heart-shaped blooms and vibrant foliage, we are frequently misunderstood. To help you help us thrive, we must communicate the most common errors made in our care, from our perspective.
This is, by far, the most frequent cause of our demise. Our roots are not like those of thirsty ferns or water-loving peace lilies. We are epiphytes at heart, often growing on trees in our natural habitat, where our roots are exposed to air and frequent tropical rains that drain away instantly. When you leave our feet sitting in a saucer of water, you are suffocating us. The soil becomes devoid of oxygen, and our roots begin to rot, turning into a mushy, brown mess that can no longer absorb nutrients or water. Please, only water us when the top inch or two of our potting mix feels dry to your touch.
You would not plant an orchid in heavy garden soil, so please do not do it to us. Placing us in a dense, moisture-retentive potting mix is a death sentence. It compounds the overwatering problem, holding onto moisture for far too long. We crave a chunky, airy, and incredibly well-draining medium. A mix designed for orchids or epiphytes, containing ingredients like peat, perlite, pine bark, and charcoal, is ideal. This allows our roots to breathe, access oxygen, and remain healthy even after a thorough drink.
Our origins are in the humid, dappled-light understories of tropical rainforests. Two critical mistakes stem from ignoring this. First, placing us on a dry windowsill, especially near a heating vent, subjects us to arid air that causes our leaf tips to brown and crisp. We appreciate humidity levels of 60% or higher, which can be achieved with a humidifier or a pebble tray. Second, the intense, direct afternoon sun will scorch our beautiful leaves, leaving behind bleached, yellow, or brown patches. We desire bright, indirect light—the kind that casts a soft shadow.
While we appreciate nutrients to support our long-lasting blooms and foliage, overzealous fertilization does more harm than good. Applying a full-strength, harsh chemical fertilizer too frequently will burn our sensitive roots, leading to leaf tip burn and overall stress. We prefer a "less is more" approach. A balanced, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half or quarter strength, applied monthly during our active growing season (spring and summer), is more than sufficient. In the fall and winter, we are resting, so please withhold fertilizer entirely.
Many gardeners believe a larger pot is always better, but we prefer to be slightly root-bound. A pot that is excessively large holds a vast volume of wet potting mix around our small root system, which stays damp for too long and again leads to root rot. Repot us only when you see our roots circling the surface of the soil or emerging from the drainage holes, and only move us to a pot that is one size larger, no more.
