Anthuriums

What's everyone's experience with these flamingo flowers? My local nursery has some beauties which I'm always drawn to. I have a lot of houseplants on my desk at work and they do very well there.

I've found that they need *a lot* more light than we're led to believe.

I've had numerous anthuriums over the years and have never had luck re-blooming them until I placed them a short distance from a south window.....it re-bloomed!!

Do you know there is a *Purple* one?!?!?! (My favorite color!)
There was no price on them but they were in 6" pots at a floral shop in a grocery store near here, so they're probably $30 - $40!

I HAVE dropped the hint that it would make a great mother's day gift!!

I think Nan is right about it needing a lot more light than we're led to believe. I bought my first one last year already in bloom. So far this year, nothing. I just don't have a good feeling about it blooming again. Perhaps with a little help from Eleanor.:)

GH

Thanks for the input. I still want to give them a go.

Nan I did see this one at a garden center a while ago..

Beautiful, don't you think?! lol!!

I'd definitely give it a go, too, but just don't believe that 'medium light' statement on the tag (that's fine for outdoors, but not for indoors!)

I *really* want that purple one!
I should probably just go back and get it!

Well Nan you just know that once you've persuaded yourself to go and get that purple one, it will be gone... don't you hate when that happens?!

There's a particular plant called Sarah which I think is a Obake type. My local nursery has one and I just have to have it. Hopefully with my next paycheck :)

I also read that it's a bit sensitive to the calcium in hard water. Unless you have soft water, you might want to buy distilled water from the store or collect rainwater (I do both).

I know...that's *exactly* what will happen!!

I checked ebay and none listed there, so maybe it's not so common and I should have picked it up....but I'm sure it carried a hefty pricetag!
I might just call them later and see how much it is! :)

I have been using distilled water on a lot of ferns, calatheas, anthuriums and on Spathiphyllums, as I've found they're all sensitive to our 'limey' water!!

I'm going to use distilled water in my fountains from now on, too......limey water really destroys the fountain pumps!!

I have 3 or 4 (and one large one) and haven't used them in over a year becaus I can't afford to constantly buy pumps!

Nan- could you just use rainwater? The geniuses who built this house made it so all the water washed down to one area, where they built a cistern. It makes it very convenient for me. ; ) But couldn't you just collect it from the water spouts or something?

I suppose I could, but I don't know where I'd keep it and how I'd prevent it from going stagnant, mosquito-ridden, etc...

Unfortunately I'm kind of pressed for time, too....I work 2 jobs and drive 30 mi. one way to get to my 'main' job, plus have kids at home..... (and all the driving and time involved in activities and meetings for kids!) etc....so the distilled water is the most 'attractive' option, even though it will add to the grocery bill!

Any ideas on how to keep it 'pure' if I were to find a way to collect it?

I should warn you. If you buy that plant you run the very real risk of developing a full fledged addiction. I started with one little pink one and now I have about 25 different plants. I have Sarah (just got it today in a trade with my fellow anthurium junkie) and it is wonderful.

The purple amnicolas are not that easy to come by. You just don't see that color very often. As far as water, I have no idea. I can tell you that these are EASY plants. They do need a bit of light but no direct sunlight or they will scorch. The "official" light requirement is 80% shade. What they do require is humidity. I am in SE Lousiana so that's NOT a problem. All of mine either get early A.M. sun or late P.M. sun and they are constantly in bloom. They absolutely love "dappled" sunshine if you have a nice tree handy.

LOL!! We always run that risk, don't we??
I've become addicted to more plant groups than I should!

I have 3 or 4 anthuriums, myself, and just got one to re-bloom (for the first time in *years* this past year by giving it brighter light. I was so excited!

I can surely see why anthuriums would love it in Louisiana!

Humidity is easy to come by here in the summer, but the winter is another entirely different story! I run a humidifier, but sometimes the humidity gets too high....it's really hard to adjust it between what's good for the plants and what's good for the house.

Well.....as usual....I'm kickin' myself now for not buying that sucka!

I think I will, indeed, call them today and see if they still have one and how much they are (that was the biggest drawback against buying it....it had no price, and the florist shop in the store was closed as it was a Sunday, and no one in the remainder of the store knew the price!!)

doesn't that mean it's free?

Should be darnit!!

Well...I just called......*THEY'RE GONE*!!!! (But of course, always the plant lover's dumb luck!)
Now I'm kickin' myself HARDER!!!! lol!!

But they were $26.95....that's a lotta dough! Hoping I'll see one again soon....maybe I'll request one from the local greenhouse here and they'll try to get it for me.

That's really high for an amnicola type. There are some for sale on ebay. When you logged onto ebay, did you search for anthurium?

You wouldn't believe what I've spent on some of these. It's really a sickness. Use caution...you're treading on thin ice! 3 or 4, then 12 or 15 then.........................

I thought so too....but that's the way it is at these little shops....high prices!

I did check on ebay....checked for purple, purple plum, plum purple (I think it's called Purple Plum) and nothing so far.

I did note a lot of online florists sell them CUT...and a lot of wholesalers sell them.

So I'll probably run into another one....one of these days!

I'll keep an eye out for one. I'm always on the prowl.

Hi all,

I am new to this houseplant thing, so you might want to take anything I say with a grain of salt. But from what I understand, the florist type of anthurium, anthurium andreanum, likes indirect light, and more importantly, high heat and humidity. Most people's houses are not hot enough, that is why andreanums don't grow well as houseplants. The types of anthuriums sold as houseplants are supposed to do better than andreanums at lower temperatures, but my suspicion is that they still like heat. This might also explain why they do well in Louisiana.

You are correct in that the amnicola types (tulip shaped) are better suited for indoor life. The scherzeranum types (curly spadix) don't like heat at all. They do well has houseplants but are unhappy here in the hot, humid south. Overall, they all prefer a constant temp. of between 60 and 80 degrees.

Can I brag now???? Here are a few of my plants.

another

last one

OK Nem, what's the story with that last flower?!

It's pregnant. Lots of seeds due. I am SO proud!

Well I bought 'Sarah' yesterday. I'll post a pic of the whole plant once I've repotted her. For now here's her newest flower.

She's just beautiful! Don't you love the variations in color from newer to older flowers? Definitely one of my favorites since I love the big blooms. Congratulatons!

Thanks for posting the photo of the 'pregnant' (lol!) flower....interesting, as I've never seen one!

NematanthusNut....we need to start calling you Nematanthurium nut!
Great plants and photos.

If I described what I had to do to it to get it 'with seed', they'd ban me for obscenity here! Yep...I've become a nematanthurium nut for sure. In fact, I ordered more Nematanthus last week. So now I'm thinking that maybe I should start pricing greenhouses.

My friend gave me an anthurium for my birthday and few years ago and it's roots are just on a large lava chunk. It sits in a bowl and I give it water and sometimes fish emulsion. It blooms and blooms. And I thought I'd never keep it alive. I'll take a picture of it in the morning when there's light. I could get addicted to them easily. Thanks for the tip about the hard water. I have a water softener, but just for the hot water, not the cold. I need to remember to use the hot tap for this girls watering.

Anthuriums make great office plants. They love fluorescents!