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Within our collection we have many species of Anthurium.  If you are seeking other photos, click this link:

Growing the Tropical Anthurium
Where Anthurium live in nature,
 Anthurium care, how to cultivate, grow, pot and water an
Anthurium i
ncluding information how Anthurium species grow and reproduce in the rain forest. 
Despite what some growers claim scientifically not one of the nearly 1000 species grows in water!
 


           

Dr. Thomas B. Croat, Missouri Botanical garden research greenhouse, Photo Copyright Janice Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.comThis text was written and all photography (unless otherwise noted) was created by Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.com  Although as non-technical as possible much of the information on this page is based on the scientific journals of my teacher and mentor aroid botanist Dr. Thomas B. Croat Ph.D., P.A. Schulze Curator of Botany of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO.  Dr. Croat was honored in the summer of 2008 for having collected over 100,000 specimens in the wild.  My thanks to aroid expert Julius Boos, aroid, palm and cycad expert Leland Miyano and expert aroid grower Russ Hammer for their input into this article.  And my sincere thanks to Dr. Croat for his continued guidance as well as almost daily personal communication.
 

Note: Click on any photo and you will be directed to the page which gives the scientific name, common names if any, and description of that species.  Every photo on this page is linked to a page with an explanation.  Please use those links either as you read or once you find the information you are seeking. 
A serious effort has been made to keep this information non-technical but scientifically accurate. 

 
 
Interested in the care and cultivation of Anthurium species or growing Anthurium from seeds?  Did you know that "flower" is not a flower?  It is a group of very tiny flowers which most need a magnifying glass to see!  This text is designed to teach you about growing and understanding Anthurium species including their sexual reproduction.
 
Anthurium veitchii, Copyright 2007, Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainofrest.comThere are  published estimates of the internet of approximately 800 botanically described species of Anthurium currently known to science.  In a private meeting with my friend esteemed aroid botanist Dr. Thomas B. Croat on Friday June 20, 2008 at his offices at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO, Dr. Croat brought that estimate up to a more accurate number.  The current best estimate is closer to 1000 species as a result of many finds of new species in South America, especially Ecuador.   Dr. Croat's credits are listed above and he is recognized as the world's leading authority in the genus Anthurium.  Of modern experts, Dr. Croat has discovered, named and described more species to science than any other botanical authority having personally collected more than 100,000 plant specimens in the wild.
 
Many incorrectly assume that only the plants that produce the colorful red, pink and yellow spathes (which are not a flower) such as the plant at the top of this page are truly Anthurium species,  There are many species of Anthurium and few look alike and most of the truly beautiful specimens look nothing like the hybridized plants for sale in nurseries.  Many people also have no idea where the plants that are members of the genus Anthurium live and grow in nature.  Anthurium species are found throughout southern Mexico, Central America and much of South America with a few species found in the West Indies (Caribbean).  Aroid botanists know there may be an equal number of unidentified species still not located and described in the rain forests of many South American countries, including Ecuador and Colombia.  The vast majority of the rarest and most beautiful forms are located on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains and within the rain forests of Ecuador.  Those species are also widely variable and it is not uncommon for a single species to produce more than one leaf form.  You can find an explanation of "variability" here:  Click this link.

Despite an increasing number of articles on the internet which appear to claim up to fifty Anthurium species are found naturally in Southeast Asia, scientifically none are natural or endemic in that part of the world.  One internet "encyclopedia" appears to be the source of this dubious information.  Aroid expert Julius Boos explains,
"Anthurium is a neotropical genus and does not occur naturally anywhere outside the neo-tropics!"  The neo-tropics is defined as South and Central America.  Any Anthurium species found in Asia, the South Pacific, or Indonesian rain forests would have to have been introduced by plant collectors.   These species are not found naturally in these regions of the world.  Julius' information is verified in many of the published papers written by Dr. Croat (CROWat).

The genus Anthurium is now found in many South Pacific islands, but only as an introduced species.  In Hawaii, many species can be found currently in cultivation since the genus is used to hybridize many hybrid variations which are commonly sold in garden centers  However, all were introduced into Hawaii and none live their naturally.  Anthurium species are members of a larger family group known as Araceae (aroids) and there are in fact members of the larger group known as  Araceae found in SE Asia  but these do not include Anthurium or Philodendron species.  For further scientific reference, please read this work by  Dr. Tom Croat:  http://www.aroid.org/genera/anthurium/abstrap1.htm

Each year, aroid specialists such as Dr. Croat ,who is considered the world's leading expert in this aroid genus, trek deep into the rain forest with the assistance of students and researchers in to locate, photograph, collect and describe these new species.  Some are so beautiful and odd, they defy belief. 
 
All Anthurium species have two unique features in common.  Those features are known as the geniculum and the collective vein and can be seen on any Anthurium specimen.  The geniculum is located at the top of the petiole and allows the leaf to rotate and orient in order to better collect sunlight.  The collective vein is found very near edge of the leaf blade. 
 
Since I'm sure most who read this article are not aware of the scientific features of Anthurium species you can find photos above left, right, and just below which define the features of any Anthurium.
 
As you will observe the petiole is what most people would call a "stem", however the true stem is located at the base of the plant and the petiole connects the leaf blade to the stem.  The stem at the plant's base collects and stores water and nutrients absorbed by the roots.  In many Anthurium species those roots never touch the soil since many species are suspended on the trunk or limb of a tree!  The petioles then transfer the water and nutrients from the stem to the leaf blades.  The blades then convert carbon dioxide in the air into oxygen for other living organisms such as humans to breathe.  The geniculum looks and works something like your knee or elbow.  Just like your elbow allows you to bend and rotate your arm, the geniculum allows the leaf of an Anthurium to rotate itself up, down or from side to side in order to better collect light.   The geniculum may be swollen and obvious in some species but barely noticeable except to the touch in others.   It is not uncommon for the geniculum to have scars from age.
 
The collective vein is found at the perimeter of the leaf blade and the primary lateral leaf veins connect into the collective vein.  The collective vein completely encircles the leaf in some species but in others begins approximately 1/3 down from the top of the blade and emerges from one of the primary lateral leaf veins and then runs to the bottom of the blade and up the opposite side to reconnect with a primary lateral leaf vein on the opposite side of the blade.  These two features combined are unique to Anthurium species although other plants by have one or the other.  Neither will ever be seen in a Philodendron species and is often used as a determining factor to decide if a plant is an Anthurium species or a Philodendron specimen.
 
With a little back-ground knowledge, the care of Anthurium species is quite easy.  However, proper species identification can be much more difficult.  The interest in species such as Anthurium jenmanii (photo left, next paragraph below) in SE Asia has begun to drive the price of numerous species upwards.  However, in the case of that species, according to Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO, many people who believe they have A. jenmanii actually are growing Anthurium bonplandii subsp. guyanum  (photo right).  So there is obviously a great deal of confusion regarding Anthurium species and their identification.  Hybridization (the combination of two or more species) has also made identification much more complicated since once species have their DNA combined the newly produced specimen is no longer either species!  Instead, it is simply a hybridized offspring.  Still, growers often attempt to sell these offspring as a new "species" with some unique "made-up" name not recognized by scientists or botany.  Another popular Anthurium which is often confused is Anthurium hookeri.  For years growers in Florida have assumed a commonly available hybrid was truly the species!  But in fact, the species looks nothing like the hybrid and produces very unique leaf blades along with white seed berries (not red).  So unique, botanists are now considering the possibility of giving that species its very own section which will make it unique among the birds nest forms.  Click here to read about Anthurium hookeri.  You can find photographs and information on all the species in our collection by clicking on this link:  Species in the ExoticRainforest Collection.  
 
As a result of the interest in Anthurium, questions via internet search engines regarding Anthurium species are frequently asked.  One popular question often typed into an internet search engine is asking in one form or another "How do I grow Anthurium species?", "How do I pot an Anthurium?", or they ask about the care and culture of some Anthurium species.  Two truly strange questions are "Can I grow an Anthurium in water?"  and "Name all aquatic Anthurium species".   According to Dr. Croat, there is no such thing as an aquatic Anthurium 
 
Anthurium species are grown more like orchids than perhaps any other plant group other than Philodendron.  These plant species need frequent wetting of the roots but they must also dry quickly.  That is the precise reason the majority live high in rain forest where it rains often followed by a drying breeze.  Most live on the branch of a tree, not in soil.  And they certainly aren't found growing in water.  Some Anthurium species actually do grow on stone in the wild, but unless you have the facilities to properly grow Anthurium in this manner, that can be a difficult method to maintain properly.  A few live in the hot drier rain forest regions but those are not common.  More is explained later in this article on the subject of growing Anthurium on volcanic rock.  Click this link to see how epiphytic plant grow
 
 
Anthurium species are very popular as house plants.  Almost anyone who goes on vacation to Hawaii is at least tempted to bring home an Anthurium.  The vast majority of the plants grown in Hawaii are hybrid varieties, not species.  Most are hybridized from a species known to science as Anthurium andreanum.   That base species is not native to Hawaii, it is primarily found in northwest Ecuador and  western Colombia, but it is perfect for use to hybridize 'house plants' since it produces a colorful spathe and spadix. 
 
All Anthurium species are aroids.  Aroids produce an inflorescence which is the "pretty flower" people often the plant for in the first place.  But since there are other genus that are also aroids it is valuable to know how to positively be able tell an Anthurium from another genus.  A simple yet positive way to tell them apart is to look for the small swelling, or bump, on the petiole at the point where the blade attaches to the petiole (stem).  On any Anthurium there will be a swollen area known as the geniculum.  That "bump" will not be present on a Philodendron  nor an Alocasia.  The geniculum is thicker than the petiole.   Aroid expert Julius Boos explains further regarding the purpose of the geniculum, " the geniculum acts like a ''wrist'', and actually allows the leaf blade to turn or rotate to align itself with the light source and occurs only on some aroid genera including Anthurium and Spathiphyllum but not on others."   
 
An aroid is a plant that reproduces by producing an inflorescence known to science as a spathe which is in fact a modified leaf.  The inflorescence, which is sometimes shaped like cupped hands is made up of several parts.  Chiefly the portion that appears to be a "flower" is the spathe and inside that is the spadix which somewhat resembles an elongated pine cone.  Many people think the spathe is the "flower", but technically, the tiny flowers are found on the spadix at the center of the inflorescence.  The male flowers produce pollen and the female flowers can be pollinated with pollen brought from another specimen by a beetle from the genus Cyclecophala.  Once the flowers on the spadix have been fertilized they will eventually produce berries which can range in color.  When in fruit the entire structure is known to a scientist as an infructesence. 
 
When ready to produce seeds, the spadix produces both male and female flowers.  Noted aroid expert Julius Boos explained, "In one group of aroids, these occur in separate male and female zones, often separated by a sterile region.  In the other group the male and female flowers occur mixed closely together throughout the entire length of the spadix."  The tiny male flowers produce pollen and the tiny female flowers are designed to be receptive to pollen.  However, most are cleverly divided by nature to keep the plant from being self-pollinated.   Once the female flowers have completed anthesis the male flowers begin to produce pollen.   Most Anthurium produce their pollen acroscopically which simply means towards the apex (top).  But in a select number of species the pollen is produced from the top of the spadix downward.  That event is rare and is known as basioscopic pollen production as in those with thumb-shaped spadices.  Nature's preferred method is to have insects (almost always a Cyclocephala beetle) pick up the pollen from one plant and carry it to the female flowers of another plant in keep the species strong.  Still, in a few species self pollination is possible.  If you collect and process the seeds properly you can easily grow new plants.  There is an estimated 900 species in the genus Cyclocephala and only approximately one half are identified as species by science.
 
In the case of Anthurium species, many are very promiscuous.  They will easily cross pollinate with any other Anthurium that is a member of a similar "section".  As a result, there are likely as many hybrid varieties as there are species!  Hawaiian growers love to create new varieties and sometimes go so far as to try to introduce their hybrids as "new species".  Unless you are a trained aroid botanist or serious collector, it is often difficult to see the difference in a hybrid and a true species.

The majority of aroids require a specific insect to do the work of pollination.  If that insect is not present, it is unlikely the plant will be pollinated naturally.  If pollinated by Anthurium jenmanii seeds, Photo Copyright 2007, Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.comthat "assigned" insect, the spadix can produce fruit which can vary in color from red to orange,  purple, green, white, or shades of these colors.  Eventually the fruit ripens and contains very small seeds.  Those fruit are how the Anthurium reproduces itself once a bird, rainforest animal, or bat eats the fruit or a seed falls to the ground.  The birds and animals spread the seeds thought the jungle and place them on the branches of trees in their own droppings.  Anthurium species can also reproduce from divisions, but it is not possible to propagate them by planting leaves!  Simply trying to pot a leaf won't grow anything!  There are a very few aroids including Zamioculcas zamiifolia which can reproduce by planting leaves, but Anthurium species are not in that group.

If you are interested in how the beetles are attracted to the Anthurium please read the information from aroid pollination expert Marc Gibernau at the end of this article.

Should you plan to grow your own Anthurium seeds do not pot them in soil!  Instead, gently squeeze the seeds out of the mesocarp pulp of the berry into a jar with clear sterile water and shake the capped jar well to separate the pulp from the seeds.  In a couple of days the seeds will settle to the bottom and the pulp will rise to the surface so it can be removed.  Remove the seeds and put them in a clean jar of water and shake once more to remove any traces of the pulp which can cause the seeds to produce a fungus.  Prepare a shallow plastic container (such as a restaurant salad container) by cutting long strand sphagnum moss into very short fine pieces, mix in approximately 1/4 aquarium charcoal and press this fine mix into the bottom of the container.  Do not add any soil!  Be sure and punch drain holes in the container's bottom before filling and do not allow the container to hold water!!  The goal is to have a high humidity environment in which the seeds can germinate.  You need no more than 1/3 of the container to be filled with the moss growing bed which will now be similar to the floor of a rain forest.  Spread your seeds (evenly spaced) across the surface and mist them lightly with either rain water or bottled purified water.  Do not attempt to cover or bury the seeds!  Put on the lid of the container and you now have a miniature greenhouse.  Store the seeds in moderately filtered light in a warm room and in two days to a week you will see germination.  Mist only as needed.  Continue to grow the plants with the lid on and just mist them lightly until they are well developed and then transplant them to fast draining soil which contains peat moss, shredded sphagnum moss, hard wood charcoal (such as aquarium charcoal) and high quality potting soil in roughly an equal mixture.  In a year or two you'll have nice specimens to display or give away.

 
If you are interested in the detailed daily analysis and explanation of the growth of an Anthurium spathe and spadix with daily photos and narration by noted Anthurium experts Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Julius Boos,  and others, go here:  Anthurium regale spathe and spadix.  There are close to 80 days of photographs.  Anthurium regale is a leafed section Cardiolonchium species shown just below.  And if you want to know more about the pollination and seed production of aroids?  Read Julius Boos article here:  http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Natural%20and%20artificial%20pollination%20in%20aroids.html
 
Botanists divide Anthurium species into "sections".  Those sections are used to categorize the various leaf and plant structures into specific groups.  As an example, section Cardiolonchium contains the species with leaf surfaces that are velutinous and both feel and look like "velvet" This group is particularly beautiful and contains many of the most sought after species of Anthurium.  Well known members of the section include Anthurium regale, Anthurium crystallinum, A. magnificum and A. warocqueanum.   Frequently collected species are sometimes known as "birds nest" forms.  That group is section Pachyneurium.  The largest specimen of this section in our collection is Anthurium schlechtendalii and is capable of producing leaves 6 feet long or longer (see photo, top of page).  Other interesting members of this section include Anthurium salviniae  and Anthurium plowmanii.  But there are numerous other sections of Anthurium species.
 
An important fact anyone interested in Anthurium species must understand is only a few Anthurium species grow in the ground in the rain forest!  They can, but the majority grow up on the sides of trees or up in the canopy well above the ground.  Even many of gigantic "birds nest" forms (see photo left) grow on the limb of a tree not in the soil!  The ones that grow on trees are scientifically known as either epiphytes or hemiepiphytes.  An epiphyte is a plant that simply grows upon another plant, normally a tree.  The seed berries, once eaten and digested by a bird, are then left on a tree branch in the bird's droppings.  Those seeds find just enough nutrient substances in the droppings to germinate and begin to grow on the limb of the tree.  Some eventually drop roots all the way to the soil and as a result, once they pick up extra water and nutrients, grow quite large.  Others begin life in the soil and then climb the tree.  Those are known as the hemiepiphytes.  But keep in mind, an Anthurium is not a parasite, it is an epiphyte.  It simply uses the host for support.

If you plan on growing an Anthurium it is wise to first learn just how the species you possess grows in nature (assuming it is a species) and then try to duplicate that condition as best possible if you wish to experience the natural beauty and full growth potential of the specimen.  One major problem with figuring out what species of Anthurium you are growing is caused by a phenomenon known to a botanist as "variability".  Most people assume that just because many trees have the same type of leaves, that all species of Anthurium should also have identical leaves.  In aroids, that is simply not the case.  Think of it as human beings all having different "faces".  There is only one species of humans, but numerous "faces".  An Anthurium species can also have many "faces".
 
Anthurium spectabile Copyright 2008 Steve LucasNot only do the leaves vary from species to species, they can vary (morph) in the same plant as the Anthurium ages.  And in the same way all human bodies don't look alike (tall, fat, short, skinny), neither do all Anthurium, even from the same Anthurium species!  An Anthurium species is easily capable of assuming many leaf shapes and sizes, and they often "morph" as they grow just as a child changes as it changes from a child to an  adult.  They increase in size and change shape from a juvenile stage leaf to that of an adult stage leaf.. .To a botanist, it is simply "variation".  But as you can easily see from the few photos on this page, an Anthurium has no set shape!  Some are oval, some are spear shaped, some are shaped like a heart, some feel like leather (known as coriaceous), and many have leaves that feel like velvet.  This concept is often difficult for plant collectors to accept.  Aroid botanists and those of us who are serious collectors receive mail all the time insisting any leaf with a different shape simply MUST be a different species.  That is simply not the case.  Think of your father, your grandfather, and your uncles.  They are the same species and from the same family, but they don't look exactly alike!  Any Anthurium species is the same way.
 
 
So how do you get your Anthurium to morph?  The trick to seeing many Anthurium species morph is to allow them to climb something like a piece of wood or a totem which can be d at many plant supply businesses.  The higher the better!  Many epiphytic Anthurium species won't morph into adults until they reach well up a tree or totem.  They simply retain their juvenile form.  Some growers use what is known as a "wet" wall.  The wall is actually covered with wire and filled with sphagnum moss while a small pump spreads water across the top of the wall's face. Many epiphytic Anthurium species love to climb this type of wall and often reach their adult size more rapidly.  Once you've provided the specimen something to climb, such as a totem, wood or a wet wall, and give it the light level it is trying to seek, you'll be amazed at how it grows and changes shape. 

Many Anthurium plants commonly sold at nurseries are likely hybridized plants and not species.  A hybrid Anthurium is one where each of the parents was a different species.  But in the case of hybrids, each parent may have also been a hybrid itself.  Thus, you may have the genes of numerous plants involved in creating that hybrid.  You'll just have to believe what some retailer/grower tells you, and that may often be wrong, since scientifically correct information on hybrids is rarely available.  Hybrid Anthurium are created when the pollen from one species is applied to the spadix of another species at the time the plant is ready to reproduce.  The resulting seeds are neither species, but a hybrid form of the two.  Some hybridizers enjoy seeing just what they can create and after a period of time you have no idea what the parents actually may have been.  As a result, there is no way of knowing if the new hybrid prefers really wet conditions, drier conditions, cooler condition, grows in the ground, or high in the trees.  Although hybrids can be beautiful, my preference is to grow only species which can be traced back to their natural habitat and thus better understood.  But there are also natural hybrids that occur in nature which can add to the confusion. 

Anthurium longipeltatum, Copyright 2008, Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.comThe majority of Anthurium plants you are juvenile forms and look nothing like the adult form of the species.  Remember, they "morph" as they grow!  For many years botanists were confused by the drastic differences in adult forms and juvenile forms and often tried to give them each a different scientific names.  That is one reason some plants have numerous scientific names which can be worked back using a source such as TROPICOS (a service of the Missouri Botanical Garden) to a single basionym (primary species name).  You need to learn all you can about your Anthurium species, and that is one thing, with the help of Dr. Croat and numerous aroid experts, I attempt to help you do on this website.

If you live in a tropical or semi-tropical climate you can simply put your Anthurium  in the ground.  If it is an epiphyte it may try to climb a tree.  If it is a terrestrial form, give it plenty of room.  Many of the "birds nest" species love to spread and can eventually grow leaves 6 feet long or longer creating a very large specimen!  But remember, those may also grow up on the limb of a tree in the rain forest!  Otherwise, proper potting of your specimen is very important if you want it to both survive and grow to reach the full natural beauty. 
 
I can't remember how many people I've seen go into a garden store and a buy very rich potting soil that stays soggy all the time and then kill their Anthurium.  They literally drown it!  For some reason people believe the rich soil makes an Anthurium grow better!  Typical off-the-shelf "potting soils" just don't work for Anthurium species!  Remember, these species often grow in trees, not in wet soggy soil.  Their roots are designed to collect rain water almost daily during the wet season and then suffer through the dry season.  But even in the dry season they can collect enough water from the humidity around their exposed roots in to survive.  Again, you can make your plants grow much more beautifully, and stay healthier, if you try to learn all that is possible about their natural habitat.

If you are growing a truly epiphytic species, you may not wish to grow it in soil at all!  Some sellers provide them attached to volcanic rock.  There are species known to be epipetric which simply means they grow on stone.  Anthurium bonplandii shown near the top of this article is one of those species.  Volcanic rock can work, provided you keep tAnthurium angamarcanum, Photo Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.comhose rocks constantly damp and filled with water.  The plant will extract the necessary water from the interior of the porous rock.  That does not mean to sit the plant in water!  Just keep the rocks wet.  No Anthurium species is known to grow in water despite what some websites and seller try to make you believe.  This technique can be difficult since most growers rarely remember to wet those volcanic stones every single day.
 
One very popular method among serious collectors is to put the Anthurium in a large orchid basket packed with good quality sphagnum moss.  Since the plant normally lives in the top or on the side of a tree it will adapt to those conditions easily.  BUT, you must keep the moss constantly damp.  In our atrium we water the plants displayed in this manner almost daily!  We often leave any soil attached to their roots and do not remove it, we simply pack the moss around the roots.  In just a few months you will often begin to see the roots extending down through the moss and hanging out the bottom of the orchid basket.  That is quite natural. They will also firmly attach themselves to the wood of the basket.  Our specimen of Anthurium spectabile (see photo right) has grown leaves over four feet long in just two years and is grown in this manner.  The large leaves hanging gracefully from the basket can be stunning.
 
If you feel you must plant the Anthurium in soil, especially if it is known to be a terrestrial form or "bird's nest" species, rather than using a rich, soggy soil and watering only once a week (or less), use a soil that holds moisture well but drains very quickly.  That is what the plant actually needs and prefers in most cases.  In fact the majority of section Pachyneurium species require a period of dryness in the forest in order to prosper! Be aware that far more bird's nest forms which are all members of Anthurium section Pachyneurium grow up in the trees rather than in soil! 
 
Over time, we've developed a soil mixture for most of our terrestrial Anthurium species (and some epiphytic forms) that works well.  People who visit our artificial rain forest are often amazed at the size of many of our specimens which grow much faster and larger than they often do in many homes, especially the very large bird's nest forms that are hanging from the ceiling in large orchid baskets that measure 30 x 30cm (12 inches square) with no soil at all since their roots are packed only in sphagnum moss! 

Although we mix our soil based on how the species grows in nature, we primarily use 30% Miracle Grow Potting Mix combined with 30% Peat Moss, 20% orchid potting media with hard wood, charcoal and mineral containing gravel and 10% Perlite™, and the balance cypress mulch along with finely cut spahgnum moss all thoroughly mixed together.  We also add extra hardwood charcoal on the advice of the aroid keepers at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  We grow close to 50 different species in this mixture and numerous specimens have reached, or are beginning to reach, their adult or near adult size and have produced inflorescences. 

The purpose of our mixture is to cause the water to flow through the soil quickly, yet stay damp, not soggy.  Many growers call this type of mixture a "jungle mix" due to its similarity to the soil in a rain forest.  The peat, orchid medium, charcoal, mulch, sphagnum and Perlite™ hold moisture and release it back to the roots as needed.  And the extra charcoal purifies the soil and keeps the mixture very loose.  The roots of the plant will also attach to the bark just as they do in nature on the side of a tree.  Depending on the species, we sometimes also add small pieces of crushed volcanic rock frequently sold in orchid supply stores.  We use volcanic media since the roots will often attach to the rock and extract stored water.  Volcanic rock is known to absorb water and hold it for a moderately long period of time.

I've had several "nursery experts" write to tell me my soil mixture won't work due to the orchid potting media and mulch.  They claim the bark and mulch will eventually rot and create air pockets in the soil and then kill the plant.  They need to tell that to the experts at botanical gardens such as the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis which maintains one of the world's largest collection of Anthurium since they developed the mixture.  Botanical gardens in Florida, Europe and other parts of the United States us a similar mixture for almost all aroids.  We've been using it since 2003 and our Anthurium as well as Philodendron species just keep growing!  If the wood is decomposing, and it probably is, it appears to simply become part of the soil the same way it does in any rain forest.  The principal reason this mixture works is the soil stays aerated and loose.  It holds enough water, but will not stay soggy.  That is precisely what most Anthurium species need.

The next important consideration in Anthurium care is light.  In almost any rain forest, light is a very precious commodity!  Plants fight for position and large ones often deprive small specimens of almost any light at all!  That is the exact reason Anthurium, and other species, are climbing a tree.  They are trying to reach the light!  As they grow high on the side of the tree botanists see that almost all morph into what often appears to be a totally different species!  But in reality this new morphed "form" is just the adult leaf shape of the juvenile plant.  Almost all Anthurium species prefer bright indirect light.  Some will live in deep shade, but many will not flourish.  As a result, don't try to grow them in a darkened corner of your living room.  Keep them near a window with brighter, but diffused light.  Some can be trained to live in very bright light, but very few will survive in direct sunlight.  As a result, if you are growing your Anthurium species outdoors, keep them close to a tree that will allow for filtered sunlight.
 
Typically, fluorescent light or incandescent light bulbs just don't provide enough light, or the right spectrum of light, to keep an Anthurium specimen both happy and healthy.  "Grow lights" will make them "grow", but won't make them flourish.  Filtered, relatively strong light is best.  Just ask any professional photographer.  The light coming through a window is much stronger than the light from a fluorescent tube.  And the plant will often reward you with a dramatic change in leaf shape if you give it what it has been craving all along!
 
Watering is very important to the proper care of your Anthurium species.  In our rain forest we water every day of the week during the year during the summer but less in winter.  Our system is complete with an automatic overhead misting system which is designed to duplicate a rain forest.  Don't forget, Anthurium are rain forest species and receive freqnet watering in their natural state.  But in a home setting, do not over water!  Just be sure and use a pourous soil mix as described and keep the plant humid and damp with misting from a simply spray bottle.
 
There are species that prefer a longer dry period including all the Birds Nest types and we attempt to segregate those during the winter season.  Section Pachyneurium species (Birds Nest types) must have a dry period and often go for a month or more with no water at all.   These species actually must have the dry period in order to remain vialbe.  But remember most Anthurium species grow in a rain forest, not a living room!  It often rains daily in the "rain forest" for 9 months or more per year!  Most prefer to have their roots damp all the time, just not in soggy soil.  In your home, water often enough to keep the soil damp, but not soggy.  Make sure the pot can easily drain.   If you use a pot with no drain holes in the bottom, then add a minimum of three inches of gravel (non-limestone) beneath the soil mix so the water can drain from the soil.   We attempt to explain the details on individual species on each of our web pages.  And this website has well over 300 pages of information!  Go to this link for a list of 75% of our species.  More pages are being added each week.

What about fertilizer?  In nature an Anthurium receives only natural forms!  The epiphytic species can collect minerals in the rain which comes from the winds blowing across the Atlantic from Africa.  They often bring dust from major dust storms in the African plains to the rain forests of tropical America.  Once it settles in the rain the long dangling roots of the plants do gather a small amount of dissolved minerals and nutrients.  But nothing like home growers are prone to offer!  Even the species up in the canopy often collect falling debris in the form of dead leaves and convert that to a natural form of fertilizer. 
 
Regarding fertilizers, aroid expert Julius Boos wrote, "It is also the epiphytic plants that benefit just as much from falling debris and rain! Many 'birds-nest" type plants actually grow on trunks and branches of trees.  In French Guyana we saw a species of Philodendron that grows like a vine up tree trunks, and when it reaches a suitable spot, changes form from a climbing vine and becomes a 'birds-nest', catching leaves.  It then creates an area where ants actually build their nest in the roots and amongst the leaves/debris mix. These ants also provide lots of fertilizer with their by-products, left-over insect and fruit parts, etc.. The rain also washes debris and the nitrogen it picks up and contains on to the long, pendent roots of other species."   Species, such as the terrestrial "birds nest" forms are designed to collect falling vegetation:  leaves and other debris.  In nature, those species will often be found with piles of dead leaves and other plant material inside their conical base.  That material then decays and the result is a natural form of fertilizer for the plant, especially when insects are invited to set up home.  But most collector/growers carefully collect and clean out all dead and decaying material found around their plant!  We are then depriving the plant of the natural form of fertilizer for the sake of "beauty".
 
As a result, most experienced growers do not fertilize heavily.  Instead, they fertilize sparingly.  Most adhere to the term "fertilize weakly, weekly".  Simply, that means adding a small amount of fertilizer to your water and give it to your plant often, best once each week.  A good recommendation is 20% of the manufacturer's recommended amount.  Large doses of artificial fertilizer do little to encourage the plant to grow as large as it will in nature.  But minimal doses of liquid fertilizers can cause your Anthurium to reach an unusually large size and beauty.

Temperature?  Virtually all Anthurium species are tropical.  That means they just can't tolerate really cold temperatures.  Some do live high in the Andes Mountains well above the cloud line.  As a result, these are "cool" loving species.  But not cold!  The cloud forest species don't like heat and won't do well in an outdoor setting where the temperature may stay above 26.6C (80 degrees F) for long periods of time.  They can tolerate short spells of high temperatures, but some, such as Anthurium rugulosum, (photo left) may not survive.  Many growers of these cool loving species use a high humidity "wet wall" combined with a small air conditioning system to keep the ambient temperature low and the humidity high.  Many of these species will do well down to 4.45C (40 degrees Fahrenheit), but not much cooler.
 
Anthurium radicans, Copyright 2007, Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.comAs a general rule, never allow the temperature around most of your Anthurium specimens to drop below 12.75C (55 degrees F).   It is best to keep them well below 32C (90 degrees F) which is not particularly difficult if you grow them in some form of shade or filtered light.  Some species will tolerate short periods of cold, such as Central Florida.  But most won't survive anywhere outdoors north of Zone 9.  Zone 10 is best!  Many will simply die if exposed to a freeze.  And since most show much faster growth when the temperature is in the 21 to 29.5C (70 to 85 degree F) range you may find your specimen will appreciate being allowed to live outdoors during the spring and portions of the fall.

Humidity is extremely important!  Do everything you possibly can to keep the humidity high around your Anthurium.  These species live in a jungle which can have a humidity level near 100%!   If you live in a climate that has a low humidity, like southern California, then you'll need to provide a method of giving the aroid more humidity.  In our rain forest the humidity is always high (85% or higher) due to the pond in the center of the room and frequent water!  Some growers keep their Anthurium species near a swimming pool to allow for a constantly high humidity.   Air circulation is equally important since the air is almost always moving in the rain forest.  Avoid stagnant air since that may encourage insect predators.

f you can't give the species rain forest humidity conditions then there is a simple alternative.  an attractive shallow dish that can sit beneath the plant's pot.  Fill that pan with gravel, preferably one that does not have too much limestone.  Fill the pan and gravel with water and then sit your plant and pot on top of this gravel bath in to create a micro-climate around the Anthurium.  Promise, it works!  Water will evaporate around the leaves all the time and fool the plant into believing it is living in a humid rain forest environment.  And when you water, the excess will simply drain into the gravel pot. 

Why do you want to avoid limestone gravel?  If you use the soil mixture we suggest, you've just created a soil mixture with a pH below 7, likely around 6.5.  The Anthurium will appreciate that pH level!  If you add limestone to the mix, the pH can be raised to above 7 and the Anthurium is not as likely to appreciate that level with the exception of a few species which do live in higher soil pH areas of the tropics.

Growing and the care of
Anthurium species is not difficult.  Only a few are hard to grow, and most will grow fairly well under a wide variety of conditions.  Remember, they often begin on or near the rain forest floor in relatively low light and spend years climbing up to the light level they have been seeking.  The keys are allowing the epiphytic forms to climb, giving the spreading types room to spread, fast draining soil that stays damp, dry for only short periods, a stable temperature, good air circulation, and good light that is relatively bright.  It's just that easy!
 
All Anthurium sp. are aroids.  An aroid is a plant that reproduces by producing an inflorescence known to science as a spathe and spadix.  Many people think the spathe is a "flower" but it is not.  The spathe is nothing more than a specially modified leaf.  But if you explore the inflorescence, there are very tiny flowers and they are found on the spadix at the center of the inflorescence.  The inflorescence, which is sometimes shaped like a tube, is made of several parts.  Chiefly the portion that appears to be the "flower" is known as the spathe and inside that is the spadix which somewhat resembles an elongated pine cone.  When ready to reproduce, the spadix produces both male, female and sterile male flowers which are used by natural polliantors as food.  In addition, these sterile flowers produce a scent which attracts those insect pollinators.  The tiny male flowers produce pollen and the tiny female flowers are designed to be receptive to pollen.  Many, but not all, are cleverly divided by nature to keep the plant from being self pollinated since the male flowers don't always produce pollen at the same time the female flowers are receptive.  Nature's preferred method is to have insects pick up the pollen from one plant and carry it to another plant to keep the species strong. 

The majority of aroids require a specific insect to do the work of pollination.  If that insect is not present, it is unlikely the plant will be pollinated naturally.  In the case of Anthurium species that insect is almost always a small beetle within the genus Cyclocephala.  If pollinated by the male insect and its mate the spadix can produce fruit as explained earlier.  That fruit contains the seeds and is how the Anthurium reproduces itself once a bird, bat or animal eats the fruit or a seed falls to the ground.  The animals disperse those seeds within the fruit in their own droppings. 


Anthurium sp. are often visited by the male of the appropriate Cyclocephala beetle species and his mate.  There is another genus of smaller beetles known as Neelia that visit Anthurium species but these beetles do not appear to feed nor mate on the inflorescence.  It appears Cyclocephala beetles do almost all the work of pollination.   Some of these beetles are not particularly species specific and visit more than a single Anthurium species, however it is surmised that since Cyclocephala beetles prefer to fly at a specific height from the ground they avoid an plants not normally found in their "altitude" range.  the height of the plant may be a particular attractant to individual beetles thus causing them not to cross pollinate other Anthurium sp. than their specified species. 

The beetles are generally drawn to the Anthurium inflorescence in the late day or at dusk and are attracted by a combination of pheromones (scent) and a source of food and shelter which is composed at least in part of an oil produced on the staminate flowers containing lipids along the spadix. 

 
Some Anthurium species have sweet smelling pheromones while others show no noticeable aroma.  This aroma is produced by the sterile male flowers on the inflorescence which are attempting to entice the pollinator.  The reproductive cycle of an Anthurium is known as anthesis and is composed of two primary stages, female anthesis at which time the pollinator is attracted and male anthesis during which time pollen is produced to be carried to another plant.  Some species are capable of self pollination, but not all. 
 
During both female and male anthesis the spadix of the Anthurium provides a source of nutrient rich lipids which is an excellent food source for the beetles.  It is not uncommon for the beetles to spend the night within the spathe and spadix of the host Anthurium and they frequently mate during this period due to process known as thermogenesis.  The spadix Anthurium balaoanum Engl., often sold as Anthurium guildingii, Photo Copyright Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.comcan warm enough to be noticeable to the touch and for the insects that may be tired from traveling long distances to perform their required tasks this additional source of heat in the rain forest creates a microclimate and may actually increase their metabolism and encourage them to explore all portions of the spathe and spadix.  A microclimatic zone of warmth is now being generated that offers both comfort and protection along with food.   
 
The thermogenesis produced by the plant during anthesis is simply a natural heat produced by many living beings and appears to stimulate the beetles into a period of copulation.   Of major interest, even though the effects of thermogenesis have been observed for over 200 years not until relatively recently did anyone know the cause.  So what is the chemical cause?  Salicylic acid, the same compound used to manufacture aspirin!  The salicylic acid begins not only the heating process but also the production of the pheromones (scent).  This unique process is not limited to Araceae (aroids) but is also found in other plant genera. 
 
The thermogenesis (thermo genesis.  "Heat Birth"  or heat production) caused by the salicylic acid appears to be one of the stimulators to cause the beetles to be active and as a result to both feed and copulate.  It is known the rate of thermogenesis (heat rise) is sometimes dramatic.  However, thermogenesis does not produce a consistent temperature since the highest temperatures appear to last only a few minutes.  The presence of beetles appears to increase the temperature produced by the event.  The temperature increase appears to increase the amount of pheromone (perfume) being exuded by the tiny flowers, thus the strength of the pollinator attractant.  The first stage of anthesis is when the female flowers are ready to be pollinated and the production of the attractant pheromone along with thermogenesis begins.  Female anthesis in Anthurium sp. can last approximately 2 days. 

A more recent train of thought includes the possibility of infrared heat as an increaser to the production and distribution of these pheromones.   My friend aroid pollination expert Dr. Marc Gibernau created and provided the chart below.  His chart shows just how "bright" the "glow" of infrared heat is the the pollinating beetle as well as indicating the increase in temperature of the spadix above the ambient temperature of the rain forest.  A discussion of infrared heat and its relationship to aroid pollination follows the chart.  Please note the chart explains the infrared heat rise in Philodendron species but the basic principal is the same for Anthurium species.
This graphic is the Copyrighted property of Dr. Marc Gibernau, University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France and may not be reused without written permission

  
Cyclocephala beetles feeding on Philodendron pollen, Photo Copyright 2008, Marc Gibernau, FranceAll living beings produce infrared heat.  It is suspected by entomologists there are approximately 900 species of Cyclocephala beetles but only about one half have been scientifically identified.  One of these beetle species has evolved to be the specific or "assigned" pollinator of any particular aroid thus helping to keep the species pure.  Once the bodies of those "assigned" pollinators come in contact with the aroid's spadix they collect and hold pollen grains from one inflorescence which is shedding pollen during male anthesis and transport it to another bloom which is at female anthesis.  Once transferred to the tiny female flowers which are sticky, the result is pollination leading to the production of berries and seeds.  The beetle in Marc's photo right is Cyclocephala colasi shown eating pollen on a Philodendron specimen. 

French aroid pollination expert Dr. Marc Gibernau (GHEE-ber-no) of the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France now suspects the beetles are also attracted to the spadix in the darkness of the forest due to the infrared heat produced during sexual anthesis.  In both private and public discussions with Marc in Miami, FL in September, 2008 he explained in a presentation to the International Aroid Society as well as to several of those of us individually who are interested in aroid pollination there is a significant increase in temperature above the ambient temperature of the rain forest at night once the inflorescence reaches anthesis.   The average Philodendron temperature increase is approximately 12 degrees Celsius (21,6 degrees Fahrenheit) above ambient but a few plant species can increase in temperature by as much as 20 degrees C (36 degrees F).  The heat can be so intense it can be felt on the palm of an opened hand held in front of the spadix.   On the chart above the spadix shown is Philodendron solimoesense.  If you notice the temperature gradients you will see the spadix of Philodendron solimoesense increases in temperature 14 degrees C or close to 25.2 degrees F above the surrounding rain forest ambient temperature.

In photographic documentation seen on this chart and shot with an infrared camera the "glow" of a sexually mature Philodendron solimoesense spadix is "visible" and Marc theorizes the beetles can detect that infrared heat with a method somewhat similar to a pilot seeing the glow of a runway light during the night.  Since the beetle uses the spathe and spadix as a source of food (pollen) and a place for warmth during its own sexual reproduction with a mate, the "glow" is an open invitation to fly to that source of food, shelter and warmth.  At present, Marc and his associates are working to prove the beetle does not actually "see" the infrared heat but instead detects it with receptors on their antennae or bodies instead of seeing it with their eyes. 

Marc forwarded these additional comments in a personal email received on October 14, 2008:  "My picture (below) is an inflorescence of Philodendron solimoesense.  On day one the female flowers are receptive and the next day the male flowers produce pollen because the flower are synchronized.  On the first day the inflorescence is at the female stage and all stigma are receptive for fecundation/pollination by pollen grains.  On the next day (2nd day), the stigma are no longer receptive but the anthers are fully ripe (mature) and shed the pollen.  In a few species, such as in some Anthurium, these two sexual phases are overlapping and self-pollination may occur.  Hence, aroids need pollen vectors (insects) for pollination between different inflorescences.  The Cyclocephala beetles carry the pollen from a male-stage inflorescence to a female-stage inflorescence.  From the standpoint of a botanist the aroid reproductive structure would be the same as to view the inflorescence, which is composed of many flowers packed together, to functionally "behaves" like a flower."  As a result of the Cyclocephala beetle bringing pollen from one Anthurium to another Anthurium or Philodendron to another Philodendron, the species is able to grow viable seeds.   

I asked Marc how the beetles find the inflorescence in the dark of the forest and was told the two attractants (thermogenesis and infrared heat) appear to work together since the pheromone produced by inflorescence can travel on the wind for 200 meters or so the beetles apparently first detect the scent in the wind.  Since the wind shifts through the forest they have to fly a zig zag pattern back and forth in to follow it to the source.  Once they are close enough to "see" the "glow" of the infrared heat they are drawn to the source in the same way a pilot sees his destination runway and simply follows the "lights" home. 

Although much has been covered in this short article there is far more to learn!  I strongly recommend each of you consider joining the International Aroid Society in order to learn even more.  Through the IAS discussion forum Aroid l you can ask questions to many of the world's top Anthurium experts and be assured of a qualified answer.  You'll also receive an annual copy of the IAS journal Aroideana which is highly respected in the scientific community as well as four quarterly  newsletters.  Annual membership is only $25.00 per year!

         Steve Lucas
                   Curator, The Exotic Rainforest
                
  Steve@ExoticRainforest.com

S

Click the links below for information:

 

For even more information, join the International Aroid Society:  http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Join%20IAS.html

 

 

Want to know more about the pollination of aroids?  Read Julius Boos' article here:  http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Natural%20and%20artificial%20pollination%20in%20aroids.html  

 
Need more information?  Looking for information on a specific species?  Check our collection list of specimens for more information about the species we grow: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/plantscollection.html   And if you have a specific question not covered in this text feel free to write:  Steve@ExoticRainforest.com



Incredible aroid botanical photographs by botanist David Scherberich
http://www.aroidpictures.fr/pictures.html

 

 

And if you have specific questions not covered here, feel free to ask:  Steve@ExoticRainforest.com

Concerned about calcium oxalate crystals?  Have you been convinced they are a "deadly poison"?

 

Specimens may be available from 

Brian's Botanicals http://www.briansbotanicals.net/
 

Natural Selections Exotics  www.NSExotics.com

 



More incredible aroid photographs by botanist David Scherberich
http://www.aroidpictures.fr/pictures.html
 
 
 
Want to join an aroid discussion group? 
 
 
Species, or hybrid?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with an Anthurium hybrid.  But you will find little information on this website regarding hybridized specimens.  The ExoticRainforest collection consists largely of species rather than hybrids.  If you are seeking information on Anthurium hybrids there is an excellent source on the internet known as Aroidia Research.  You can find that website here: http://aroidiaresearch.org/  
 

And for additional information from competent researchers and growers, join the International Aroid Society:  http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Join%20IAS.html

 
If you have specific questions not covered here, feel free to ask:  Steve@ExoticRainforest.com


You can click on any photo and be taken directly to the description of
that Anthurium including information on where it is found in nature.
 

Concerned about calcium oxalate crystals?  Have you been convinced they are a "deadly poison"?