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The Laceleaf, also referred to as Anthurium or Flamingo Flower, is a tropical plant that produces a heart-shaped bloom with an inner spike called a spadix. This plant can adapt to almost any environment and produces flowers all year round, which is why it holds the universal symbol for hospitality and abundance. [Read more…]
Ask The Plant Expert: I have had my Anthurium plant two years now. When I got it, it had lovely dark-orange flowers; now it has none. The stem that had the flowers has turned brown and there is only a few small leaves, I have it in the kitchen work top near the window. I water it only when the soil gets a bit dry, I have pebbles in the bottom of the pot and also on the top covering the soil, what could the problem be? – Caroline
Ask the Expert: Transplanting a healthy anthurium
I was given what appears to be a healthy anthurium plant. It has 6 healthy leaves and is growing another. However, the literature I have read implies that the best growing medium should be more course than the medium in which it is presently growing. The medium appears to be very fine, almost a fine muck. Would it be wise to remove the medium and repot it into a more aereated medium with larger bark particles and less fine peat moss? Thank you for any assistance in this matter. NicNat
Plant Expert Reply:
I’m a live and let live kind of person. If someone or something is happy and healthy with its living conditions, I usually leave it alone. If you decide to transplant plant the Anthurium, you will want to use a humus-rich soil. So what constitutes a humus-rich soil? Soil that has a strong base of organic material (partially decayed plants and animals) and particles that allow for good drainage (course sand, perlite, vermiculite etc) makes for a suitable humus-rich soil. This soil does not have to be extremely course in texture. Your “fine muck”, as long as it drains well, could be a humus-rich soil and the reason the plant is thriving.
When transplanting the Anthurium don’t try to remove the existing soil from the roots. Simply shaking any loose soil from the plants and place in the new pot with humus-rich soil. Be sure to keep the plant level the same as it was in the old pot.
Good luck with your Anthurium and keep me posted.
Flamingo Flower
Ask the Expert: How do I split My flamingo plant
It is very large & has been repotted several times – is it possible to split it without causing to much damage. Elaine
Reply:
Anthurium (Flamingo Flower) can be propagated by division. You will need to remove the plant from its pot. Check for any off-shoots or ariel roots. These will be plant that are attached to the main stem but can easily be remove and still have a complete root foliage system. Some people refer to these as “babies”. You will remove them from the main stem and pot them in the same kind of soil as the parent plant. Care for them the same as the parent plant. I would not recommend splitting this plant in half.
Ask the Expert: How to keep a Flamingo Plant “warm”‘?
Hi, I’ve just been given a lovely flamingo flower plant. I had a quick chat to a nursery owner over the phone, and they said the room it’s situated in should never be under 10 degrees Celsius, or it will die.
I”m a little worried, as it can get quite cold where I live, especially during night. I don’t think it goes below zero degrees in the house, but I”m sure it drops below 10C.
Could someone please advise me on how to keep my flamingo plant “warm” so it doesn’t freeze? Karyn
Reply:
Unless your house drops below 50degrees for a substantial part of the night, you should be ok. Normally a drop in the temperature accompanied by frost is what really does the damage. Anthurium (Flamingo Flower) needs a high humidity environment with constant temperature. So as long as your house doesn’t go from one extreme to another in a very short period of time the plant won’t have a problem. Of course the higher the temperature the better the Flamingo plant will do. Optimum temperature for it would be 78 to 90degrees during the day and 68 to 80 at night. However, this is the way most people keep their homes. Most people find Flamingo will work with their normal household temperatures. I would place it in the warmest room in your house that has bright filtered light and occassionaly mist it with warm water. Good Luck and keep me posted.
Ask the Expert: i have a very rare plant that i can’t find the name
i have a houseplant that i took a clipping from and started it at home. it has green heart shaped leaves and the flower is amazing. it is red, wax like, with a middle
that looks like a spiked light green yellow i don’t know what to call it. could it be a lily of some kind. it looks almost tropical but it is not a floor plant, it is table size plant. Louise
Ask the Expert: Flamingo Lily care
I recently acquired a plant at a yard sale. The lady who had it didn’t know what it was, but said that she kept it in direct sunlight and when she moved it it didn’t bloom. She also said it was quite huge and she had given it a “hair cut” and it’s come back beautiful.
I did some research and found out it’s a Flamingo Lily? It has beautiful Salmon pink blooms. It looks very healthy, and is starting to get root bound in its 6″ pot. My question is this, I’ve tried to research proper care for this plant and have come up with variations from full sun to shade, and from keep it wet, to dry it out. The only common factor is to keep the humidity up by misting it. HELP!! Also, how root bound do they like to be? Should I be transplanting it to an 8″ pot? What kind of fertilizer should I use, how often?
I’ve attached pics of my Flamingo Lily:
Thank you for taking the time to read, and answer my question. Shannon
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
Shannon, you do have an Anthurium andraeanum ‘Flamingo’. It is easy to find conflicting information about plant care. So, it is best to understand the natural environment in order to understand which plant care is best for your particular plant. Anthurium is a rather large genus of evergreen perennials from the wet mountain forest in tropical and subtropical North and South America.
Humidity & Watering
From this information we can gather the needs of the plant. Humidity is definitely important so mist your plant every few days or keep in an area with natural humidity like a kitchen or bathroom. When you mist, use lukewarm water and spray the plant evenly. It likes to be kept moist, but here is the kicker, it can’t be soggy. So it needs to be in a soil that is loose, humus rich and drains well. When you water moisten the soil evenly.
Temperature & Lighting
Provide a constant temperature and a little towards the warm side at that. Keep away from air vents. With light you want to create the same situation as the tropical forest. Bright filtered light; in other words don’t let the sun shine directly on the plant. Don’t place Anthurium in a window, instead place on a table where it will receive light from the window, but in a diffused manner.
Fertilizers & Re-potting
Use a balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks. Anthurium usually need to be re-pot every couple of years. When the roots of the plant have basically taken over the soil content, it is time to re-pot. Here in the south the rule of thumb is to use a container that is “half again as big.” This means if you are in a 6″ pot you will need a 9″ or 10″ pot. I hope this information is beneficial.
For those of you interested in Anthurium and want one of your own contact your local florists, they may have Anthurium plants available or for special occasions may be able to order the flower and create a tropical arrangement.
