Anthurium Flowers
Anthurium Flowers Are Not What We Think
Anthurium flowers are tiny, really tiny. If one really wants to examine one, a magnifying glass will help. In fact, it will be a necessity. When we see an anthurium and think "what beautiful flowers", those aren't flowers at all, but spathes. A spathe is a bract, something between a leaf and a flower petal. In the case of the anthurium, the spathe, most often bright red in color - though there are other colors as well - surrounds or encloses an inflorescence. An inflorescence is a spadix, stalk, or tail, on which numerous tiny anthurium flowers are found.
Confused yet? To summarize, when you see an anthurium what you see are shiny red "flowers" (actually spathes), amongst shiny green leaves (yes, they are leaves) and a yellow spike (spadix) jutting out front the center of each red "flower". The true anthurium flowers are so small that they appear as nothing more than tiny bumps on the spadix, and as fuzzy bumps once they bloom. For purposes of enjoying an anthurium in your home, it's alright to refer to the spathes as flowers or blooms; most people do. When a visitor remarks on how attractive your anthurium flowers are, you don't have to correct them or say, "Do you mean the true tiny flowers, or the red parts that aren't really flowers?"
Having straightened that out, let's take a look at the plant itself. The anthurium is a tropical plant and is a genus of several hundred species. Some species of anthurium are very large and extremely showy. The spathes can be a foot or so across, and the flower stalks a foot or more in length. Other species are on the small side, with spathes only an inch or so wide and the plant only 5" or 6" tall. The spathes are for the most part deep red or crimson in color. Red is the most popular color, and is the color usually associated with the anthurium. One can find anthurium plants on the market having white, pink, orange, yellow and even green spathes. Some species of anthurium grow upright with single leaves forming on the end of long stalks. Other species are more bushy appearing, and still others are trailing varieties, especially suitable for hanging baskets. Most species on the market have a long blooming period, and the spathes and flowers will stay fresh looking for up to 6 weeks when cut and placed in a vase of water.
Care - The anthurium is native to tropical areas of the Caribbean and South America, but the plant is also grown in Hawaii, where it can flourish as a wild plant. Many people first became acquainted with the anthurium during a Hawaiian vacation or visit. Although it is not a suitable outdoor plant for most of North America, it makes a wonderful and decorative house plant. One needs to pay careful attention to giving the plant the right amount of moisture, but aside from that it is not a terribly demanding plant. It is one however that, if you're going to be out of town for a few days, you'll need to hire a plant sitter or take the plant to a neighbor's house (never in freezing weather) where it can be looked after.
Planting Considerations - An anthurium needs to be planted in rich loamy soil, soil that will drain well yet retain moisture. The plant likes bright light, so needs to be placed by a window, though not in direct sunlight. The plant can be allowed to dry out a bit, though not completely, between watering. Smaller species respond well to a daily misting, something that may not be practical for larger species. A light application of fertilizer about every 2 months is the usual recommendation as far as feeding is concerned.
Anthurium flowers do not appear the year around. The plant will stop flowering during the winter months, and requires a rest period of 6 to 8 weeks. During this time the plant should be kept a little below normal room temperature, or 55 to 60 degrees, and given only a little water.
Getting back to the initial discussion of flowers, stalks, etc., anthurium comes from the Greek anthos, meaning flower, and oura, meaning tail (or the spadix in our case), i.e., flowers on a tail.