Bright and festive anthurium Andre: description and photo. Plant care at home and in the open ground

Anthurium Andre (or andrianum) is a fairly popular indoor plant. It has been grown since about the seventies. During this time, breeders have developed new hybrid varieties that differ in color and flower shape from the mother plant.

Anthurium Andre's homeland is Ecuador and southwestern Colombia. It grows in the tropical zone, but has chosen the slopes of rocky mountains. Some specimens can be found even at an altitude of two and a half thousand meters.

The magnificent Arturium Andre enchants everyone who has ever seen him in a photo. A large plant in nature can grow up to one and a half meters; at home, its height does not exceed, in most cases, ninety centimeters. Anthurium grows on soil and as an epiphyte. On the trunk, in the area of the nodes, you can often see thin aerial roots. The leaves of the flower are large, their length reaches thirty centimeters and width twelve. The color of the leaves is bright green, the surface is smooth and shiny, the core base is pronounced. The petioles are also long, about thirty centimeters.

Anthurium flowers are yellow. They are collected in a dense ten-centimeter inflorescence that resembles an ear of corn. When the flowers are fertilized, small fruits appear on the spadix in the form of orange balls. Flowering is long-lasting, beginning at the end of the last winter month (February), and ending at the very end of autumn, in November.

What gives the plant its special beauty is its bracts. It has an oval shape with a pointed end, reminiscent of a bedspread. Its surface, like the surface of the leaves, is smooth and shiny. The bracts have pronounced veins that create a beautiful, iridescent relief. But what is most striking is the color of the bedspread - it is bright red. Hybrid varieties can come in other colors.

Varieties of Anthurium Andre

As already mentioned, over the past forty years, breeders have developed many new hybrid plant varieties. They have become no less popular than the mother flower. A mix of different varieties is often used to decorate winter gardens and open galleries. Here are some of them:

Home care

Growing Anthurium Andre and caring for it is not so difficult. Although most often the flower can be seen in greenhouses. There it is bred mainly to make cut bouquets. But nothing prevents you from purchasing a flower and placing it in your living room or bedroom. Moreover, it is believed that it brings happiness to the house. The main thing is not to forget that the plant is tropical and requires appropriate growing conditions. Here are the basic rules that dictate the care of Anthurium:

If Anthurium withers, turns yellow, does not bloom, or its leaves fall off, it means that it has become a victim of disease, pests, or improper care. To avoid these problems, before you get a houseplant, you need to carefully study the rules for caring for it and carefully adhere to them.

Transplantation and propagation

Anthurium can be propagated by seeds obtained from a domestic plant. To do this, during the flowering period it is pollinated several times with a soft brush or brush. The fruits (small orange berries) will appear in about eight to twelve months. They need to be picked, the seeds removed and washed with water. Then the seeds are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the appearance of fungi that cause disease.

You need to sow the seeds as soon as possible. It is best to first plant them in a small flat dish or plate, on filter paper or a sponge. When the first shoots appear (after about two weeks), they are planted in a small bowl filled with a mixture of leaf soil (one part), sand (half a part) and high-moor peat (one part).

After two months, the picking is repeated, then the small plants are transferred to a new substrate two more times. When the rosette of leaves is about seven centimeters in diameter, the seedlings are planted in pots with a volume of about two hundred milliliters. Such a plant will bloom approximately four years after sowing.

As you can see, the method of propagating Anthurium Andre at home using seeds is quite cumbersome. In addition, hybrid varieties lose their properties when grown in this way. Therefore, a more convenient method is vegetative propagation. To do this, the upper part of the stem is cut off, and the lower part is divided into several parts of five or ten centimeters. Each part must have air roots. They are planted in a small tray and covered with film or glass. Cuttings take 2-3 weeks to take root. They need to be prepared and planted in late spring (May) or early summer (June). In order for additional aerial roots to appear on the branches, they can be tied with moss and constantly moistened.

Flower transplantation should be done once a year, or once every two years. Care should be taken to ensure that the entire pot volume is filled with roots. Anthurium does not like large spaces; it feels much better in a cramped container. When transplanting, the earthen ball is compacted well and transferred to a new pot of slightly larger volume. You can divide the plant into several bushes. This is another way to reproduce it.

Anthurium is an evergreen, beautifully flowering plant, with a magnificent inflorescence shape and brightly colored leaves. The flower evokes delight and admiration. This plant is also known under the names - “flamingo”, “wax flower”, “flower of love”, “male happiness” (symbol of masculinity, love and passion), “flower tail” (from the Greek anthurium - flower-tail).

Initially, anthurium is an epiphyte, i.e. a plant not associated with soil, which grows on trees and feeds with aerial roots. The flower has also adapted to life on earth. Although its species still exist in the wild, living, for example, in rocky crevices.

Anthurium plants have the most numerous genus and more than 800 varieties belonging to the araceae (or arumaceae) family.

They are divided into three groups:

Beautifully flowering.
Green-leaved.
Variegated.

The most popular ones used in indoor breeding are the flowering and variegated groups.

Gallery: anthurium andre (25 photos)

Anthurum Andrianum (Andre)

The most popular type of anthurium, which belongs to the group of beautifully flowering ones, is Anthurium Andrianum (from the Latin anthurium Andreanum), also known as Anthurium Andre.

The main advantage of Andre's indoor anthurium is its inflorescence, which has an unusual shape. Looking at it, you get the impression that the flower is not real, but plastic. A red, white, purple or soft pink petal called a "spread" blooms from a long, thin stem. From the inside of each such blanket stretches an erect or slightly drooping, white or yellow cob 8–10 cm long, which, if you look closely, also consists of small flowers. This is the Andre Anthurium flower itself. And the glossy bright petal (veil) is just a bract (bract).

All varieties are approximately similar to each other in structure, but are varied in the shape of the bedspread and its colors. Particularly attractive specimens have bright bracts and have beautiful names:

Many bushes reach a height of up to a meter, have large glossy leaves, oblong-heart-shaped. The smell from different varieties of Andre antariums can vary significantly.

Breeders never cease to amaze lovers of aroid plants and periodically replenish classic specimens. This is how new varieties appeared:

lilac (Sensa);
salmon (Minnesota);
purple (Fiorino);
green (Manaka);
black (Black Queen) - anthurium Black Queen .

Plant varieties

These flowers are so exquisite that some of them require special acquaintance.

Andre Dakota (anthurium Andreanum Dakota). It can rightfully be called the most widespread and famous variety. The plant can reach up to 80 cm in height. Anthurium Dakota has a rich red color and a huge size bedspread (up to 25 cm in length). A large and spectacular plant cannot be ignored and appreciated even in a very spacious room.

Anthurium Andreanum Fiorino has an intense purple hue. It blooms for at least three months. The flowering is vigorous. It is a small species, so it can fit perfectly into your home comfort zone. This type of anthurium is capricious. It is more demanding of sunlight and moisture. And also, if water gets on the bedspread, you need to immediately blot it with a napkin, otherwise the color will fade somewhat.

White anthurium Andre – “female happiness”. This type includes varieties: Champion, Acropolis, Marasol, Polaris. And they are all different from each other. So, Champion has a pinkish color of the bract (not to be confused with pink anthurium), but White champion is boiling white, with dense deciduous bushes. Acropolis has oval leaves with a sharp tip. All women try to have white anthurium in their homes, since it is considered a flower that brings women's happiness.

Exotic Andrea Mix (аnthurium Andreanum Mixed) is a high-growing plant that has yellow, slightly curved buds, collected into a cob and wrapped in a variegated (marble) heart-shaped blanket. The color of the Andre Mix anthurium bedspread can be anything, from white to orange and even green. For the variety of inflorescences, Anthurium Mix has won fair love among flower growers.

Another unusual and very popular variety is Andre Khrustalny (lat. anthurium сrystallinum). It belongs to the variegated group of anthuriums, characterized by a climbing short stem. Anthurium Crystal has purple or bright brown bracts, velvety olive or rich green leaves with silver veins. Thanks to such beautiful foliage, this species is used as an ornamental foliage plant. And if for some reason, for example, because of poor lighting, the Crystal anthurium refuses to bloom, then even without flowers its velvety foliage with a crystal tint looks very beautiful in the interior of the room.

Anthurium Black or Black Queen. It has a rather dark cherry color, which seems even darker due to the light color of the cob. On the glossy surface, veins are highlighted in relief, which give the inflorescence a fantastic look. When the bract is very young, it has a dark red (cherry) hue, but as it matures, it darkens, becoming almost black.

The creators and admirers of new varieties of “wax flowers” do not stand still. They constantly present more and more new varieties to the general public. Their bedspreads have all kinds of colors: motley, spotted or with expressive veins. The flower now comes not only with heart-shaped, but also with round or spatulate leaves.

Features of home care

Anthurium Andre, bred at home, most often dies from improper care.

You need to know that most exotic representatives of the flora are poisonous, so it is necessary to care for Andre’s anthurium at home, taking precautions. It's better to use rubber gloves. These flowers can be dangerous to children and pets.

Feeding rules

During active growth, anthurium needs feeding once every two weeks. For this purpose, mineral and organic fertilizers are used.

Due to the capriciousness of the plant to the content of lime and salts in the mineral fertilizer, this fertilizer is applied in half as much as recommended in the instructions.

Leaf humus is added as an organic fertilizer. You can use cow manure or chicken manure, diluting it with water in a ratio of 1:10.

During the flowering period, you can use potassium-phosphorus fertilizer for houseplants. It is sold in flower shops (Baikal, Agricola, Bona forte, etc.).

Reproduction and planting conditions

Anthuriums reproduce both vegetatively (by shoots) and by seeds. The seed method is more expensive and labor-intensive, but it is the method that allows you to obtain hybrid varieties by transferring pollen from different cobs with a cotton swab, thus pollinating the flower.

It is much easier to plant plants using side shoots, cuttings or dividing the bush. This can be done during transplantation. Lateral shoots are immediately planted in prepared soil. You can temporarily cover it with a cap or bag, creating a greenhouse effect. Anthurium can begin to bloom as early as the same year.

Some varieties can be propagated by leaves. To do this, take a leaf with a small stalk (about 3 cm). Roll the leaf plate into a tube (to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the leaf) and secure with an elastic band. The cuttings are planted in a mixture of peat and sand substrate, taken in equal proportions, moistened and covered with a bag.

Place the pot in a warm, bright place. Every day you need to remove the bag for ventilation.

Flowers are transplanted from February to August. To avoid root rot, do not forget to add a layer of drainage (expanded clay, pebbles) to the bottom of the pot. The roots of the flower are very fragile, so the work must be done carefully. For anthuriums, plastic rather than ceramic pots are more suitable, since they better maintain the temperature balance between soil and air. Replanting should be done only after the plant has flowered.

Basic conditions for flowering

If for some reason the “flower of love” does not bloom, look for the reason in the conditions of care.

Anthuriums require careful care and maintenance. In order for a flower to delight its owners with its beauty, it needs to create conditions close to tropical ones. After all, the homeland of anthuriums is the tropics of South America. With good maintenance and a properly provided climate, this evergreen plant will delight you with its flowers all year round.

Each flower lasts about two months, and when it fades, another immediately blooms in its place. Anthurium is resistant to water and can last in a bouquet for more than 30 days, so it is one of the most popular flowers not only for housewives, but also for professional florists who use their inflorescences and dense glossy leaves in bouquet arrangements.

Anthurium is a beautiful flower native to Central and South America. This plant also has other names. These include flamingo flower, wax flower, and male happiness. The plant belongs to the arum family, or araceae. Today there is a huge variety of types of anthurium. Popular flower colors are red, pink, yellow, and burgundy. Anthurium is easy to care for, so it can be easily grown at home.

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Description

Anthurium flowers are heart-shaped and interesting in structure, and also have bright colors. What gives the plant its originality is the cob, surrounded by a shiny waxy hard “blanket”. It comes in different colors: bright red, white, lilac, chocolate, lemon, pink.

The leathery, shiny leaves are heart-shaped and arrow-shaped and dark green in color. Due to the variety of flower colors, there are more than 800 species in the world. Anthurium is often grown at home. The plant reaches an average height of 40 to 80 cm. Conditions for comfortable growth are proper lighting, air humidity, and watering, similar to natural ones. If they are followed, the anthurium will bloom throughout the year.

Types and varieties of Anthurium Andre

In Latin, Andre's anthurium, or andrianum, is called anthurium andreanum. It is a large plant that reaches a height of 80 cm, but the stem is shortened. The leaves are heart-shaped, green in color and located on long stalks. The length varies within 30 cm, width - 10-15 cm.

The inflorescence spadix can be white or yellow, can reach 10 cm and have a bent shape. The bud is located on a long peduncle and is shrouded in a corrugated wax “veil” in the shape of a heart; it can be painted white, white-pink or dark red. This species is the most common of those grown at home.

Baker

It is an epiphyte with long, belt-shaped, dense green leaves. They can reach up to 50 cm and a width of 10 cm. There are brown dots at the bottom of the leaf.

The buds form a creamy white ear and a yellow-green spathe with a purple edge. After flowering ends, red berries appear. This species grows primarily in the tropics from Colombia to Guatemala.

Baker's Anthurium

Crystal

This species is unusual and is grown for its foliage as an ornamental plant. The plates have a velvety surface in some places. The color of the leaves is unusual: it can change as the plant develops and have a variety of colors from dark green to purple. The main distinguishing feature is the presence of light veins of a silvery hue.

Crystal anthurium flowers are not very attractive. The ear is purple in color with a spathe up to 10 cm long. The leaves are spreading and oval in shape, their apex is narrowly pointed, with veins. Peduncle up to half a meter in length. Has purple berries.

Anthurium Crystal

Climbing

This is a vine that reaches a length of up to 1 meter. The plant has lanceolate and oval leaf shape. The plates are leathery to the touch. There are black dots on the bottom of the leaf.

The plant's cover is green and has an inconspicuous inflorescence. The setting berries look more interesting than the buds. Anthurium blooms almost all year round.

Anthurium climbing

Scherzer

A plant of this species has a shortened ground stem. The leaves are dark green in color with a pointed tip and are located on long petioles. The shape is linear to lanceolate, the upper surface is slightly glossy and the lower surface is matte. The leaves reach a length of 15-25 cm, width - 7 cm.

A special feature of this species is the cob, twisted in the shape of a spiral. The large cover of the flower has an interesting shape, is bent downwards and can be white, red, or orange.

Anthurium Scherzer

Lighting

Caring for anthurium is easy, but you need to know about some of its features. The indoor plant likes to be located on east or west windows with diffused lighting. There is no need to place the plant in a too shaded place or under the scorching sun. Direct rays can burn the leaves and spoil the appearance with brown spots.

Insufficient lighting has a bad effect on the plant - it begins to dry out, stops blooming, and the leaves become deformed.

Temperature

Anthurium does not like drafts, and it is also necessary to avoid temperature fluctuations. This tropical plant is heat-loving and prefers warm rooms.

During the spring-summer period it is necessary to maintain a temperature regime from +20 to +28 degrees Celsius, and in autumn-winter - not lower than +16 degrees. With the onset of autumn, the plant can be placed in a cooler place to set buds. It is necessary to provide access to fresh air during the warm season.

Air humidity

Anthurium loves relatively high air humidity, so it requires frequent watering and spraying. You need to place the pot on a tray with water, sand or pebbles.

During the dry period, the earthen clod should not be allowed to dry out. It is necessary from time to time to wipe the leaves from dust and dirt with a damp sponge and spray them with soft, settled water. It should not get on the flowers, as brown spots may appear on them.

Watering

Anthurium is a tropical plant; it needs infrequent but abundant watering. Excess water from the pan must be removed. Stagnation of liquid leads to rotting of the roots and the formation of fungus.

In the spring and summer, the plant needs to be watered more often - once every 3 days, but only after the earthen clod has dried by half. In winter it should be reduced. The roots of the plant are similar to the root system of an orchid; they contain a large amount of water. They are very fragile and can quickly begin to rot if allowed to stagnate in water.

Soil and fertilizing

For the plant to bloom, it needs fertilizing. The best time to apply fertilizer is in the spring and summer when active growth occurs. Mineral fertilizer must be diluted in water and half the recommended dose. If the plant looks weakened, it is advisable to apply foliar fertilizers by spraying. This should be done once every 2 weeks in spring and summer, and once a month in winter.

In cold weather, the flower enters a dormant period, so feeding and watering must be reduced. Moisturizing should be done once a week. Do not allow the soil in the pot to dry out. Replanting must be done in slightly acidic soil (soil for begonias, orchids) or for flowering plants. The finished substrate is sold in specialized stores. You can make it yourself from leaf soil, peat, sand in equal quantities with the addition of charcoal, pine bark, sphagnum moss. Thanks to this composition, close to natural, moisture is well retained in the pot. A drainage layer is required. The soil should not be too compacted and loose, which will provide air access to the root system. Fertilizer should be used for flowering plants or orchids.

Transplantation and propagation

For replanting, you need to choose a tall and wide pot with a good drainage layer. Before this, the flower must be watered abundantly so as not to break the roots. When planting, you need to slightly deepen the aerial roots. As they grow, they may end up on the surface; they must be covered with moss and constantly moistened. You need to make sure that the rosette of leaves is not heavily covered with soil.

For 5 years, the young bush must be replanted every year, choosing a pot 2 cm larger than the previous one. When the plant has reached 5 years of age, it can be replanted once every 3 years.

They do this in March, being careful not to damage the fragile roots. It is imperative to trim off faded inflorescences. With proper care, the buds last for more than a month.

Reproduction occurs in 3 ways:

1. By dividing the bush. It is necessary to take young stem shoots with roots from the mother bush and transplant them into pots with a suitable substrate.
2. Seeds. They should be sown in the prepared soil, slightly deeper, watered and covered with a transparent lid. Place in a warm and bright place. This is a very labor-intensive and lengthy process.
3. By cuttings. The top of the stem with a leaf at least 15-20 cm long is cut off and planted in a glass. The container needs to be filled with vermiculite with a small amount of soil (to a depth of 5 cm). After a month, the cuttings will develop roots and can be transferred to individual pots.

Pests and diseases

A common problem with anthurium is rotting of roots and stems, which occurs from excess watering and at low temperatures. Another disease in which leaves turn yellow and dry and then die is anthracnose. The plant is attacked by spider mites, aphids and dangerous scale insects.

If the tip of the leaf turns black, then the flower is overfed with calcium, so for treatment it is necessary to exclude mineral supplements. Curling of the plates indicates insufficient lighting if the plant was standing in a draft, it was exposed to direct sunlight and there was a lack of moisture.

Most types of anthuriums grow in nature on trees; they are classified as epiphytes and semi-epiphytes; they have short stems and aerial roots.

Come across among them both vines and ground herbs. They grow in subtropical and tropical forests of the New World.

Description of Anthurium

Anthurium Andre or Anthurium Andrianum are evergreen plants of the Araceae family. There are many varieties of them, approximately 900.

They have leathery foliage and come in different shapes. The flowers are collected into a spadix. The cob has a leaf-veil. The bedspread comes in different colors and is heart-shaped.

Attention! The plant requires quite careful care; it is difficult to grow at home; some types of flowers can only be grown in heated greenhouses.

Types and varieties with names and photos

The plant is tall, has leathery foliage. The flowers have a pinkish veil, maybe salmon-colored. And the corolla is pale violet-red, it has a pink tip.

The bract is snow-white or pale cream, and the inflorescences are pale yellow. This houseplant has broad, dark green foliage.

Flower Can't withstand strong light.

The plant has oval foliage with pointed tips. The flowers are bright orange or yellow.

The bract is pinkish or coral in color, but with a green border.

Adrios Red

Has a scarlet coverlet.

It has a bright yellow inflorescence and a dark red bract.

It has large leaves. And the bract is pinkish or snow-white.

The plant has an intense yellow inflorescence and a dark red bract with a greenish border.

This is a hybrid bred by crossing various varieties of anthurium.

The plant has scarlet bracts and yellow inflorescences.

The plant has reddish-orange bracts that are green at the end.

It has white-green bracts.

The bracts are scarlet, have a yellow border, and yellow inflorescences.

The bracts are snow-white.

The bracts are soft pink, and the inflorescences are a deeper shade of pink.

Sensa

The bracts are purple and the inflorescences are dark purple.

Transfer

Prepare a new pot with drainage holes and fill it with soil. Before transplanting, water the flower thoroughly, then the soil will be softer and the root will be easier to remove from the container.

If you have a plastic pot, you can lightly tap it on something hard.

Afterwards, the anthurium is removed, inspected and placed in a new pot.

Important! Replanting is required if roots are visible from the drainage holes and on the soil surface. It is better to choose a pot that has the same height and diameter.

If you transplant a flower into a pot that is too spacious, you will wait a very long time for the anthurium to bloom, since it will not form flower buds until the roots grow into the new soil.

After transplanting, the flower is watered again, and sphagnum moss is sprinkled on top.

Home care

Lighting

Anthuriums diffused lighting is required, flowers tolerate partial shade well. Therefore, they need to be shaded from the sun's rays. Window sills in the east and northwest are perfect.

Temperature

In summer, the optimal air temperature for them is +20-28°C, but not lower than 18°C. And from the beginning of autumn to February, a temperature of +15-16°C is suitable for them.

But one variety of anthurium requires lower temperatures, the plants are called Scherzer anthurium hybrids. And in winter they are kept for 6-8 weeks at an air temperature of +12-16°C, during which time watering is reduced.

If you need the plant to bloom earlier, then in January the temperature is gradually increased to +20-25°C.

Watering

Water the flowers abundantly, but make an interval between waterings and wait for the top layer of soil to dry. But it is impossible for the lower layers of the earth to dry out.

Important! The flower is watered approximately once every 4 days with soft water at room temperature.

In order for the anthurium to bloom in winter, at the beginning of autumn, watering is gradually reduced, the relative air humidity should be 80-85%, and the air temperature +16-18°C.

Watering flowers soft rain water. If you water with tap water and lime, soften it.

Do not over-moisten the soil, as the plant's roots may rot. Also, do not allow the water in the pan to stagnate. After watering, immediately pour out excess water from the pan.

Soil and fertilizers

Make a substrate by mixing 2 parts of humus, 1 - leaf soil, 1 - peat soil and 0.5 sand. Next, 15% of cones, charcoal, and sphagnum moss are added to the substrate to give the soil greater lightness and breathability. Anthurium requires slightly acidic soil with pH = 5.5-6.5.

Another substrate option is to mix equal parts of soil for flowers and special soil for orchids.

And also add sphagnum moss.

A mixture of sphagnum moss, peat soil and coconut fiber works well.

From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, anthurium is fertilized once every 2 weeks. First, in the spring, a weak solution for decorative deciduous plants is used for feeding, and after 2-3 such feedings they switch to others: Agprikola, Fertika-lux.

Especially Flowers need fertilizing before buds open.. In winter, the plant is stopped fertilizing.

Possible difficulties

If you notice:

spots on stems and foliage;
wilted foliage;
the plant does not bloom, its growth is slow.

This can happen due to excess moisture, improper soil composition, insufficient soil breathability, diseases or pests.

You need to water the plant and remove it from the pot. Remove the old soil, carefully examine the roots; if they are damaged or have begun to rot, then cut off the rotten areas and treat the wounds with charcoal powder.

Also inspect the stem and leaves, remove dried or yellowed leaves, cut off inflorescences and flower stalks. If signs of rot are visible on the plant, treat the flower with a fungicide.

Plant the plant in new soil and a new pot.

This video contains detailed and valuable tips on how to avoid possible problems with growing anthurium:

Why doesn't it bloom

To flower, the plant must be kept in a room with a temperature of at least +18°C.
The flower should not be placed in direct sunlight. The flower really does not like drafts.
It is necessary that the volume of the pot be slightly larger than the volume of the roots, otherwise the plant will not bloom.
Don't forget to fertilize the plant.

Cut Anthurium

For bouquets, the inflorescences are cut off when the spathe is fully opened and there is pollen on the cob. The top of the peduncle should be hard and durable. Such bouquets delight the eyes for 5 weeks.

Anthurium requires careful care, since it is a rather capricious plant; it must be watered abundantly once every 4 days and fed.

Anthurium Andre is a beautiful indoor plant, a favorite of many gardeners, emphasizing the harmony of home decoration, introducing a touch of comfort, natural freshness and bright colors into the home interior. In the natural environment, a representative of the aroid family is found in the tropical zone of South and Central America.

The anthurium flower is a symbol of courage, freedom, passion and is popularly called “male happiness.” This type of anthurium received its name in 1877 in honor of the famous French naturalist and botanist Edouard Andre with the light hand of the Belgian scientist J. Linden.

Beautiful legend about the anthurium flower

An interesting story is the origin of this beautiful flower, into which a young beautiful girl allegedly turned. This story happened in ancient times, when people existed in tribes, one of which was headed by a cruel, bloodthirsty leader. He planned to marry a 15-year-old girl - a resident of a neighboring tribe. But the young beauty did not like the imperious ruler, and she refused him. In order to take revenge, the leader attacked the village where the girl lived and took it by force. The bride could not come to terms with life without loved ones and relatives, with a cruel ruler, and threw herself into the fire lit in honor of the wedding. Before she could touch the fire, the merciful gods turned the unfortunate creature into a red anthurium, and the village into a tropical impenetrable forest. Colombian residents believe that this is what brings prosperity and happiness to the family, so couples getting married decorate their homes with these flowers and keep them in the wedding chambers for a month. Therefore, anthurium is rightfully considered a symbol of the honeymoon.

The photo of flowers conveys the variety of varieties of this beautiful and sought-after plant.

Description of Anthurium Andre

Externally, Andre's anthurium, which is not particularly difficult to care for at home, is quite large and reaches a height of 70-90 cm. It is characterized by a shortened stem with many roots, including aerial ones. With good care, your pet will delight you with flowering all year round; its palette is very diverse and attractive: orange, greenish, white, purple, pink, yellow. Breeders have even developed varieties with two-color and almost black bracts - an integral part of the flower. The bracts of Andre's anthurium are heart-shaped, often vesicular, with clearly visible veins on the surface.

The inflorescence is a spadix (the second part of the flower), most often white or yellow in color, its approximate length is 15 centimeters. The leaves of the home beauty are quite large (about 30 cm), bright green, shiny, with a clearly defined heart-shaped base. They grow on long petioles, which are located almost perpendicular to the leaf blades.

Proper lighting is the key to successful growth of anthurium

The key to the successful growth and flowering of Andre's anthurium is its location: it is important for the plant to provide diffused light or light partial shade; East, west and north windows are most suitable. The lack of illumination should be compensated artificially, using phytolamps.

The most comfortable temperature for Andre's anthurium is 22-25 o C, at +18 o C and below the flower stops growing. In winter, it is recommended to keep anthurium in a cool place, avoiding placement near heating devices.

Features of watering

Anthurium Andre loves regular, abundant watering, but without excesses: the top soil layer needs to be given time to dry. Excess moisture can lead to rotting of the rhizome, and its lack can lead to lack of flowering and wilting of leaves. The optimal soil moisture regime is once every 4 days, irrigation water should be soft. In winter, the moisture supply must be reduced to once a week, while preventing the earthen clod from drying out. An important factor for the successful development of the plant is high air humidity: 85-95%. To ensure this, it is recommended to install an air humidifier near the container with the plant or spray the air around the anthurium with a spray bottle twice a day. Moreover, it is undesirable for water to get on the leaves, since a white limescale deposit will remain on them. And this will somewhat spoil the appearance of such a beautiful indoor plant as anthurium.

A photo of flowers conveys all the beauty of a tropical guest who has taken root in new conditions.

Cut Anthurium

For bouquets, pet flowers are cut with the flower cover open, when the spadix is in the staminate stage (that is, covered with pollen), and the upper part of the peduncle is strong and hard. Flowers cut at the moment the anthurium blooms remain fresh for about 5 weeks; if earlier, they fade within a few days.

Fertilizing plants is carried out with fertilizers for orchids or universal mineral and nitrogen-containing preparations once every 2-3 weeks, it is especially important to carry it out before flowering begins. In winter, the plant needs to rest.

How to replant anthurium

Young plants are replanted every spring in containers of larger diameter. Adult specimens are transplanted at the moment when the plant already becomes crowded in the old pot. The soil for anthurium should be light, nutritious, and provide air access to the roots; The most suitable composition is for orchids or bromeliads. You can prepare your own soil for anthurium from peat, leaf and coniferous soil. To maintain humidity on top, it is recommended to place

Reproduction

Anthurium Andre propagates by lateral shoots, dividing an overgrown bush, apical cuttings and seeds - a rather labor-intensive method and not particularly loved by gardeners. Sowing must be done 3-5 days after collecting the seed material, which can be obtained by pollinating the flowers with a brush in the first days of flowering. Then you should wait for the formation and ripening of the berries formed on the cob. It is recommended to keep the crops at a temperature of +22 o C. The emergence of seedlings occurs within two weeks. After 1.5 months, seedlings that are in the true leaf phase require picking. With the appearance of 5-6 leaves, young plants can be planted in separate pots. Anthuriums grown from seeds will bloom only in the third year.

The easiest way is propagation by lateral shoots. This procedure is often performed during transplantation. The division must be done with a knife with a sharp blade, and the cut areas must be powdered with crushed coal. After planting, the young anthurium must be watered. A piece of stem with an aerial root and leaf takes root quite quickly.

The plant must be planted in small containers with a good layer of drainage (1/4 of the volume of the planting container). It is recommended to make small holes in the walls of the pot for air flow.

Diseases and pests

Of the pests, anthurium is most affected by scale insects and mites. By sucking out cell sap, they cause leaves to dry out and fall off. It is quite difficult to get rid of such pests, so it is recommended to take preventive measures by regularly rinsing the plant under a warm shower and wiping the leaf blades with a soapy sponge. Then the anthurium needs to be treated with 0.15% of the drug “Actellik” (1.5 ml must be diluted in a liter of water). Another misfortune of Andre's anthurium is that it settles on all above-ground parts of the plant. In this case, treatment with Karbofos will help.

Anthurium Andre is often affected by stem and root rots caused by low temperatures and waterlogging of the soil. Sometimes a plant may suffer from anthracnose: the edges of the leaf blades dry out, and the pet gradually dies. Damaged leaves must be removed, and the plant must be treated several times with a 0.2% Fundazol solution or a 0.5% copper oxychloride solution. It is quite difficult to fight such a disease, so it is better to prevent its occurrence by taking preventive measures. Excess calcium in the soil will be indicated by curling of the leaves and blackening of their tips.

The enemies of Andre's anthurium are downy mildew and rust, most often caused by contact with infected plants or transmission through the soil.

Anthurium Andre: varieties

Arizona. Bright red leafy bract with pronounced veins and a yellow-green spadix.
Anthurium Andre Champion. It is characterized by a yellow-pink ear and a white “spread” with slightly pink veins.
Florida. The leaf “blanket” is characterized by playing shades: from red to yellow, and then to green. Greenish, white, yellow cobs.
Polaris. The bract leaf is green, gradually changing color to white, the spadix is pinkish.
Minnesota. Yellow-white cob and salmon-colored “spread.”
Acropolis. Anthurium Andre is white, with dark green, fairly large leaves and a bright yellow spadix.
Lunette. Bright pink spadix and rose-red leaf bract;
Otazu. Anthurium Andre red.
Casino. Characterized by a leafy bract and a red-green spadix.
Sensa. The “spread” is purple, elongated with a dark purple cob.
Kuba. The white-green “spread” contrasts brightly with the yellow-green color of the cob.

Anthurium Andre (a mix of varieties and shades) is widely used by florists to create beautiful bouquet arrangements.

Moreover, not only the flowers of the plant are used, but also its leaves: lush green and expressive.