Anthurium andraeanumFlamingo Flower

The Anthurium andraeanum, sold everywhere as the Flamingo Flower, is a compact tropical perennial from the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador. What reads as a flower is a lacquered, heart-shaped spathe in red, pink, coral or white, wrapped around a slender yellow spadix, and a healthy plant carries them almost continuously.

Under canopy or under glass it makes a low, glossy ground layer, and it is one of the mainstays of interior landscaping because it performs in light levels that defeat most flowering plants.

Specifications

• Height0.4 to 0.6 metres
• Width0.3 to 0.5 metres
• Native toTropical rainforests of Colombia and Ecuador
• FoliageLarge, glossy, heart-shaped dark green leaves on long stalks; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilRequires an open, coarse, free-draining medium rich in bark; will not tolerate heavy wet soil
• LightBright indirect light or partial shade; direct sun scorches the spathes
• WaterModerate; keep evenly moist with high humidity and never waterlogged
• ClimateThrives in humid tropical conditions and in conditioned interiors elsewhere

Additional Features

• FlowersGlossy heart-shaped spathes in red, pink, coral or white around a yellow spadix, produced year round
• UsesInterior landscaping, atrium and lobby planting, shaded tropical ground layers and containers
• SpacingPlant 0.3 to 0.4 metres apart for a continuous ground layer
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent spathes and old leaves at the base; feed lightly through the growing season
• Pest ResistanceWatch for scale and mealybug in still interior air; otherwise trouble free
• ToxicityAll parts contain calcium oxalate and are an irritant if chewed
• Seasonal AppealColour is held year round rather than in a single flush

The Flamingo Flower is the workhorse of shaded and interior planting, giving continuous colour where light is limited.