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Flamingo Flower
Common Name: Flamingo Flower, Heart Flower, Lady Jane, Pigtail Plant, Painted Tongue
Latin Name: Anthurium
Family: Araceae
Plant Type: Perennial
Origin: Colombia
Blooming Time: Year round
Humidity: High
Temperature: 60 – 85*F
Height: 20″
Color: Green foliage, white, lavender, red, pink, orange or green spathes
Insects and Diseases: Spider mites, scale, mealy bugs, aphids
Description:
Anthuriums are very popular foliage plants that have large, heart shaped leaves on slender stems. The leaves are generally naturally shiny and are dark green. The flowers aren’t actually flowers, they’re spathes. Spathes are leaves that flare out on the base of the stem. The flower part is the rough spiky part that forms out of the center of the spathe.
Lighting:
This plant loves lot’s of light, but not direct sunlight. But, it will also survive in low lighting areas of your home. The plant won’t bloom without the correct amount of light, too much light will cause the leaves to be elongated and not as pretty.
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Watering:
Anthurium’s should be thoroughly watered, but allowed to dry out slightly between waterings. If the plant is allowed to be dry for too long it will greatly decrease growth and cause the tips of the leaves to burn and damage the roots. Over watering also damages the roots and causes the leaves to turn yellow and fall.
Soil:
The soil should be well draining and coarse and should consist of 3 parts of peat, one part small gravel and one part sphagnum moss that has been chopped into small pieces. A small amount of organic potting soil can also be added to the mixture.
Younger plants don’t need a soil that is as coarse as more mature plants need. The soil should completely fill in all the area around the roots and you should always use a pot that has a hole in the bottom for drainage.
Fertilization:
A newly purchased Anthurium shouldn’t need fertilization for several months. Most growers mix slow release fertilizer in with the soil and unless you immediately repot you won’t need to add any extra.
When you do fertilize use a 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer and mix it to 1/4 of the recommended strength. Choose a fertilizer that is specifically for blooming flowers and apply once per month.
Propagation:
Propagation can be done from seeds, but Anthuriums produced from seed may take as long as 3 years to start producing blooms. Division and offsets are the best way to propagate when done in the spring time.
Toxicity-Poisonous:
All parts of the Anthurium are poisonous if ingested. Symptoms will occur as mild stomach disorders. Coming into contact with the sap might cause skin irritation for some people.
Tips:
Any dead foliage and blooms should be removed near the base of the plant. Be careful when removing any dead parts of the plant not to damage the stem.
Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved.
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By Richard Prettyjohns April 11, 2009 - 4:49 pm
Thanks for this, I have been trying to find the name of our houseplant and this is the one.
It is doing well in the front window,not in direst sunlight. There are some small leaves coming from the base of the plant and I have taken off two at their stems and am rooting them in water, they seem to be doing OK. I collect our old teabags in a container and then add water and I use this to water my houseplants! Best wishes from Richard
By Myrtis May 15, 2009 - 5:20 pm
I received this type of house plant for Mother’s Day last Sunday. The first day it dis ok. the next day the leaves were drying and turning dark. I felt the soil and it felt dry. I watered it. For the next several days it continued to do the same. I set it in the sink and thoroughly watered it and let it drain. I have cut all the drying leaves and flowere parts down to the bottom of the stems. I have it where it can get Sun in the day time. Even some of the small leaves at the bottom were wilting and turning dark.
Do you have any sugestions? I have never had a plant of this name. I suppose I just need to set it where it can continue to get Sun and let it dry our until it is good and dry before I water it.
Thanks
By Richard Prettyjohns May 16, 2009 - 5:02 pm
Further to my previous email, I am writing to say that the two flamingo flower plant cuttings that I rooted in water have both done well and produced about 5 to 6 long roots each. I have potted them both up and given one to my wife’s friend, and am growing the other one on.
I am encouraged to try a few more cuttings in this way to increase my plants ( although the original plant actually belongs to my wife!!)
By Freddie June 15, 2010 - 1:23 pm
Some of the leaves of my plant are brown on the ends. What does this mean?
The information that came with my plant said to water it daily. Is this too much.
Thanks
By Richard Prettyjohns June 25, 2010 - 4:54 pm
Hi Freddie
When some of the leaves turn completely brown I remove them from the plant. I have done this for years and it doesn’t seem to do any harm. New leaves grow and every so often I repot the plant in a larger pot when it gets pot bound.
By Mary August 11, 2010 - 1:06 am
My flamingo plant was in flower when I bought it 2 years ago and has subsequently stopped flowering though the leaves are growing well and look healthy. The leaves are large and shiny, but no flowers!!
By jamie September 19, 2010 - 10:51 pm
I have had this plant for a few years and it never flowered to much until i sat it outside this summer in part shade. Its been pretty humid and dry in kansas this year and this plant seems to love it because now it has about 10 flowers. i also repotted it because it was root bound and i didnt know it. I would say if it yours doesnt flower now and hasnt for a while check to make sure it hasnt ot grown its pot and if it hasnt then increase its light. i would not put it in direct light though, part shade, and a few hours morning to early afternoon sun seem to work well for me. I hope this helps someone enjoy there plant as much as i am mine.
By Melissa October 30, 2010 - 8:29 pm
I got this plant on my birthday as a gift and finally found the name for it!! I transplanted it about 2 weeks ago and now two of the flowers fell off and the leaves are two of the leaves are brown as well,I have it in my sun room where its warm,not in direct sunlight and i leave it in the sink for it to soke up the water,but I was reading that it said to mix the soil with gravel and other things???? Is that necessary(i used all purpose soil)??? And another question if I want to make another plant from that plant(propogation I believe) how do i do so??
By Adam November 26, 2010 - 3:24 pm
I had problems getting my plant to flower, but then I tried using warm to warm-hot water instead of cool or room temperature. It seems this plant is meant for humid, tropical environments, so by using warm water I am mimicing its natural environment as much as possible.