How often should I water an anthurium?

Water when the top 2 to 5 cm of the mix is dry, typically every 7 to 10 days in summer and every two weeks or so in winter. Anthuriums like lightly moist, never soggy, conditions.

How do I get my anthurium to bloom?

Bright, indirect light is the most important factor. Add regular feeding with a fertiliser slightly higher in phosphorus, warm temperatures, decent humidity, and a pot that isn't too large. Healthy anthuriums can flower on and off all year.

Why are my anthurium leaves turning brown?

Brown tips and edges usually mean dry air, inconsistent watering or fertiliser salt build-up. Brown patches with yellow halos can be sunburn or leaf spot disease. Large brown areas with soft stems and wet soil suggest root rot.

Should I cut off old anthurium flowers?

Yes. When the spathe (the coloured leaf-like part) fades and turns green or brown, cut the flower stem near its base. This tidies the plant and helps it put energy into new leaves and flowers.

Is anthurium toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists anthurium (flamingo flower) as toxic to cats and dogs. Its calcium oxalate crystals cause mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting.

Anthurium Care: Light, Watering and More Blooms

Anthurium care comes down to bright, indirect light, an airy, chunky mix, watering when the top few centimetres dry, and steady warmth. Get those right and Anthurium andraeanum, the common flamingo flower, produces glossy heart-shaped "flowers" on and off all year, each lasting six to eight weeks. The coloured part is actually a spathe, a modified leaf, and the spike in the middle (the spadix) holds the tiny true flowers.

Anthuriums are aroids, related to philodendrons and monsteras. Many grow as epiphytes on trees in tropical forests of Central and South America, which explains why they need air around their roots and dislike dense, wet soil.

Anthurium care at a glance

Need	What works	Avoid
Light	Bright, indirect; gentle morning sun	Hot direct sun; low light (no flowers)
Water	When top 2–5 cm is dry	Soggy mix; letting it dry completely
Soil	Chunky aroid mix: bark, perlite, coir	Dense compost
Temperature	18–27 °C (65–80 °F)	Below 15 °C (60 °F); cold draughts
Humidity	50%+ ideal	Very dry air near heaters
Feeding	Diluted feed every 4–6 weeks in growth	Strong doses; feeding a dry plant
Pets	Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)	Leaving within reach

Light

Light decides whether an anthurium flowers. Bright, indirect light, close to an east window or set back from a south or west window, gives the most blooms. In medium light the plant stays green and healthy but flowers rarely. Direct midday sun bleaches and scorches leaves. If you have dim rooms, a grow light for 12 hours a day works well; see grow lights for houseplants and measure your spot with the plant light meter converter.

Watering

Check the top 2 to 5 cm of mix with a finger.
When dry, water slowly until it drains out, then empty the saucer.
Water less in winter, when growth slows.
Use room-temperature water; cold water can shock roots.

Anthuriums in very chunky mixes dry faster and may need water weekly. Plants in standard compost stay wet longer and are more likely to rot. If you're unsure, the plant watering schedule gives a soil-check routine based on pot size, light and season.

Soil mix

Use a chunky aroid mix that drains fast and holds some moisture:

Ingredient	Share	Purpose
Orchid bark	40%	Air pockets, structure
Coir or peat-free compost	30%	Moisture
Perlite or pumice	20%	Drainage
Horticultural charcoal or worm castings	10%	Structure, gentle nutrients

The soil mix calculator scales this to the size you need, and houseplant soil mix explains the parts.

Humidity and temperature

Anthuriums enjoy humidity above 50 percent, though most adapt to normal room air of 40 to 50 percent. Very dry air causes brown leaf edges and smaller flowers. Group plants, use a humidifier, or grow them in a bright bathroom (see bathroom plants). Keep them warm, ideally above 18 °C (65 °F), and away from cold draughts and heaters.

Feeding for more flowers

Feed every four to six weeks from spring to early autumn with a balanced fertiliser diluted to half strength, or a bloom fertiliser with slightly more phosphorus. Feed less or not at all in winter. Flush the pot with plain water every few months to clear salts. Over-feeding causes brown tips and burnt roots. Calculate the dilution with the fertilizer dilution calculator.

Deadheading and pruning

When a spathe fades to green or brown, cut its stem near the base with clean scissors. Remove old yellow or damaged leaves at the base too. Anthuriums sometimes develop a bare stem with aerial roots at the base as they age; you can repot slightly deeper to cover it, or divide the plant.

Repotting

Repot every two years, or when roots fill the pot, in spring. Choose a pot only 2 to 5 cm wider, with drainage holes. Anthuriums flower better a little snug. Remove old mix, trim any dead or mushy roots, set the plant at the same depth or slightly deeper, and fill with fresh aroid mix. See how to repot a houseplant and the repotting pot size calculator.

Propagation

Method	How	Notes
Division	Split clumps with roots attached when repotting	Fastest; gives flowering-size plants
Offsets	Separate side shoots with their own roots	Pot in aroid mix
Stem cuttings	Cut a stem section with a node and aerial roots	Root in moist sphagnum or mix

Keep new divisions warm and in bright, indirect light, and water lightly until they establish. More in how to propagate houseplants.

Common anthurium problems

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
No flowers	Too little light, no feeding, pot too large	Brighter indirect light, regular feed, snug pot
Brown tips and edges	Dry air, salt build-up, irregular watering	Humidity, flush soil, steady watering
Yellow leaves	Overwatering, old leaves, too much sun	Check roots and light
Brown patches with yellow halo	Sunburn or bacterial leaf spot	Move from sun; remove affected leaves; keep leaves dry
Drooping, soft stems, wet soil	Root rot	See root rot treatment
Green spathes	Natural ageing or low light	Normal on old flowers; more light for new ones
Small flowers	Low light, low humidity, needs feeding	Improve conditions
Sticky leaves, white fluff	Mealybugs or scale	See mealybugs on plants
Speckled leaves, webbing	Spider mites	See spider mites on plants

Popular anthurium varieties

Variety	Look	Care notes
A. andraeanum (flamingo flower)	Glossy red, pink, white or purple spathes	The easy, everyday flowering type
A. scherzerianum (pigtail anthurium)	Curly orange-red spadix	Slightly cooler tolerance
A. clarinervium	Velvety dark leaves with white veins	Grown for foliage; high humidity
A. crystallinum	Large velvety leaves, silver veins	High humidity; fussier
A. warocqueanum (queen anthurium)	Long velvet leaves	Collector plant; very high humidity

Velvet-leaved foliage anthuriums need much higher humidity and more careful watering than flowering types.

Cleaning the leaves

Glossy anthurium leaves collect dust, which dulls them and cuts the light reaching the leaf. Wipe both sides gently with a soft, damp cloth every few weeks, supporting the leaf with your other hand. Avoid leaf shine products, which can clog the leaf surface. Velvety foliage types shouldn't be wiped hard; a soft brush or a gentle lukewarm shower works better.

Anthuriums and pets

The ASPCA lists anthurium as toxic to cats and dogs. Keep it on a high shelf or choose a pet-safe flowering plant such as a moth orchid or African violet. See orchid care and check plants with the plant toxicity checker.

How long does an anthurium flower last?

Each spathe typically stays colourful for six to eight weeks, and sometimes longer in cool rooms out of direct sun. A healthy, mature plant in bright light can produce a new flower every few months, so at times you'll see two or three flowers at different stages. Cut anthurium stems also last two to three weeks in a vase, which is why they're popular with florists. After a plant finishes a flush of flowers, it often puts out a few new leaves before the next bud appears, so a short pause is normal and not a sign that anything is wrong.

Quick checklist

Bright, indirect light for flowers
Water when top 2–5 cm is dry
Chunky aroid mix in a snug pot with drainage
Warmth above 18 °C and decent humidity
Half-strength feed every 4–6 weeks in growth
Cut faded flowers at the base

Sources and further reading

University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions: Anthurium, for growing conditions.
Royal Horticultural Society: Houseplants, for indoor care basics.
ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list, for pet safety.