Anthurium Brownii Care InfographicWith bright green leaves and yellow veins, Anthurium brownii is a much sought-after houseplant that can be grown by even beginner-level gardeners.
The ruffled and heart-shaped leaves, along with its long spindly blooms are quite a delight and add that touch of green to your indoor garden throughout the year.
In addition, the plant foliage purifies the air around it, so this gives you another reason to include this in your home. Read our detailed guide to know what it takes to care for these perennial plants.
What Is a Anthurium Brownii?
The Anthurium brownii is a beginner-friendly houseplant known for its long, spine-like flowers and yellow ruffled leaves. Native to Central and South American countries, it is perennial and adds a green touch throughout the year. It is easy to grow and takes less time for grooming and maintenance.
Anthurium Brownii Care
To get the most out of your anthurium brownii, you need to provide them with an environment closest to their native habitat. It will not take up much of your time, in fact, with minimal care and the right conditions, this plant can easily thrive and produce lush green foliage in most places.
This plant needs medium to bright light and a loose and light potting mix to grow well. Make sure to provide your plant moderately high temperatures ranging from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and high humidity levels of 70 to 80 percent to have a happy and healthy plant in your collection.
Here are some more of the fine points you need to focus on.
– Water Requirements
Anthurium brownii is a typical tropical plant that requires moderate moisture and humidity. However, its large fleshy roots can easily rot if left sitting in overly moist or wet soil, so maintain a proper watering schedule as most problems are caused due to incorrect watering.
Water the plant only when the topsoil is almost dry. Ensure the soil is well-draining and there is no water logging at the roots. Schedule watering twice a week in the warmer months and once every two weeks in cold winter months for the plant to thrive and grow.
– Light Requirements
Grow your anthurium under medium to bright light. The plant loves the sun and will not be able to cope well in low-light conditions. If you are growing it outdoors, move it to a spot where it can receive four to six hours of sunlight during the day. If indoors, move it near a sunny window where it can receive ample early morning sun.
An important point to bear in mind here is not to over-expose the plant to harsh sunlight as this may scorch anthurium brownii leaves. You can place a garden sheet over it for diffused sunlight during the hot summer months. Use curtains or UV shields indoors to block out direct sun rays.
– Soil Requirements
Anthurium plant is essentially an epiphyte that grows on other plant surfaces so the roots require plenty of oxygen to thrive and grow. Use a loose and light potting mix with pine bark, charcoal or peat to provide that extra aeration. The soil needs to be slightly acidic with a pH of 6 to 6.5.
Ensure the pot or container the plant is placed in has proper drainage holes to permit easy flow out of water. The plant remains in a state of dormancy in the winter months, so scale back on the watering considerably to prevent soggy soils.
– Temperature Requirements
The plant requires a moderately high-temperature range between 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Although temperatures between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit will not kill the plant, they can cause stunted growth and yellow plant leaves.
Keep your anthurium brownii away from frost and chilly winds as the plant seldom tolerate them. At the same time, watch out for extremely hot temperatures above the normal range as this can cause leaf burn.
– Humidity Requirements
As a tropical plant, the anthurium brownii requires high humidity levels to grow between the range of 70 percent to 80 percent with the soil slightly moist at all times. If you are in a dry zone, mist the plant more regularly to kick in some moisture around it.
Additionally, you can bring in humidity around the plant by using a humidifier or by placing a tray with pebbles and water below the plant container.
– Fertilizing Requirements
Fertilize the plant with a diluted liquid organic formula with higher phosphorus content once a month. This will produce healthy and complete blooms. The ideal time to fertilize the plant is during the spring months when the plant is in its growing phase.
– Pruning
Regularly prune the plant to help it develop new growth and to give it a neat look. Gently snip away any discolored or dead leaves with a sterile garden pruner. Always begin pruning from the top and work your way slowly to the bottom of the plant stem. Sterilize pruners and shears before a trim or propagation to prevent the spread of diseases.
Additionally, once every two years, repot anthurium brownii to prevent it from being root-bound. Spring is the ideal season to undertake this process as it will give the plant enough warmth to cope up and spread its roots in the new container. Move to a pot one size up with fresh potting soil when repotting the plant.
Propagation
Propagate Anthurium brownii in an easy, cost-effective and fun way. In this section, we will explain how you can achieve this and produce new healthy offsets.
– Right Season To Propagate
The right season to propagate the Anthurium is when it is warm and sunny outside, so spring and summer will be ideal with the sun shining bright. Propagating in these seasons not only helps the plant to establish healthy roots but also gives it enough time to establish steady growth.
Moreover, the growth rate is faster in spring and summer in comparison to the cooler days of fall and winter.
– Tools Required
Keep the following items ready at hand before you begin your process of propagation:
- A sharp garden pruner or propagation knife: To sterilize it, use an alcohol solution before you place any cuts to prevent the spread of bacterial infections.
- A light potting soil to place the plant in
- A container, pot or shallow tray with appropriate drainage holes
- A plastic sheet or wrap with tiny holes or a glass container with breathable openings
– Propagation Method
The Anthurium brownii can be propagated using stem cuttings or seeds, but not leaves. The plant is a slow grower and it can take several weeks to spot fresh growth and months for it to grow into an adult plant. Also, seeds take longer in comparison to stem cuttings for offsets to develop into mature adult plants.
– Propagation Through Stem Cuttings
You can easily propagate a new offset by just using a section of the stem. Here is how you can go about it:
- Place a deep cut with the help of a sharp knife into the stem of a mature and healthy mother plant and snip away a small section.
- The cut section needs to include a minimum of at least one intact node.
- The section is to be placed in a container filled with a light, well-draining potting mix.
- Place a plastic sheet or a glass container over it to create a humid environment for the cutting. Additionally, you can place sphagnum moss at the cut area to kick in some moisture, though remember not to overdo it as this can result in root rot.
- Provide the cut section with ideal care as per the details mentioned in our above section, and place it away from harsh sunlight and heat.
- In a few weeks, the stem will develop roots of its own. Gently tug at it to feel resistance. If the pull is hard, then you can assume that the roots have begun to establish themselves well in the soil. You will need to wait for a few months for the plant to grow into a mature adult.
– Propagation Through Seeds
Seeds from the plant can be used to propagate, though the process is slow. Here is a detailed guide listing the method:
- Ripe fruits of the Anthurium bulge out of the long spadix flowers from which you will need to collect seeds.
- The seeds will be sticky due to the presence of pulp inside the fruit, so wash them well, clear them of all the pulp, and leave them to dry on an absorbent towel for two days. After that, your seeds will now be ready to use.
- Take a flat container filled with a lightly moistened vermiculite medium. Additionally, mix in sphagnum moss, charcoal and sand to keep it aerated.
- Press the seeds gently into the soil up to an inch. Leave a gap of around an inch between the seeds as well.
- Cover the tray with a garden sheet with tiny holes to increase temperature and humidity. This will speed up the germination process.
- Place the tray in ideal conditions with enough warmth and light.
- Once germination happens, you can remove the plastic covering and care for the delicate saplings as you would for a mature plant.
- It will take several weeks for the seeds to germinate and produce tiny saplings and at least three years for the long spadix flowers to bloom, so be patient.
Problems
The anthurium brownii plant does have its share of problems. However, they are easy to tackle, provided that you catch them early. Find the list of problems and techniques to fix them below.
– Fungal Diseases
Anthurium brownii may encounter fungal diseases that manifest in the form of blackened lesions on the plant. The main reason for such infestations is overwatering or waterlogging at the roots.
Scale back on water immediately and maintain a watering schedule as per the details in our care section. Inspect for root rot and transplant the plant into a well-draining potting mix, if required.
– Brown Spots on Leaves
Brown spots on leaves can be caused due to over-fertilizing of the plant. Excess fertilizer causes a salt build-up in the soil, which results in leaf burn. It can spread to the entire foliage and even destroy it over time. Scale back on fertilizer use when you spot this condition.
– Limp, Yellow Leaves
The leaves of the anthurium brownii can turn yellow and wilt if they are exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant seldom tolerates cold weather conditions, thus move them into warmer spots to help them pick up health.
– Pest Infestations
Mealybugs and aphids affect the plant by producing a white powdery layer over it. These pests suck the sap off the plant and make them go limp. Isolate the plant and treat them with an organic soapy insecticide to get rid of the infestation.
– Anthurium Brownii Not Flowering
Anthuriums prefer their native environment to grow and thrive. Thus as tropical plants, they need bright yet indirect sunlight and well-drained soil to produce healthy blooms.
You can keep your anthurium brownii blooming by giving it bright yet indirect light, a high humid environment, and feeding it with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer. Under the right conditions, the plant can produce spindly blooms throughout the year.
FAQ
Does Anthurium Brownii like big pots?
Anthurium Brownii prefers to be slightly root-bound, so a moderately sized pot would be better than a large one.
Is Anthurium Brownii an easy plant?
Anthurium Brownii is considered a moderately difficult plant to care for due to its specific humidity and light requirements.
How long do Anthurium Brownii plants live?
Anthurium Brownii plants can live for several years with proper care, generally up to 5-7 years.
Conclusion
You have now understood how easy it is to care for and grow the Anthurium brownii. Let us summarize the important points about this delightful plant:
- Anthurium brownii is a tropical plant that can be grown both indoors as well as outdoors with minimal care. All that it requires is a well-lit spot with moderate heat and humidity.
- This epiphyte is popular due to its air purification qualities and interesting leaf shape, making it a favorite for many home gardeners and interior decorators.
- The plant can easily be propagated by leaf or stem cuttings.
- Most problems of the Anthurium brownii can be tackled by monitoring its watering schedule. Overwatering the plant can hamper its health drastically.
- Growing Anthurium brownii is hassle-free and will require minimal care time.
You now know what it takes to grow the Anthurium brownii plant. With its heart-shaped leaves and interesting foliage, it can easily grab attention and add that lovely dash of greenery to any space.
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