5 interesting facts about the anthurium pot plant and cut flower
In addition to its decorative good looks and modest care requirements, there are even more interesting facts about the anthurium that you might not know. So wouldn’t it be nice to be able to tell the guests at your next dinner party a little more about these special plants?
Anthuriums produce flowers all year round
Due to its minimal care needs and its flowering for months at a time, the anthurium makes the perfect choice for beginner plant owners. Providing an anthurium with about half a glass of water a week, it will easily give you eight weeks of enjoyment from its colourful flowers. What happens when its flowers are spent? They are simply followed by new flowers. Every newly formed leaf will have a new flower growing next to it.
The coloured heart-shaped spathe isn’t the flower
The anthurium’s inflorescence consists of a spadix and a spathe (a type of bract). Its actual flowers consist of little bumps on the spadix, yet it’s the colour and shape of its conspicuous spathe that attracts attention. The function of the spathe is to protect the flowers.
The anthurium is a symbol of exotic beauty
The anthurium flower (actually its spathe) is shaped like a heart. Its open, unique heart shape and long-lasting character make the anthurium a real symbol of exotic beauty. It’s available in many splendid colours including chocolate, burgundy, cerise, green, pink, white and red.
There are more than 600 anthurium species
Anthurium is a large plant genus indigenous to the tropical Americas that includes more than 600 species. The most familiar species are Anthurium andreanum and Anthurium scherzerianum (both referred to as the Flamingo Flower). They are available as pot plants and cut flowers and can be recognised by their colourful tropical look.
The name ‘anthurium’ was derived from Greek and means ‘tail flower’
The generic name, anthurium, was derived from the Greek words, anthos and oura. A literal translation would be ‘flowering tail’: a very apt name considering its inflorescence consisting of a spathe and spadix on which the flowers are located. Due to this type of inflorescence, the genus Anthurium has been classified as belonging to the family Araceae. The anthurium is also known as the Flamingo Flower because of its unique shape and prominent spadix.
If you would like to know more about anthuriums, you can read about its ancestry and origins here.
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