What is Anthurium Plowmanii?
The Anthurium plowmanii is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Paraguay, Peru, north & west-central Brazil, Bolivia.
One of the more unique-looking anthuriums, this plant is sometimes called a ‘Birds nest anthurium’, ‘Wave plant’, ‘Anthurium Plowmanii Ruffles’, or a ‘Wave of Love’.
It has long, wavy green leaves that form a rosette and can grow to be up to 2 feet in diameter.
In the wild, this anthurium grows as an epiphyte (on trees) but can also be grown terrestrially on soil.
Height
The Anthurium Plowmanii is a beautiful plant which will grow up to 1m in height.
It is typically epiphytic and can be found growing naturally from a host tree, however it can also be grown on the ground or as an indoor plant.
Spread
Anthurium Plowmanii spreads by producing offsets or plantlets at the base of the mature plant.
These offsets can be removed from the parent plant and planted elsewhere to start new plants of their own.
Anthurium Plowmanii is easy to propagate using this method.
Leaf Size
The leaves of Anthurium Plowmanii are long and thin. They grow vertically, and are relatively wide at the base but narrow as they reach their tips.
It will grow just fine indoors, the leaves can grow up to 2 meters tall and can be as wide as 56 centimeters at their base.
When planting your new seedling outdoors, make sure that you have plenty of space to accommodate the fully grown adult plant!
Keep in mind that the petioles can be up to 40 centimeters long and that the leaves themselves will spread out as they grow taller.
This means that you will need a lot of room for your plant to fully mature!
Flower
The inflorescence appears from the base of the plant, emerging from between the leaves on a peduncle up to 50 centimetres (20 in) long.
It consists of a densely packed cluster of flowers on several flower-bearing branches called spathes which are light green at first but become red when they open.
The spathes are up to 35 centimetres (14 in) long and 6 centimetres (2.4 in) wide at maturity and extend horizontally away from the plant before turning upwards at their ends where they carry the flowers.
Each spathe has about 30 flowers arranged spirally along it and are comparatively small in size.
Hardiness
These plants are tropical in origin, mainly from South America. They grow on the ground, on tree stumps and on trees, in bright light but away from direct sunlight.
They require a moist atmosphere but not necessarily high humidity.
They will grow quite happily indoors all year round if provided with plenty of light and high humidity is maintained particularly in the winter months.
As you would expect, these plants prefer a temperature of between 18C to 22C (65F to 72F).
Anthurium Plowmanii is a very cold hardy Anthurium.
It can take down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and has survived temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit in the past.
However, it does better when it does not have to endure such temperatures for long. If your zone is around 35 degrees Fahrenheit or above, you will be fine.
If you do live in an area where temperatures are below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, you should provide protection for your Anthurium Plowmanii plants such as:
– Grow the plant indoors during winter months.
– Bring the plant inside when temperatures fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
– Provide some frost protection by surrounding the plant with small heat sources like heating lamps or light bulbs.
How to care for Anthurium plowmanii?
Light
To get the most out of your Anthurium Plowmanii, you need to give it bright indirect sunlight.
Direct sunlight can burn the leaves, so keep it away from windows that are hit by direct sun rays.
The plant will be very happy if you place it near a window that gets plenty of bright light throughout the day, but make sure the leaves don’t actually touch the window itself.
It’s also important to rotate your plant once a week so that all of its sides get equal exposure to sunlight.
If you notice your plant has streaked or scorched leaves, it probably means it’s getting too much light and you should move it a few feet further away from the window.
Watering
Watering an Anthurium plowmanii is not difficult as long as you remember that it prefers moist soil and not wet soil.
You should water your plant every time the top few inches of soil has dried out.
In general, this means watering once or twice per week depending on how hot or dry it is in your home.
Water with distilled or rainwater instead of tap water to avoid any chemicals (such as chlorine) that might harm your plant!
Substrate and Pot Size
The potting medium for a Anthurium Plowmanii should have excellent drainage as Anthuriums do not like to be over-watered.
The best Anthurium soil mix is a potting soil or an orchid mix, with the addition of some perlite to help with drainage.
This can be purchased from nurseries and garden centers in the houseplant section.
Anthuriums do not mind being root bound, so a smaller pot size is fine for this plant.
A 7-inch diameter and at least 10 inch deep clay pot and is recommended for a single plant.
Temperature
The ideal temperature range for Anthurium Plowmanii is between 18°C and 25°C.
While the anthurium plant is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, it’s best to avoid sudden temperature changes, which can cause the leaves to fall off.
If it’s placed next to a window or in a drafty area, you’ll want to make sure it’s sufficiently shielded from any cold air that might blow through.
In addition, avoid storing your anthurium in areas where it will be exposed to direct sunlight just like with people, this tropical beauty will get sunburned if you leave it out in the sun too long!
Humidity
Anthurium Plowmanii are tropical plants that grow well in damp environments.
They thrive in humid conditions, so you may want to take some measures to increase the humidity if your home is dry.
The leaves of this plant will shrivel up and turn brown when it’s not happy, so be sure to keep an eye on how your plant looks during the winter months when humidity tends to be lower because of indoor heating systems. Ideal humidity levels should be between 70-80%
Usually, keeping Anthurium Plowmanii indoors is sufficient for maintaining proper humidity levels because the air inside our homes tends to be less dry than outside.
If you do need to boost the moisture in the air around your plant, there are a few ways you can go about doing this.
The easiest way is to place a tray of pebbles or gravel near the plant (but not right next to it) and fill the tray with water, so that when evaporation occurs it acts as a humidifier for your plant.
You can also use a humidifier or even mist your plant with a spray bottle filled with water on a regular basis.
Fertilizing Anthurium Plowmanii
Anthuriums are moderate feeders and will do well with a general purpose fertilizer diluted to half strength, applied monthly during their growing season.
When growing anthuriums, you need a fertilizer with a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) ratio of 10-5-10 or 20-10-20.
You can also use fertilizers specifically made for orchids (which have the same NPK ratio as anthuriums).
Fertilizing your anthurium plant will ensure it grows strong and healthy.
However, be careful not to overdo it, as too much fertilizer can cause more harm than good.
Where to Place: Who wouldn’t want to see a plant with bold colors in their home?
Anthurium Plowmanii is one of the best flowering houseplants you can grow indoors. Its large, glossy leaves and vibrant red flowers will brighten up any room!
They do well in a sunny spot with indirect light or on a table near a window (if indoors).
You can also place it next to another plant like an orchid or another houseplant that blooms throughout the year.
When you’re ready to give this lovely flower as a gift, make sure you keep it in an area where everyone can see it! You’ll get compliments all day long!
Propagation
Here are three was to propagate a Anthurium Plowmanii plant:
Seeds from spadix:
In nature, Anthurium plants are pollinated by insects. Anthurium is mainly propagated vegetatively, but if you want to try your hand at growing one from seed, you can collect the seeds from the spadix.
- The spadix is the center of the plant where flowers grow. If a female flower is fertilized and pollinated, it will eventually form a “berry” that contains thousands of seeds.
- Allow the berries to ripen on the plant until they are red or black in color, then cut them off and place them in a container to dry out for seven to ten days.
- Split the berries open and remove the seeds, which will be found inside the fruit. The seeds are tiny, so you may need to use tweezers or a needle to remove them all.
- Place the seeds in a bowl of water so that you can see which ones sink and which ones float. Remove any seeds that float as these are not viable (dead).
- Plant one seed per pot in a mixture of equal parts peat moss and vermiculite or perlite. Plant each seed about 1/8 inch deep and cover with a light layer of additional soil mix.
Leaf cutting
To propagate anthuriums by leaf cutting, simply choose a healthy adult leaf and cut off an 8-10cm section at the base of the petiole.
Using a sharp knife or scissors, remove the lower part of the leaf, leaving only the top third of the leaves intact.
The remaining part of the leaf should be inserted into a pot filled with soil, so that only the top third of it remains above the ground, and then watered regularly.
You can also use a rooting hormone to increase rooting success rate (optional).
After several weeks, you should see new growth emerging from the soil.
Root division
Anthurium Plowmanii can be propagated through root division.
This method is the easiest to do, the plant roots well and can be divided at any time of the year.
That said, root division is a very effective method and can provide many new plants if done correctly.
The first step is to dig up the plant, then pry out all of the roots into separate sections and plant them in seperate pots or containers.
Make sure that each pot has plenty of drainage holes. Then put the plant under shade for about two weeks so that it does not get sunburned from being exposed to too much sun too quickly.
Repotting Anthurium plowmanii
Anthurium plowmanii are quite happy to stay in the same pot for years.
They don’t like to be disturbed, so you should only repot them when their roots are too cramped for the pot they’re in.
You can tell that it’s time to repot because the plant will have outgrown its container and there will be roots growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
Repot in spring, as this is when Anthurium plowmanii are actively growing. The best time to repot is just after they’ve finished flowering.
The best way to repot your Anthurium plowmanii is to use a pot that is slightly bigger than the one it’s currently in.
It needs well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter, you can buy special houseplant soil from most garden centers or make your own with equal parts of well-rotted manure, peat, composted bark and perlite or coarse sand.
Pruning
You should prune your anthurium plant when it gets too large or the lower leaves get brown and die.
Make sure to remove any dead or dying material from the plant because this could cause fungus or bacteria to form on the plant.
Clean your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol before making a cut on the anthurium plant. This will prevent disease from spreading to your healthy plants.
Cut off any stems that have died back with sharp pruning shears. Remove dead leaves from the anthurium plant by cutting them off at their base with sharp pruning shears.
Do not leave any part of the stem or leaf on the plant if it is dead.
Be careful not to remove any living leaves from the plant if you do not want to damage it. Remove any old flower stems from the plant.
Anthurium Plowmanii pests and disease
Your anthurium plowmanii can suffer from a variety of common plant pests and diseases, but if you follow good growing practices, your plant will likely be healthy.
Common anthurium plowmanii problems include red spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects and anthurium disease.
Spider Mites
You may not notice spider mites on anthurium plowmanii until you see the damage they have done to the leaves.
Spider mites are tiny, but their feeding can cause stippling or yellow spots on the undersides of leaves.
If unchecked, spider mites can kill anthurium plants.
Wash spider mites and their eggs off your plant by spraying it with a forceful stream of water once or twice a week.
If that does not solve your problem, you can use a pesticide such as insecticidal soap for houseplants to control them.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are also small insects that feed on the sap of plants, causing them to weaken.
Mealybugs look like tufts of white cotton wool on stems and at leaf joints and can be difficult to remove because they are so well camouflaged among the leaves.
Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to wipe mealybugs from leaf.
Whiteflies
Whiteflies are tiny flying insects that resemble white moths. Whitefly nymphs suck sap from the undersides of anthurium leaves, leaving behind a sticky substance that attracts mold. Infested leaves may yellow, wilt or drop off the plant.
Scales
Scales are one of the most common pests of anthurium plants, particularly on the underside of the leaves where they are hard to spot.
Scales suck sap from the leaves and cause them to turn yellow or brown and drop off early. They can be removed with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, or by spraying them with an insecticide or insecticidal soap solution.
Aphids
Aphids are tiny insects that are sometimes called plant lice. They feed on the sap of the plant and cause distorted leaf growth as well as sticky honeydew secretions due to their high sugar content diet.
Aphids can be wiped off by hand, or they can be treated by applying insecticides or insecticidal soaps labeled for aphid control.
FAQ
Can you grow anthurium plowmanii from seeds?
Yes, you can grow anthurium plowmanii from seeds.
Anthurium is native to the tropical forests of South America, and as such, it needs warm temperatures, plenty of sunlight and a humid environment to thrive in.
While you can grow anthurium plowmanii from seeds, its better to propagate this plant by division. The seeds will take a long time to produce an adult plant.
Instead, dig up the mature plants carefully, ensuring that you don’t damage the roots.
Use a sharp knife to separate out any small plants that are growing around the base of the parent plant.
The parent plant should be divided into several pieces so that each segment has both roots and leaves attached.
Plant the pieces in pots or in your garden and make sure they get plenty of sunlight every day.
How long does anthurium take to grow from seed?
It will take about 2 weeks for anthuriums to germinate. Plant the seeds in a moist potting mix, then place the pot in a plastic bag and place it in a dark room (or cover it with a box) that stays at 75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Once they sprout, remove the plastic and place them under fluorescent lights until they’re ready to be transplanted outside.
Is anthurium Plowmanii poisonous?
Anthurium Plowmanii produces a sap that can be dangerous if ingested and cause skin irritation if touched.
What Makes Anthurium Toxic?
Anthuriums produce crystals of calcium oxalate on their leaves and stems that are toxic when ingested.
These crystals can irritate the skin upon contact, so it’s important to wear gloves when handling these plants or the flowers they produce.
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