Anthurium Brownii: Ultimate Grow & Care Guide

Anthurium brownii makes a perfect air-purifying plant, thanks to its large heart-shaped leaves that effectively trap air impurities.

However, keeping the plant healthy can become challenging, especially when its optimum requirements are not fulfilled.

Read on to learn everything there is to know about your brownii plant, the best care tips, and how to diagnose and treat the problems.

Overview of Anthurium Brownii

Anthurium brownii is not your ordinary houseplant. Primarily known for its striking foliage, the plant bears flowers and fruits year-round.

Its ruffled, yellow-veined leaves and long spindly flowers identify a healthy, mature plant.

When the foliage is fresh in spring, you may also notice tiny fruiting varying in color.

Anthurium Brownii Care Guide

Yellowing, wilted or drooping leaves, stunted growth, and rust-like spots on the leaf are signs of a distressed plant.

Bright-indirect light (7-8 hours)	Every week in spring and summer Every 15-18 days in fall and winter
Well-draining, chunky soil mix that retains moisture	Nitrogen-rich plant food once a month
78°F to 90°F (25°C to 32°C)	At least 60-70% humidity
Repot only when the root ball engulfs the soil	Propagate via Stem cuttings

A complete care guide about Anthurium brownii applies to novice and seasoned growers.

1. Sunlight & Temperature

Anthurium brownii prefers to sit in bright, indirect sunlight for at least 7-8 hours at a temperature of 78°F to 90°F.

Many growers prefer keeping them in low lights, which affects the growth of healthy foliage and flowers. 

Over and underexposure to sunlight results in crispy and discolored leaves, yellowing, and stunted growth.

Tips to Ensure Adequate Lighting & Temperature

• Place them on a northeast or east-facing window with subtle early morning sun. Otherwise, choose a south-facing window with bright sunlight throughout the day.
• When placed at the south-facing window, keep them at least 3 feet away from the window to minimize sun damage.
• Avoid placing them in low-light locations in the house.
• Use a heating pad or insulation to protect the plant from cold.
• Otherwise, insulate the plant using a frost blanket to prevent cold stress.

Aim the fixtures towards the plant. Otherwise, keep the fluorescent closer than the incandescent to prevent heat damage.

2. Watering & Humidity

Brown leaf tips, curling or wilting, crispy leaves, and dried soil are common indicators of wrong humidity levels.

However, Anthurium brownii’s large fleshy roots will quickly rot in the water-logged soil, which would become prominent with limping or wilting and yellowing of leaves.

On the other hand, an underwatered plant will often develop dried or crispy leaves that will crumble to the touch.

Tips to Provide Adequate Watering & Humidity

• Use a moisture meter to assess the water in the soil.
• Provide 800 ml of water to a 5″ pot in the growing season, but reduce it to 500 ml in winter.
• Frequently mist the leaves during summer or use a room humidifier.
• Otherwise, introduce a slow-watering method to keep the soil always moist.
• Use rainwater or distilled water set aside for at least 24 hours before using.

3. Soil & Fertilization

An orchid mix blended with sand and peat moss with pH 6-6.5 makes a perfect potting mix for Anthurium brownii.

However, ensure it does not retain excess water, which can quickly lead to root rot conditions, yellowing, and browning symptoms.

Along with well-drained soil, feed your plant with micronutrients and macronutrients, especially nitrogen, every 2-3 months.

However, excess fertilization encourages the accumulation of harmful salt contents in the soil, which chokes plant roots from absorbing air and nutrients.

Yellowing leaves, stunted growth, drooping foliage, and lighter, compact soil are indications of improper fertilization.

Tips to Provide Proper Soil & Fertilization

• Use Miracle-gro potting mix for better results.
• Dilute the liquid fertilizer to one-fourth strength by mixing it with water before applying it to the plant.
• Organic compost like worm casting, manure, and bone meal may help enhance the soil quality.
• Cut back on fertilizing in fall and winter when the plant is dormant.

4. Potting and Repotting 

It would only require repotting if it has outgrown its current pot or needs fresh potting mix, usually every 2 years.

Consider sliding out the plant, checking for root bulb size in early spring, and repot if the roots have engulfed the soil.

If your plant starts showing symptoms like slowed growth, yellowing, wilting of leaves, and decayed lower stems, realize it’s time to repot.

While repotting, use a pot 2 inches larger than the current one.

A plastic, terracotta, or ceramic container with a few drainage holes would work best.

However, wait a week for a freshly bought plant before transplanting it to a new pot. Otherwise, let it grow in its original pot.

Tips to Repot & Care After Repotting

• Water the soil the previous day or a few hours before to moisten it.
• Gently slide it out and clear the roots with distilled, room-temperature water.
• Trim off decayed and brownish-looking thin roots.
• Take an appropriate pot and fill it with a proper soil mix.
• Set the plant roots down at the same depth as the previously used pot.
• Water & place where ample bright and indirect sunlight can reach.

5. Occasional Pruning

Pruning Anthurium brownii positively impacts its growth, aesthetic appeal, and foliage quality.

Pruning helps prevent the outspread of pests and diseases to other plant parts.

The common plant pests and diseases interfering with the growth of plants are Scales, Mealybugs, Root rots, Blight disease, and Fusarium wilt.

Every part of the Anthurium brownii plant contains toxic calcium oxalate crystals. So, wear gloves before pruning.

Pruning shears, Gloves, Basket, and Perlite are the tools used for pruning.

Control Measures for Pests & Pathogens

• Soak a cotton ball in Isopropyl alcohol and dab it on the infected part to kill the pests.
• Apply some Neem oil on a cotton ball and put it on the infected part to effectively remove all kinds of pests and pathogens.
• Alternatively, spray Agromycin to treat bacterial infections.
• Prune infected roots and repot the plant in a fresh potting mix.

All About Growth: Anthurium Brownii

Brownii is a perennial Anthurium that remains blooming year-round, but you can also grow them as an annual.

When they mature, the heart-shaped leaves with elongated petioles will develop and grow up to eight inches (20 cm) in length.

A new leaf regrows from the last developed leaf and expands rapidly over the next 2-3 weeks, depending on the amount of care.

Because all the leaves grow from a clump within the plant’s center, they often look bushier. Unlike other Anthuriums, the leaves do not die back in winter.

However, care to prune old and decayed leaves and leggy stems occasionally to keep them neat.

Plant Toxicity

Like other Anthuriums, all parts of the Anthurium brownii plant contain calcium oxalate crystals that are toxic to pets and humans. The plant creates a problem when accidentally ingested or exposed to naked skin.

It mainly troubles the oropharynx of the animals, causing oral irritation, pawing at the mouth, drooling, and vomiting.

And it causes swollen lips, tongue, and breathing difficulties in humans.

Contact the American Association of Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 or ASPCA Poison Center at (800) 426-4435 for pets immediately.

Propagation Methods for Anthurium Brownii

It is best to get healthy cuttings when the plant grows in early spring.

Here is a quick stem-cutting propagation method for home growers.

1. Get Stem Cuttings

• Always choose healthy, green-looking stems with one or more nodes (leaf nodes) to start with.
• Take a sterilized pruning shear or scissor (sterilized with isopropyl alcohol) and cut horizontally or vertically between the bottom node.
• Leave as little spare stem below the bottom node as possible.
• Keep the cutting in an enclosed glass case or plastic box and leave it in a warm place.

After obtaining the cuttings, place them into the water until roots form and transfer them into the soil.

2. Transplanting the stem-cuttings in Soil

Growing in a potting mix effectively roots and grows the stem cuttings in the same medium.

• Apply some rooting hormone to the cutting’s end to help increase the likelihood of rooting.
• Get a small pot, about 3 inches in diameter, and fill it with sphagnum peat moss.
• Gently insert the stem cutting into a smaller hole in the potting mix, and cover it with a clear plastic bag to lock in moisture.
• It should take a  month or two to witness inch-long feeder roots.

FAQs About Anthurium Brownii

How Fast Does Anthurium Brownii Grow?

It will reach a height of 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) and a width of 15-18 in. (38-45 cm) in its lifetime.

Can Anthurium Brownii Survive Overwintering?

Bring them inside when the temperature starts dropping below 64°F.

Alternatively, keep them under LED grow lights throughout overwinter to compensate for the lack of sunlight.

Is Growing Anthurium Brownii Beneficial?

Indeed, Anthurium brownii boasts large, green leaves that effectively absorb air-borne pollutants inside the home.

Growing one will help humidify the indoors, boost oxygen, and reduce air-borne toxins.