How to Grow the Anthurium Hookeri (Tried & Tested)

Anthurium hookeri grows on top of other plants and even trees in the tropical jungles from where they originate.

Likewise, the capacity of an epiphytic plant to flourish without soil is incredible.

Read on to learn more about this rare beauty.

Overview of Anthurium Hookeri

Anthurium hookeri is an aroid found on several West Indies’ lower eastern Caribbean islands, including Dominica, Grenada, and many more.

Anthurium Hookeri Grow and Care Guide

The attractive Anthurium hookeri has a tropical-looking evergreen perennial leaf. 

The plant features similar lush green foliage with purple-blue stems leading to a substantially oval shape with white berries dangling. 

With a little care and attention, you can bring a bit of the tropics into your house all year.

1. Sunlight & Temperature

Anthuriums are from tropical jungles where they can absorb lots of sunlight and warmth.

However, too much sun exposure can cause dryness in a plant’s leaves, making it lose its green vitality and become fragile.

The leaves are scorched by direct sunlight, leaving them unsightly they do not heal.

You can place your Anthurium hookeri near a sunny window that gives off indirect sunlight.

Further, growing Anthurium hookeri in the USDA zone 9 to 11 should not be a problem if you bring your plants indoors during the winter month. 

And when the temperature goes below 55°F, use a burlap cloth to protect the plants against frost injuries.

Open flames and central heating may destroy the plant, so keep them away from heaters and radiator shelves in the winter.

2.. Water & Humidity

Generally, Anthurium hookeri will not complain when watered every two weeks during the winter, but summer demands weekly watering with humidity maintained around 80 %.

Set the watering schedule only after ensuring the soil’s dryness via finger test. If an inch of the soil appears dry, water them. 

Moreover, you may allow the plant to determine the amount of drink by bottom watering. This helps the plant to avoid the consequences like mushy roots, root rot, yellow foliage, and wilted plant.

Likewise, you do not want dryness around the plant, for it invites crispy brown foliage and droopy appearing plant.

A humidifier is necessary for such situations, or you can simply group your house plants to create a mini biome. 

If possible, mist the plant regularly using spray bottles, ensuring no water droplets remain on the leaves for a long time as they harbor pests and diseases.

3. Soil & Fertilizer

Anthurium thrives in well-draining soil enriched with nutrients that hold enough moisture for plant prosperity. 

Your Anthurium hookeri prefers the optimal soil pH value between 5 and 6.

When you water your plant, the components in this soil hang on to the moisture it needs. Similarly, these soils are permeable enough to allow excess water to drain rather than collect at the bottom.

Likewise, a plant pot with drainage holes allows excess water to drain rather than sit at the soil’s bottom. If you’re unsure which soil to use, mix half regular potting and half orchid soil.

When commercial mix fails to meet your purpose, create your desired mix. 

DIY Potting Mix Recipe

• 30% Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Soil
• 20% high-quality peat moss
• 40% orchid potting media containing hardwood, charcoal, and gravel
• 10% perlite
• Combine the mixture with a handful or two of cedar mulch and finely cut sphagnum moss.

Note: The use of charcoal is intended to improve drainage and take advantage of the small air spaces in the charcoal for the growth of beneficial bacteria. It also aids in the retention of fluids.

Further, you’ll only need to fertilize your plant once every three or four months once your Anthurium hookeri has matured.

Most growers feed their plants once a month with a slow-release fertilizer.

On the other hand, uncoated quick-release fertilizers can burn Anthurium roots. Similarly, Root burn can be caused by even powdered organic fertilizers.

Liquid fertilizers can be administered as foliar sprays or mixed into surface irrigation water in lower quantities.

Anthurium hookeri thrives on high-phosphate fertilizers. It will guarantee that plants have good pigment levels and lush green leaves.

If you plan to use NPK, a formulation of a 15-30-15 ratio will do well for your Anthurium hookeri. Furthermore, Anthurium hookeri requires low-level fertilizers. Strong fertilizers cause salt to build up in the soil, harming the plant’s roots.

Fertilizer	Features	Image
Florikan 16-5-11 NPK Fertilizer	Contains essential micronutrients to ensure healthy, strong plants
Indoor Plant Food (Slow-Release Pellets)	Slow-release pellets fertilizer promotes healthy growth and stops wilt.
Liquid Indoor Plant Food	Specific ratio of N-P-K for Indoor Plants with added Sulphur promoting better nutrient uptake

4. Potting and Repotting

Anthurium hookeri grows slower than many other houseplants, making them comfortable in a pot untouched for 2-3 years. 

The only condition for that is the pot retains sufficient moisture.

Similarly, compact light soil, yellow leaves, water draining straight through the soil, and stunted growth indicate root-bound conditions and demand repotting urgency. 

For repotting, we recommend you get a terracotta pot, a few inches larger, that facilitates proper drainage and aeration.

If the pot lacks enough drain holes, drill one.

Do not panic if the plant appear sick and droop after repotting. The plant should be okay once it adjust to its new home.

5. Annual Pruning

Like any other Anthurium varieties, the Bird’s Nest Anthurium requires trimming at regular intervals to keep the plant upright and balanced.

Pruning the plant’s old leaves and sagging or dead flowers is essential to make room for new bushier growth. 

Further, regular trimming in the Anthurium helps halt diseases and pests spread, which is crucial for a healthy plant. 

Pests like mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, and white flies devour the plant’s sap, leaving behind distorted yellow and shriveled leaves. 

You must try rubbing some neem oil or washing away the pest under high-pressure water.

Also, remove the suckers from the base, but leave the ones near the stem trimmed. Likewise, you may cut the twisted limbs off if you like.

Note: Make sure you’re using high-quality scissors and other cutting instruments. To avoid bacterial infection, wash the equipment with alcohol between each cut.

Anthurium Hookeri: All About Growth Habits

Anthurium hookeri is a tiny plant that falls in the group of Laceleaf plants that don’t get very big and barely reach a height of four inches to two feet in most cases.

Similarly, the beautiful Anthurium hookeri has an evergreen perennial leaf that gives it a tropical impression.

It’s an aroid with a short stem and triangular to D-shaped, 10-26 cm broad, 35-89 cm long leaves with light green and white variegation grouped at or near the tip of the stem that grows as an epiphyte and a terrestrial.

Anthurium hookeri has green spathes with a purple hue. The seed berries on the infructescence are round, oblong, and white, not red as generally assumed.

Toxicity of Anthurium Hookeri

According to ASPCA, Anthurium hookeri is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. All the plant parts contain Calcium Oxalate, which can cause irritations.

Your pets may have difficulty breathing in severe circumstances since their throat has swelled shut. Although it is uncommon, it can be fatal.

If you believe your pet nibbled on Anthurium hookeri, do not feed your cat or use home cures to induce vomiting unless directed by a veterinarian. Any food, milk, or oil falls within this category.

Do not hesitate to contact the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435 or your local veterinarian before mishaps occur.

However, save your pets from other aroids like Aglaonema, Epipremnum, and Alocasia, as they contain toxic Calcium oxalate crystals.

Propagation Methods for Anthurium Hookeri

Stem cutting is the most common and successful method to propagate Anthurium hookeri.

Many gardeners try experimenting with the plant’s seed to generate a new one but mostly fail.

That said, it is not impossible to grow an Anthurium seed. However, it might take forever. The procedure might take a long time and requires much patience.

Regardless of the method, the best time to propagate Anthurium is summer.

Stem Cutting Propagation

Experienced or a newbie in gardening, stem cutting would not trouble you. 

But before you begin, get a sterile knife, a pot, and a suitable potting mix. 

• Cut a healthy Anthurium hookeri stem, at least three inches long, with two nodes intact.
• Keep the cuttings out in a warm atmosphere on a paper towel to permit the cutting’s end to cure and form callous.
• Take a pot with a few drain holes, fill it with a well-draining potting mix, and plant the cutting with the callous end into the soil. You can always use LECA balls as a substrate.
• Compress the soil around to ensure proper hold.
• Water it regularly to keep the soil wet. Also, make sure it gets enough indirect sunshine.
• Rotate your Anthurium plant if it’s in a window so that it gets enough light from all sides.

Note: Consider using a cut straw if you’re having trouble keeping the stem cutting upright. Tie the plant to the straw until it can stand alone.

Similarly, the cutting can also be grown in a water medium.

Dip the cutting into a pot (preferably transparent) with a few drops of rooting hormones so the leaves remain above the water.

Make sure to replace the water every week to avoid contamination. You will start noticing the roots in 2 to 3 weeks. 

Further, transplant the plant after two weeks of rooting when the roots have gained enough structure, long and firm.

If you want to be experimental and try growing Anthurium with seeds, the video below might help.

Where to Buy Anthurium Hookeri?

Local nurseries and markets may have a wide spread of plants tagged Anthurium hookeri, which instead might be its Doppler gang with a slight resemblance to Anthurium schlechtendalii or Anthurium plowman.

The authentic Anthurium hookeri is extremely expensive and can cost you as much as $600.

Here are some sites that provide you with the real ones.

FAQs About Anthurium Hookeri

Why is my Anthurium hookeri Leaves Turning Brown on the Edges?

Browning of Anthhurium’s leaf indicates low humidity around the plant.

Use a humidifier to maintain ample air moisture, or simply use a pebble tray. I usually prefer grouping my house plants to create a mini-biome.

Is Coffee Ground Good for Anthurium hookeri?

You should avoid coffee grounds since they can create soil nutrient and acidity imbalances.

Likewise, Anthuriums are harmed by coffee grounds, making it a lousy fertilizer for your plant.

Are the White Berries on my Anthurium hookeri Edible?

Those berries are toxic; as a result, they might cause severe digestive issues if you eat them.

You’re not supposed to consume the white berries of your Anthurium hookeri.