How to Care for Anthurium Pendulifolium: The Easy Guide

Anthurium pendulifolium (an-thaw-ree-uhm pen-dul-i-fol-i-um) boasts bird’s nest forms and grows well in greenhouses or tropical places. But you can keep this habitat at home also!

People usually grow this plant for their foliage and give you the option of either potting or hanging them.

It is relatively easy to care for these plants if you are cautious enough. Let’s talk about that in detail.

Overview of Anthurium Pendulifolium

Anthurium pendulifolium is an ornamental plant that has a downward growth. It is closely related to another plant of the Anthurium family.

Anthurium Pendulifolium Care

Caring for Anthurium pendulifolium is not tedious if you are brave enough. Even if you give a minimum amount of care, you will get a healthy plant.

Look below for their suitable conditions and optimal care needs.

1. Sunlight & Temperature

In their origin zone, Anthuriums grow under the canopy of big trees.  

Anthurium pendulifollium needs 6-8 hours of bright indirect sunlight daily.

Though it can tolerate indirect sunlight at all levels and low light, the plant grows slowly with fewer blooms or no flowers. 

Also, the plant with stems getting leggy indicates insufficient light. 

Besides, the long hours of bright light can burn the leaves, making them yellow and brown due to extreme heat, 

A temperature above 90º F can also decline the photosynthesis rate after a certain time, only to make Anthuriums droopy. 

Anthurium pendulifolium likes temperatures from 65-85°F at day and 70-75°F at night.

The plant is at high risk of succumbing at temperatures lower than 50°F (10°C). So, make sure the temperature doesn’t drop below the limit.

This can hinder the plant’s enzyme activity. 

Tips to Maintain Optimum Sunlight & Temperature

• Place the plants close to an east-facing window. Shade them with curtains and drapes if you want to put them on a south or west-facing window.
• Keep it away from the direct sun. So, keep it a few feet away from the window and rotate it occasionally to ensure even growth.
• Anthurium does great in 400 Footcandles (FC) of light, while it needs at least 100 FC for survival. If the lights are insufficient, you can go for artificial grow lights.
• Keep these Anthuriums away from drafty windows and air conditioning vents to protect your plants. Another important thing is not to let them sit outside in winter.
• You can buy heat pads and frost blankets to shield your plant from frosty weather.

2. Regular Watering

Anthurium pendulifollium is an air plant, so do not leave it in moist soil for long periods of time.

You can water this plant by conducting a “finger-moisture test” first. Before watering the plants, you can stab your finger or chopsticks into the soil to check the water level.

Check the improper watering symptoms with underwatering showing damaged roots, brown leaf tips, and slow growth. 

Contrarily, the overwatered Anthurium shows up with yellow leaves, root rot, and mold on the leaves. 

If the soil is too dry to touch, water the plants well with lukewarm water. Extremely hot or cold water can damage plants at the roots.

Basically, watering Anthurium pendulifollium once a week is fine during the plant’s growing season. And, like most indoor plants, don’t water too often in winter.

Keep the soil on the moister side from March to September.

When you observe that the top 1 inch of the soil has dried off, you can water the plant again.

If your plant is dry for a long time, you can soak the pot in water for a few minutes and let it dry before watering again.

Growing up in the tropical rainforests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, Anthurium pendulifolium is accustomed to high humidity.

Anthurium pendulifolium loves humidity around 80% and flourishes the most in such moisture.

You can start by placing your plants in a highly humid zone like the bathroom and kitchen in your home, buying a humidifier, or placing a pebble tray near your plant to maintain the humidity artificially.

Misting the plants occasionally also helps. Don’t mist them at night, otherwise, the excess water won’t evaporate properly.

Grouping the plants is also considered a good practice. But, check the plants thoroughly for pests and diseases to avoid spread.

3. Soil & Fertilizer

Being an epiphyte, Anthurium pendulifolium grows on the support of other sources in its natural habitat.

Anthurium pendulifolium loves soil that can retain moisture and has excellent draining. Soil aeration plays a pivotal role in the growth of plants.

The soil that can do the above is sandy loam soil. It can retain water well but also can provide good drainage.

You can opt for a little acidic soil which ranges on the pH scale from 5.5 to 6.5.

Look below to create the perfect mix according to your convenience.

• Half potting soil and half perlite/orchid mix.
• Four parts, five parts regular mix, and one part charcoal.
• Equal parts of pumice, sphagnum moss, charcoal, mulch, peat moss, and gravel.

Like most air plants, this plant is not a heavy feeder.

Dilute the regular fertilizer to 1/4th of its strength and feed Anthurium pendulifolium monthly during its growing season.

Fertilizing during winter? A big no-no. Doing this causes salt to accumulate on the plant base and kills the plant eventually.

Feed it with a weak liquid fertilizer every week. Slow-release fertilizer is also a good option but you must feed it only once every six months.

Remember to buy the following soil mix and fertilizer. 

4. Potting & Repotting 

This plant grows at a slow to medium pace. So, you may not need to do frequent repotting.

You can repot Anthurium pendulifolium every 2-3 years or once you witness the signs of rootbound and the plant starts having slow growth.

It is recommended to repot in the growing season, i.e., spring and summer.

Check the drainage holes frequently to see if the roots pop out of them. If affirmative, repot the plant.

The roots need ample space to grow. So, repot the plant in a container at least 2 inches larger in diameter than the current container.

Tips to Repot the Plant Properly

• Prepare a pot and layer the bottom of the pot with pebbles.
• Fill half of the pot with the prepared potting mix. Add perlite, pumice, and orchid bark to increase airflow.
• Gently take the plant out of the old pot and remove excess soil in the root area, untangle the roots and trim off the brown and mushy roots.
• Place the root of the plant at the center of the new pot.
• Fill the space with the potting soil and leave some room at the top for future fertilization.
• Water the plant properly till the water leaks from the drainage holes, and place the plant in a warm location with enough light.

5. Occasional Pruning

Anthurium pendulifolium’s long, elegant leaves make it difficult to decide whether or not to clip them.

You can prune Anthurium pendulifolium in spring and summer to encourage new growth. 

Cut off yellowing, damaged, and brown sections of the leaves caused by cultural mishaps or invaders.

The most common pests that attack these plants are Mealybugs, Aphids, Scales, Thrips, Nematodes, and Spider mites.

You can take a ball of cotton and dip it in and dip it in isopropyl alcohol. Dab the ball in the leaves and stem to get rid of pests.

Besides, the plant is prone to attack from bacterial blight, Rhizoctonia root rot, black nose disease, and Phytophthora.

Use neem oil or other horticultural oil or insecticidal soap to treat these infections. 

Flowers generally take away the nutrients from the plant. So, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to separate them from the plant.

Remember to properly sterilize your tools before going forward with the pruning process. Prune the plant, starting from the bottom all the way to the top.

Anthurium Pendulifolium: All About Growth Rate

Anthurium pendulifolium grows at a medium to slow pace.

These plants showcase beautiful matte-glossy leaves that are shaped like a lance. They can be potted or hanged in baskets.

Like its close relative, Anthurium pendens, this plant has downward growth. Due to this property, plant enthusiasts prefer hanging this plant in baskets.

The topside of the leaves displays glossy green color, whereas the bottom side is paler and more matte compared to the top.

This plant has long leaves that can grow up to the length of 48 inches in its natural habitat. Whereas indoors, the leaves can grow up to 25 inches in length and 15 inches wide.

The bloom of this plant is quite negatable and not eye-pleasing. They have a long purple spadix and creamy-white to green spathe.

They can last several weeks and bloom every three months, all year round.

Toxicity of Anthurium Pendulifolium

Anthuriums are beautiful; there is no doubt. But this gene is also known for its toxicity to pets and kids.

If your kids or pets contact this plant, follow the following helpline as soon as possible.

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

Propagation for Anthurium Pendulifolium

You could reproduce the plant from seeds, but it would be time-consuming, and I’m sure plant aficionados like you would prefer not to do so.

Go on with the propagation process during spring when it grows to its full potential.

Anthurium pendulifolium’s roots are found near the base of the stem since it is an epiphyte.

Follow the steps below to propagate the plant successfully by either stem cutting or root division.

Stem Cutting

• Choose a stem that has at least one leaf and one healthy node.
• Before commencing the cutting process, choose sterile equipment or sterilize them.
• Cut at least 6 inches of the stem to guarantee success in the propagation process.
• The plant can be rooted in water. If you wish to do it in soil, skip to the next step.
  • • Find a clear jar and partially fill it with water. Submerge the cutting in the water.
    • Make sure your leaves aren’t immersed in water; otherwise, the cutting won’t root.
    • Put the cutting in a good spot and change the water once a week.
    • In a few weeks, you’ll be able to see the roots. Before potting the roots, let them develop to at least one inch in length.
    • It’s now time to plant them in the pot.
• Select a pot with suitable drainage holes. Half-fill it with the potting mix.
• Place the cutting in a small hole in the center. You should use potting soil to fill the leftover area. Make a little space at the top for future use.
• Place the cutting in an environment with ample humidity, light, and warmth.

Root Division

Alternatively, you can also perform root division on the plant.

• Gently take the plant out of the pot and remove excess soil on the roots.
• Trim away all the excess, dying, and damaged roots. Do it carefully, or you will damage the healthy roots.
• Divide the root ball into 2-3 sections with at least 2 or 3 stems.
• Plants the sections on different pots and place them in suitable conditions.

Anthurium Pendulifolium for Sale

If you have not propagated Anthurium Pendulifolium, you can buy these plants from the following online stores.

Read about the care guide on Anthurium varieties such as: Regale, Besseae, Forgetti, Angamarcanum, Pedatum,  Wendlingeri, Brownii, and Papillilaminum.