Anthurium Splendidum [Buying and Growing Guide]

Anthurium Splendidum is a magnificent houseplant.

I mean, the big ruffled green leaves can elevate the jolly vibes of your living space, and the plant itself requires less attention than you may think.

Along with primary care, there are a few more considerations to consider when growing Anthurium Splendidum.

Continue reading to learn more about keeping your green buddy happy and flourishing!

Overview of Anthurium Splendidum

Perhaps the most striking feature of Anthurium Splendidum is its unusual leaves with a rugged texture on their surface.

It gives the plant almost reptilian vibes, like a reptile’s scales!

The plant’s heart-shaped and broad leaves add another trope to its elegant looks.

Want to learn more about Anthurium Splendidum and what hides behind those leaves? Check the table below.

Where to Buy Anthurium Splendidum?

Anthurium Splendidum is one of the endangered species of Anthurium, so it can sometimes be challenging to buy in the States.

However, you can always propagate as much as possible if you have one.

Check the following online stores to get one for yourself.

Anthurium Splendidum: Ultimate Grow & Care Guide

Anthurium Splendidum does not ask for any exceptional growing environment.

However, there are some of its tropical care demands that you need to get on point if you want Anthurium Splendidum to grow healthy.

1. Sunlight & Temperature

Anthurium Splendidum lives on the forest floor in its native habitat and receives stippled sunlight throughout the day.

Additionally, the temperature in the tropical forest is naturally warm but changes depending on the duration and intensity of light the forest floor receives.

The extent and amount of light are essential for achieving proper leaf pigmentation.

Moreover, excessive light and temperature can wilt, pale, and crisp the leaves. The whole plant also appears droopy due to dehydration.

Less light and temperature cause the plant to suffer from leaf and flower drops, progressive yellowing of the foliage, and a bland appearance.

But you can easily save your plant by adjusting the light and temperature requirements.

Tips to Provide Adequate Indirect Sunlight 

• Place the plant near an east-facing window for 8-10 hours of indirect sunshine.
• Place sheer curtains to drape south-facing windows to shelter the plant from scorching light.
• Keep your plant at least 3-5  feet away from strong-lit windows.
• Every few weeks, rotate the plant in the same location or move it to another to achieve even sunlight availability.
• Keep your plant about 6-12 inches away from grow lights in winter for 12-14 hours daily.
• Cover the plant with a frost blanket if the temperature falls below 55°F to avoid chilly stress.

2. Watering & Humidity

Anthurium Splendidum loves high humidity but is not fond of soggy soil and can easily protest with symptoms if it is overwatered.

The watering demands fluctuate depending on the seasons, while the plant needs high humidity throughout the year.

Additionally, without high humidity, symptoms like stunted growth, leaf and flower fallouts, less number and frequency of flowers, etc., are common to witness.

In fall and winter, cutting back on watering and keeping the soil dry between the bouts is vital to avoid overwatering issues.

An overwatered Anthurium Splendidum will develop gradual yellowing and browning of leaves, floppy foliage, and root rot.

However, during heat spells, the plant loses water quickly from the soil and tissues, so keeping them hydrated is crucial.

Remember underwatering can turn the leaves yellow with tip burns, dry soil, and saggy foliage.

But most of the time, the plant can return to health after a steady watering schedule. 

Tips to Water Anthurium Splendidum Properly

• Use a planter with drainage holes to keep an airy potting environment. 
• Place the plant in a DIY water tray to fulfill its humidity requirement.
• Clear the pot’s saucer after watering the plant.
• Use a bottom-up approach to saturate the soil by putting the potted plant in a few inches of water for 15-20 minutes.
• Mist the leaves 2-3 times a week in summer to drop the heat.
• If the soil gives off a foul smell, unpot the plant and repot it with fresh, dry soil. Reeking soil may be a sign of root rot.

You can keep Anthuriums inside a DIY terrariums. The warmth and high humidity levels of terrariums will allow the plant flourish even more!

3. Soil & Fertilizer

Anthurium Splendidum is a tropical plant requiring moisture-retentive, porous, gritty, and acidic soil.

The soil must be timely amended with fertilizer to replenish the lost nutrients.

Using diluted fertilizer, you can reduce the chances of salt accumulation in the soil and root and leaf burns, which are the symptoms of overfertilization.

Further, refrain from feeding your Anthurium Splendidum in fall and winter during its dormant period.

However, if you completely refrain from fertilizing your plant, the leaves may change color due to nutritional deficiencies, and parts appear weak.

Tips to Fertilize Anthurium Splendidum Properly

• Use a liquid-based diluted fertilizer to prevent salt aggregation.
• Ensure the fertilizers don’t contact the stem or leaves to prevent fertilizer burn.
• Water before fertilizing the plant to increase nutrient uptake.
• Flush out the excess salts by drenching the potting soil with distilled water 4-5 times.
• If the soil is soggy, amend it with sand or organic perlite to increase the aeration.
• Change the potting soil if it’s giving off a fishy or foul smell.
• Use an eco-friendly organic approach, like topping the soil with eggshells, blending it with chicken or fish bones, and sprinkling garlic or onion skins to fulfill the nutrient demand of the plant.

4. Biennial or Triennial Repotting

To maintain a small and bushy structure and proper root growth, Anthurium Splendidum needs a wide legroom.

It’s necessary to repot your plant because it can grow all year significantly and can be prone to root-bound.

But sometimes, the repotting time may not be accurate as the plant may grow slowly depending on the favor that it’s getting.

Hence, you must inspect for some root-bounding signs, like roots protruding from the drainage holes, stunted growth, or roots cramming in the topsoil, before you repot the plant.

If these are the clear noticeable signs, follow the steps for a successful repotting.

• Give your Anthurium Splendidum lots of water the day before repotting.
• Grasp the lowest stem, invert the planter, and carefully unpot it with both hands.
• Free the root ball from soil clumps by breaking it inside a bucket of water.
• Remove any brown or mushy roots using sterilized pruners and keep the healthy ones intact.
• Add a few pebbles at the bottom of your chosen container and fill it 1/3rd with soil.
• Place the plant in the middle by spreading the roots. Fill the soil up to an inch below the brim from the sides to close the gaps.
• Keep the plant in bright indirect light daily and keep the soil hydrated.

However, if you want to learn more about repotting Anthuriums in detail, the following video can help.

5. Occasional Pruning

As Anthurium Splendidum is not a tall plant, it requires occasional pruning.

If the leaves or stems are brown or yellow, you must prune them down to enhance new growth.

Trimming helps to keep the plant disease and pest free.

Pests (spider mites, nematodes, gnats, aphids, mealybugs, etc.) and diseases (root rot, blights, spots, and wilts) bother the plant often if you remain carefree.

So, you can remove the infested parts, dab the bugs with neem oil-laced Q-tips, and spray fungicides or bactericides during infestations to keep the plant safe.

Additionally, you must separate the infected plant during its treatment to prevent the spread and burn all the leftover parts after pruning.

Anthurium Splendidum: All About the Growth

Anthurium Splendidum is one of the rare and endangered species of Anthurium. It is a tropical plant native to Northern Columbia.

The plant is so rare that there’s barely any information about it. However, the plant amply grows terrestrially or epiphytically in its natural habitat.

Thin and flexible petioles support the plant’s dark green and cursory scale-like (bullate) leaves. Moreover, the leaves arise in threes from an underground rhizome.

Additionally, the plant is a moderate to fast grower that matures within 2 years of growth, and humidity levels significantly affect its growth rate.

The plant’s growing seasons span throughout spring and summer, but its growth slowly declines in the fall and completely halts in winter.

However, before going dormant in winter, the plant grows a flower atop its flowering stalk.

The flower consists of two parts, leafy, white, reflexed Spathe and narrowly tipped cylindrical greenish-yellow Spadix. 

Further, the flowering and pollination occur within summer, and the plant completes its fruiting in early to mid-fall.

Toxicity of Anthurium Splendidum

According to ASPCA, Anthurium and its varieties are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. So, Anthurium Splendidum is no different.

After coming in contact with the plant’s sap, the symptoms can be milder in humans, but they can be life-threatening for your furry friends.

Some symptoms in pets include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, irritation in the mouth, eyes, lips, and tongue, swollen windpipe, and hoarse panting.

But in humans, exposure to the sap can cause skin rashes, irritation, and blisters.

You can use milk to rinse off any oxalate crystals from your body parts or of your pets as first aid treatment.

Also, you can wrap a cone around your pet’s neck to prevent them from biting the plant parts, use a pet repellant spray around the plant or keep your children inside a baby barrier.

However, if your pet’s condition is deteriorating, immediately seek help. Here are some of the emergency call details.

• Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA): (888) 426-4435
• National Capital Poison Center: (800) 222-1222

Propagation Methods of Anthurium Splendidum

Anthurium Splendidum is best propagated using stem cuttings from spring to early summer when the plant is actively growing.

It can also be multiplied by root divisions, but stem cutting is probably the easiest and most effective.

However, you’ll need a vigorous, bushy, healthy mother plant for propagation.

So, let’s see the methods of propagating the Anthurium Splendidum.

1. Propagation of Anthurium Splendidum via Stem Cuttings

Stem cuttings can be first rooted in water (to watch out for any root diseases) and then transplanted into the soil.

• Pick healthy stem cuttings with 1-2 stem nodes and leaves and cut a few millimeters above and below the node.
• Take clean glass jars, fill them with hormonal water, and plunge the cuttings with their leaves out from the water. Ensure to put only one cutting per jar.
• Keep the set up in bright indirect sunlight for 8-10 hours daily, with 70% humidity and 65-85°F temperature.
• After 4-5 weeks, the cuttings shall grow small white roots. Transplant into the soil when they are 1-2 inches long.
• Select a suitable Anthurium potting mix and add 1/3 full in 6-inch wide terracotta pots.
• Place the cuttings root-deep into the soil and stiffen the soil around their roots. Make sure you place only one cutting per pot.
• Maintain the plant’s optimal temperature, humidity, lighting, and humidity needs.
• The propagation is successful if the cuttings show new growth within the next 4-5 weeks.

2. Propagation of Anthurium Splendidum via Roots Division

If your Anthurium Splendidum is bushy and has massive root development, you can propagate it by root division.

So, the best time to propagate Anthurium Splendidum via root division is during repotting sessions.

• To remove your plant from the pot, water your plant one or two nights before the propagation.
• You can also turn the pot upside down to make it easier to remove the plant. Ensure to save stems or leaves in the process.
• Remove the soil by keeping the root ball in water to reveal the roots, and start separating the clumps by cutting all the leggy lateral roots.

• You can also maintain the size of the plant by snipping all the worn and old parts along the way. 
• Add a suitable potting mix about 1/3rd full in 6-inch wide terracotta planters and root the divisions.
• Add soil from the sides and fill up to half an inch below the rim. Water the plantlets thoroughly to moisten the soil.
• Provide all the cultural needs accordingly and wait for them to flare new growth.

FAQs About Anthurium Splendidum

Why are my Anthurium Splendidum leaves turning yellow?

Usually, uneven sunlight, unbalanced temperature, lack of necessary nutrients, overwatering, and low humidity are relatable reasons for turning leaves of Anthurium Splendidum yellow.

Does Anthurium Splendidum purify the air?

Like other Anthuriums, Splendidum is also an air-purifying plant known to remove toxic pollutants from the air.

Further, Anthurium Splendidum can clean your home by removing toxins like formaldehyde and carbon dioxide.

What is the natural habitat of Anthurium Splendidum?

Anthurium Splendidum thrives in the rich, warm, moist, and lush tropical forests of Northern Columbia.