Purple Anthurium: Ultimate Grow & Care Guide

Anthurium comes in over 1,000 different types, but the most popular is Anthurium andreanum (Purple Anthurium), which has heart-shaped leaves and glossy blooms in various colors.

You’ll love to have the exotic Purple Anthurium among such varieties and colors of the beautiful plant in your collection.

There are a few things to consider when caring for Anthurium plants. Fortunately, Anthuriums are easy to care for and thrive in the right circumstances.

But if you want your Purple Anthurium to thrive, keep reading, and I’ll show you how to make the most of this lovely plant.

Overview of Purple Anthurium

Anthurium andraeanum, often known as a flamingo lily or painter’s palette, is a Colombian and Ecuadorian native.

Similarly, the Araceae family is an epiphytic evergreen tropical perennial with lovely waxy, palette-shaped bright red spathes and dark green leaves.

Anthurium is highly effective in removing formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, and xylene.

Where to Buy Purple Anthurium?

A variety of Anthuriums are available from various online vendors and nurseries, and Purple Anthuriums are also one of them.

You may get them at a fair price, with rapid delivery and low shipping costs.

Here is a list of online shops and nurseries where you can get your hand on the beautiful Purple Anthuriums.

Purple Anthurium: Ultimate Grow & Care Guide

Flowering plants, especially those grown indoors, are considered more sensitive to their general health.

Similarly, there are a few things to note before beginning on the path to a satisfied Anthurium.

Here is a collection of helpful hints for caring for your Purple Anthurium.

1. Adequate Sunlight and Proper Location

Anthurium andraeanum, also known as Purple Anthurium, is one of the best-known tropical plants, a Colombian and Ecuadorian native.

Despite being a tropical plant, one should know that direct sunlight will lead the luscious leaves of your plant to be burnt.

Similarly, your Anthuriums will also survive in low lights. However, the soft light conditioning will not be sufficient for your Purple Anthuriums to bloom.

Purple Anthurium might suffer from several issues if it does not get suitable sunlight.

Issues with Excessive Lighting

• Leaves will have brown tips and burned spots
• Loss of foliage color
• Pale foliage

Issues with Under Lighting

• Slender growth of the stem
• Slowed growth
• Wilting and drooping of leaves

Tips for Getting Sufficient Sunlight and Proper Location

• Place your Purple Anthurium in an east-facing window to receive 2-hours of early indirect sunlight.
• To adjust for imbalanced light intake, rotate the plant in the precise place every week.
• Use artificial grow lights, such as LED grow lights, for at least 7-8 hours when the weather or location does not allow much sunshine.
• Situate the plant in the southeast corner, at least 3 feet from the window.

2. Weekly Watering

Water your Purple Anthurium just enough to keep the soil wet all year, but not too much. Anthurium does not grow well in damp or dry soil.

It allows the soil to dry completely before being watered again.

Likewise, when the plant becomes dormant during the winter, the Anthurium will probably only need to be watered every two weeks.

Avoid drowning the plant by overwatering it. Anthuriums are subject to root rot if the soil is wet for an extended period.

Allowing the soil to dry up too much, on the other hand, can limit the plant’s development and make it more difficult for the roots to rehydrate.

Tips to Water Purple Anthurium Properly

• Before watering an Anthurium, let the top 2 inches of soil dry off.
• Always use a potting mix that drains appropriately and a container with plenty of drainage holes.
• Constantly water until clean water flows from the drain holes at the bottom.
• Monitor the moisture level of the soil with a soil moisture sensor. Anything above 7 implies that the plant has been overwatered in the device.
• Likewise, avoid overhead watering your Anthurium. It severely restricts the supply of oxygen to the roots of your plant.
• It is important to avoid partial watering. Instead, make sure to rotate your plant when watering.

Here is a list of 10 Cute Mini Watering Cans for your Indoor Plants to make your gardening aesthetic!

3. Warm Temperature

It’s no wonder the Anthurium enjoys warmer average temperatures because it’s a tropical species.

If you wish to take your Purple Anthurium outside when the weather warms up in the spring, be careful to bring it back inside when nighttime temperatures drop below 50°F (10°C) to avoid damage.

Anything that is either too hot or too cold will stress the plant, resulting in yellowing, curled, and discolored leaves and reduced development in the cold-stressed plant.

If the temperature in your residence drops below 61 degrees F (16 degrees C), the plant will suffer from various issues such as;

• Minimization of Anthurium’s enzyme activity
• Stem and Root rotting
• Droopy or curled leaves
• Leaves discoloration

Tips to Maintain Warm Temperature for Purple Anthurium

• Place your Anthurium beside a double-glazed window to guarantee that it receives enough light.
• In the fall and winter, bring the plant inside and leave it there until the possibility of frost has passed.
• Alternatively, use a frost blanket to protect the plant from cold stress.
• Keep them away from heaters and radiator shelves in the winter because open flames and central heating could harm the plant.
• Regularly check the soil for dryness as the temperature rises over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and increases the watering frequency.
• Warm the soil using heating pads for tiny plants in cold weather.
• One of the easiest and simple ways to maintain a warm temperature is to mist your Anthurium during warm days occasionally.

4. High Humidity

Another essential requirement for tropical plants is a high level of humidity. If you want to keep a tropical plant alive at home, you’ll need to increase the humidity.

Keeping the humidity level at about 80% is preferable for your Purple Anthurium.

However, if the humidity level is not suitable, your Purple Anthurium might suffer from these issues.

• Leaves having brown tips
• Loss of water from the plant’s body and soil mix
• Leaves will curl and wilt

Tips to Maintain High Humidity for Purple Anthurium

• Place the plant in a room or a greenhouse with other plants to increase humidity naturally.
• Consider installing an electric humidifier in the room to help many plants thrive.
• Consider setting the pot on a tray with stones and water to let it absorb moisture naturally.
• Group your plants to boost the humidity for your purple Anthurium in your home.
• Otherwise, mist the plant leaves often during the spring and summer to increase the humidity naturally surrounding the plant.

5. Well-Draining Potting Mix

Anthuriums thrive best on coarse, well-drained, and fertile soils with organic matter, such as compost or ground bark, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.

Similarly, you can rely on store-bought Orchid potting mix and add coarse items like pumice, coconut husks, and perlite to enhance the drainage quality.

Similarly, if you don’t want to prepare your own, a commercial potting mix or orchid mix would suffice. However, don’t use potting soil since it’s too thick and holds too much moisture, leading to rot.

Here is a well-known recipe for your Anthurium to thrive:

• 50% Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Mix
• 20% Peat Moss
• 20% Orchid Potting Mix
• 10% Perlite

Here are a few of the soil recommendations for your Purple Anthurium;

Espoma OR4 Organic Orchid Mix Potting Soil	Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix
SUNGRO Natural & Organic Potting Mix	Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix

6. Balanced Fertilizer

To keep it healthy and blooming, it is vital to fertilize your Purple Anthurium.

Similarly, diluting the fertilizer to 1/4 strength once a month is essential throughout the spring and summer. If you don’t dilute the fertilizer, the Purple Anthurium won’t tolerate it and will burn.

The ideal fertilizers are liquid; however, you can also apply slow-release fertilizers.

However, be mindful of overfertilization. Chemical fertilizer salt buildup has the potential to kill your plant.

Here are some signs of under and over-fertilizing the plant;

Underfertilization Issues

• Leaves will be limping and drooping
• Plant development slows and gets stunted
• Leaves have brown edges

Overfertilization Issues

• Over-fertilization weakens the plant, making it subject to pests and disease.
• Salt formation and buildup in the soil
• Burning of roots and leaves

Here are a few fertilizer recommendations for your Purple Anthurium:

• Florikan 16-5-11 NPK MAX 180 Day Timed Release Fertilizer.
• Indoor Plant Food by E Z-GRO 15-30-15 (P.T.)
• Jobe’s Organics 09524 Purpose Granular Fertilizer

You may also feed your Anthurium plant using the organic materials listed below:

• Eggshells: Boiling eggshells in water and rinsing Anthurium provides calcium to the plant. Calcium is necessary for the development of a solid cellular structure. Similarly, you may also smash the eggshells and place them straight in the potting mix while repotting.
• Chicken/Fish Bone: Phosphorus is abundant in fish and chicken bones, which are excellent supplies for your Anthurium. In a blender, you may crush the chicken or fishbone. You can also cook the bones, break them into tiny pieces, and spread them in fertilizer.

Tips to Fertilize Purple Anthurium Properly

• Choose a high phosphorus concentration for your Anthurium, e.g., a 1:2:1 ratio.
• Apply granular or liquid fertilizer at 1/4 strength.
• It is important not to directly fertilize the foliage as it can cause burning in your Anthurium.
• Feed your Purple Anthurium with balanced liquid fertilizer during its growing season. However, avoid fertilizing them in winter.

7. Growth Habits of Purple Anthurium

Most Anthuriums do not grow rapidly; thus, reaching their maximum sizes will take some time.

The unique purple-blooming variety Anthurium reaches a mature height of 12 to 18 inches, with 16 inches being the norm. Similarly, they’re also only around a foot wide.

The Purple Anthurium is rich in big leaves, heart-shaped bracts, and slender flower clusters. Likewise, a spathe and spadix, also known as a flower or inflorescence, are seen on Anthurium plants.

Many Anthurium growers claim that the flowering period lasts roughly three months, followed by another three months of only the vast leaves.

Due to its vast growth, you’ll need to transfer the plant to a larger plant every two to three years.

8. Blooming Habit

One of the most prominent features of the Purple Anthurium is the plant’s waxy Purple heart-shaped bracts or spathes, born on long stems.

The stunning bracts are modified leaves rather than the plant’s blooms.

Instead, real flowers are the little bumps that develop along the spadix, a finger-like protrusion that rises from the spathe.

If given enough light and care, Anthurium blossoms may live for more than three months and produce fresh blooms all year. However, in the winter, they will produce fewer blooms.

Anthurium plants only produce approximately six flowers every flowering cycle, so don’t anticipate yours overflowing with blossoms.

The blooms are long-lasting for around 6-12 weeks and vibrant and bright.

9. Potting and Repotting Purple Anthurium

It is time to repot your Purple Anthurium if it’s exhibiting indications of outgrowing its container.

Repot your Purple Anthurium every two to three years for optimum growth.

In addition, you can repot, when the root system begins to grow out of the bottom drain holes of the pot or begins to wrap in a circular pattern.

Similarly, it is vital to choose the right pot before repotting.

Purple Anthurium will thrive in ceramic or terracotta pots with 2-3 drainage holes because they provide proper soil temperature,  aeration, and moisture.

Indications for Purple Anthurium Repotting

• The roots have poked their heads out of the drainage holes.
• Root rot, either bacterial or fungal, has affected the plant.
• Yellowing leaves, withering, and stunted development are signs that the plant has gotten root-bound to the pot.
• Even after watering, the foliage is wilting.
• Lastly, the soil mix has lightened, gotten harder, and compacted.

Steps to Repot Purple Anthurium

• Assemble a container one size larger than the one you’re using now.
• The new container’s diameter should be an inch or two (2.5-5 cm) bigger than the old one.
• Similarly, to prevent potting soil from escaping through the drainage hole, cover it with a tiny piece of paper towel or a rock.
• Use a light, loose medium potting mix that resembles the plant’s present potting mix.
• Fill the new container halfway with fresh potting soil, just enough to bring the top of the Anthurium’s rootball to within an inch of the container’s rim.
• Carefully remove the Anthurium from its present container.
• To loosen the roots, gently probe the tight rootball with your fingertips.
• Similarly, fill up around the root ball with potting soil after placing the Anthurium in the pot. Lightly compact the potting mix with your fingers.
• Lightly water the soil to settle it, and add more potting soil if necessary.
• For a few days, place the plant in a shaded spot. Don’t worry if the plant appears wilted in the first few days. When repotting anthuriums, slight wilting is common.

Note: After repotting an Anthurium, wait a few months before fertilizing to give the plant time to adjust to its new home.

Also, watch the full video to get more information,

9. Necessary Pruning

Anthuriums do not require much pruning. Because the spadix frequently sheds pollen, some people prefer to prune it to avoid any mess and prolong the beautiful spathe.

The smooth, glossy leaves attract dust, so clean them with a soft cloth or spritz them with warm water regularly.

You should trim your Anthuriums regularly to maintain them tall and balanced. You don’t have to worry about the perfect time for pruning, as it is possible any time of year.

Allowing the plant’s older growth to stay on might cause the stem to flex and limit development.

Tips to Prune Purple Anthurium Properly

• Start using high-quality cutting equipment and wipe cutting instruments with rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution between each cut to avoid bacterial infection.
• Examine your Anthurium plant carefully, then start trimming from the top down.
• Similarly, remove any leaves that are discolored or dead.
• Cut wilted or dead blooms down to the stem’s base.
• Remove suckers from the base of Anthuriums; otherwise, they will drain the plant’s energy, resulting in smaller flowers.
• Trim suckers when they’re little; big suckers might cause harm to the plant’s roots.

Note: When pruning Anthurium, be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from the sap, which can cause mild skin irritations.

Toxicity of Purple Anthurium

According to ASPCA, Purple Anthurium is poisonous to cats, dogs, and horses.

All components of the Flamingo Lily are poisonous to your pets. The stem, flowers, seeds, leaves, and roots include in this category.

When eaten or consumed by pets, calcium oxalate crystals in Anthurium can cause severe discomfort and inflammation in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.

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

So, inspect your houseplants carefully if you’re a fan of plants and animals!

Note: If you feel your pet has ingested a potentially harmful substance, contact the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435 or your local veterinarian right once.

Prevent your Pets from Eating Purple Anthurium

• Spray diluted lemon juice or orange oil straight over the foliage.
• Create a plant chamber and shut the door to keep your dogs out.
• Your pet will leave if you sprinkle cayenne pepper on the leaves of your houseplants.
• You may also cover the soil with large pebbles or stones around the base of the plants to prevent digging.

Methods to Propagate Purple Anthurium

Root division is the most straightforward, fastest, and dependable technique to propagate Purple Anthurium.

Similarly, you can also propagate Purple Anthurium via stem cuttings. However, root division propagation is more effective than stem cuttings.

Before beginning your propagation, here are a few things you’ll need to go through:

Propagate Purple Anthurium Via Root Division

• Fill the new vessels with potting mix until they’re about 1/2 percent filled. Anthuriums require loose, breathable soil, so don’t pack it too tightly.
• Then, to release your Anthurium, get a stronghold on the base of the central stem cluster and turn the pot upside down.
• Gently wipe the potting mix from the plant’s roots. You may also wash the roots with water.
• At the place where you wish to split your Anthurium, look for a junction between two stems.
• Take the two sides of the plant by the base of the stems and carefully pull them apart. To prevent tearing the plant’s roots, go carefully and steadily.
• If it’s too twisted to separate by hand, finish the process with pruning shears.
• Remove any wilting or decaying leaves or stems. If the roots are too lengthy for the new pots, you can clip them down.
• Plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Every few days, check to see if the potting mix’s top inch or two has dried; if it has, thoroughly waters it.

Propagate Purple Anthurium Via Stem Cuttings

To grow Anthurium by stem cuttings, you’ll need the actual stalk with two or more nodes – one for roots and another for leaves.

Prepare Stem Cuttings

• Begin with healthy, green-looking stems with one or more nodes (leaf nodes).
• Find a six-inch-long stem with two or more leaves attached from a healthy parent plant that you want to propagate.
• Using a sterile pruning shear or scissor, make a horizontal or vertical cut between the bottom node.
• Place the cutting in a glass container or plastic box and keep it somewhere warm.
• Apply some rooting hormones to the cuttings to help increase the chance of roots.

Propagation in Potting Mix

• Fill a small 3-inch-diameter pot halfway with potting mix and sphagnum peat moss.
• Make sure the mix isn’t too damp.
• To keep the stem cutting moist, place it into a smaller hole in the potting mix and cover it with a clear plastic bag.
• Double-check that the cutting is buried directly in the soil. It should be around two or three inches deep, with the leaves on top of the soil.
• To prevent the top layer of soil from drying up, thoroughly soak the soil with water and apply moisture every other day.
• Keep it in a well-lit area with plenty of indirect sunlight and a temperature of around 70°F.

Propagation in Water

• Fill a clear glass or small jar halfway with distilled water.
• Submerge the stem cutting’s bottom node in water.
• Put it in a warm place with plenty of indirect sunlight.
• Replace the water in the jar every 5-7 days or if it becomes brownish.
• You may observe new roots within a month. Allow them to develop until they reach a length of at least 1 inch.

It might take anywhere from four to six weeks for roots to appear. Slow down your watering regimen and nurture it as if it were a mature Anthurium at this stage.

Common Problems in Purple Anthurium

Like any other plant, Purple Anthurium is susceptible to various pests and diseases.

But don’t worry. We’ve covered you with the signs and symptoms of such problems and remedies!

1. Common Pests

Sucking insects are the most common anthurium pests. The chewing category of bugs isn’t usually troubled by their thick leaves.

Here are a few significant pests of Anthurium:

MealyBugs

Mealybugs appear on plant leaves as tiny, flat, oval white dots. They also have a powdered or fuzzy appearance. Similarly, they frequently leave a cotton-like white residue on the leaves of plants.

Mealybugs will suffocate your houseplant, leaving an ugly white residue and blotches on the foliage.

Aphids

Aphids are a common bug that you may find on almost any plant in your yard or garden.

Similarly, they can be identified by yellowing and deformed leaves, reduced development, and an ugly black and sticky material on the plant.

They exude a sticky liquid called honeydew as they eat, which quickly becomes infected with black sooty mold.

Thrips

Thrips, also known as Thysanoptera, are small, thin insects with fringed wings that feed on other insects by puncturing them and sucking their insides.

However, some of them feed on a plant’s buds and leaves. Similarly, it results in deformed plant parts, black spots, and thrips feces.

Scale

Scale insects prefer warm, dry environments. The scale insect is small, spherical, and flat, with a protective tan to brown shell-like covering.

They’re so strangely shaped and motionless that they look more like shell-like lumps than insects. Scales prefer to reside on the undersides of the leaves and the regions around the leaf joint.

In many situations, severe infestations go undiscovered until the plants exhibit signs of harm. Large populations can cause poor growth, vigor loss, and chlorotic (yellow) leaves.

Spider mites

Spider mites thrive in hot, dry environments. In large populations of Spider mites, fine webbing is an indicator.

It is vital to treat a damaged plant as soon as possible with a spider mite treatment to keep the plant looking its best and healthiest.

Solutions

• Wipe the insects from the plant using a cotton ball dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Use the solution after diluting it with an equal amount of water.
• Handpicking is also an excellent way to eliminate the pest’s limited population in Anthurium.
• Spray the pests with a forceful water stream to get rid of them. To prevent plants from being overwatered, cover the soil with plastic.
• Similarly, you can control pests with yellow sticky traps.
• In the case of a severe infestation, pyrethrin spray can help control the bugs.
• For pest infection, you can also use organic pesticides like neem oil and horticulture oil.

Preventive Measures

• Before bringing new plants to your collection, inspect and quarantine them.
• Plants with high nitrogen levels and slow development attract pests, so don’t overwater or fertilize.
• Allow enough space around the plant for air to flow freely.
• Once a month, give your plant a good wash with clean water to eliminate pests.
• Remove weeds and grass from around plant areas to eliminate thrips’ alternate hosts.

2. Common Diseases

Like any other tropical plant, Purple Anthurium is susceptible to fungal and bacterial disease, mainly caused by improper growing conditions.

Rhizoctonia, Pythium, Phytophthora Root Rot, Bacterial Wilt, and other diseases are common in Anthurium.

Bacterial Diseases

Fungal Diseases

Solutions

• Copper-based fungicides, such as Benomyl or Mancozeb, effectively treat the infection.
• If the plant has root rot, repotting is the best treatment.
• Similarly, you should increase air circulation around the plant by loosening the soil mix.
• Agrimycin can also be used to treat bacterial infections.
• Using fertilizers or fungicides with phosphorus acid might help prevent and cure the infection, but they aren’t effective for systemically infected plants.
• Using fungicides containing thiophanate methyl, Medallion (fludioxonil), and Prostar (flutolanil) may be effective against Rhizoctonia root rot.
• To combat Phytophthora and Pythium, fungicides such as mefenoxam, aluminum tris/Fosetyl-al, dimethomorph, and phosphorous acid may be applied.

Preventive Measures

• Remove infected leaves and canes from the garden to avoid the black spot from returning the following season.
• Avoid overwatering and overfertilization.
• Avoid misting the plant at night.
• Fixed copper or streptomycin is an efficient antibacterial that should be applied weekly during rainy weather when leaves and shoots develop.
• Lastly, keep your sanitation practices as straightforward as feasible. Clean and de-soil tools regularly.