Specimen from my collection.
If you are a blogger, you may have read that there are certain colors that are not very common in nature. Indeed, many plants need pollinating animals and many pollinators need plants and have therefore adapted to them. Black is one of those colors that we see the least, because there are really very few species that are attracted to it. And so, you would think that the black anthurium is such a rare plant that it is not naturalbut artificial.
But when I saw it for sale in an online store I didn’t hesitate for a second: I had to buy it! I have had the experience of buying a dark colored plant and then realizing that it had been treated that way, but not with the black anthurium. It’s real. It produces flowers which, although not completely black, are quite close in color to this one.
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What is its origin ?
It is a cultivar of the species Anthurium andreanumi.e. its scientific name is Anthurium andreanum cv black knight. It has typical characteristics of the pure species, since it can measure more or less 1 meter high, and develops heart-shaped leaves with pointed ends. These are also leathery in texture and measure a maximum of 6 to 8 centimeters long by more or less the same width.
The flowers of this anthurium are actually an inflorescence consisting of a spathe, which is confused with a petal and which fulfills the same function as the latter. It is dark brown, almost black, and usually grows in summer. In tropical climates, it can flower all year round.. Each flower stays alive for about two months.
Black Anthurium Care Guide
We have this beautiful and, why not say it?, delicate (at least in appearance) plant, and of course we want it to live…everything that needs to live; that is, years and years. But of course, if we want that to happen, we have to learn how to take care of it; and therefore it is important that we know what your needs are. So let’s go :
- Climate: it is a plant that does not withstand the cold at all, so it must be kept indoors if during autumn and winter the temperatures remain below 15 degrees centigrade. It is not a problem, because with what I am going to tell you, it is very likely that it will not cost you much to have it beautiful inside the house.
- Light, direct or indirect? : always indirect. Light or direct sun burns the leaves, so it will be extremely important to have it either in the shade if it is going to be outdoors, or away from windows if it is going to be indoors.
- air humidity: as the anthuriums live in the humid tropical forests, when they are cultivated in dry environments it is necessary to spray their leaves daily. But be careful: if the place where you are going to have it has humidity above 50%, do not spray it with water or else it will fill with fungus.
About everything else, irrigation, land, etc., we will now tell you in detail:
When should I water the black anthurium?
This is a question that seems easy to answer, but in reality it is not. And it will depend on many factors: whether it is inside or outside the house, whether it is planted in the ground or in a pot, the season of the year in which it is, … So, for there to be no margin of error, or at least for it to be minimal, I recommend you do one thing: check the soil moisture before watering with a wooden stick.
You just have to insert it downwards. When you take it out, you will see if a lot of soil has adhered to it, in which case it would be necessary to leave the watering for another day, or if on the contrary it is almost clean and therefore it should be watered.
This, yes, it is very important that you use rainwater or low-calcareous water. In addition, when you water, you must soak the soil well so that the plant is hydrated.
What kind of land do you need?
Black anthurium is an acidic plant, so it will be planted in an acid soil with a low pH, between 4 and 6.5. If it has to be in a pot, we will put a substrate for acid plants like this, or alternatively coconut fiber, which also has a low pH.
If planted in alkaline soil, with a pH of 7 or higher, the plant would be deficient in iron, and therefore the leaves and flowers would lose their natural color. This would also happen if it is irrigated with hard water, so it must be irrigated with adequate water.
When do you have to pay it?
It will depend on the weather: if there are never frosts in our area and the temperatures stay above 18°C, we can afford it all year round. Otherwise, you will have to do it yourself. in spring and summer.
To do this, we will apply an organic fertilizer, such as mulch, manure or guano. If you are going to be at home, we may choose to apply an acid plant fertilizer like this, but in any case, you must follow the instructions for use.
When should black anthurium be transplanted?
It will be transplanted in the spring, when the roots come out of the holes in the pot., or when about 3 or 4 years have passed since the last transplant. If in doubt, what can be done is to hold the plant by the base of the stem with one hand, and the pot with the other. With the latter, we tear it off a little, just to see if the bread of earth is starting to come apart or if, on the contrary, it remains intact.
If it is well maintained, you can change its pot, or if the climate is tropical and the soil acidic, in the garden.
And you, do you have a black anthurium?