Pigtail anthurium (Anthurium scherzerianum) is a houseplant that will grow from 30 to 46 cm in height. It produces a showy red flower consisting of a reddish-orange spathe or leaf, and a pale orange spadix, which is coiled to look like a pig’s tail. This plant is toxic to dogs and cats, and its leaves can cause skin irritation. Grows best in partial shade to full shade.
I. Appearance and CharacteristicsÂ
Anthurium scherzerianum, the flamingo flower or pigtail plant, is a species of Anthurium (family Araceae) native to Costa Rica. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit as an ornamental houseplant, kept at 15 °C (60 °F) or higher. It is naturally an epiphyte, growing on trees in the rainforest.
Anthurium scherzerianum typically reaches 30–45 cm (12–18 in) tall. Its most striking feature is its orange-red curly spadix. It produces shiny, lance-shaped leaves about 20 cm (8 in) long. Common pests include mealybugs, aphids, and soft scale. When growing indoors, it needs bright indirect sunlight for 10 to 12 hours a day depending on the season. If the light is not bright enough, the number of flowers (flower density) will be very less. While often grown as a houseplant, it may be grown outdoors in the US in USDA hardiness zones 11 and 12.
II. How to Grow and Care
Light and Temperature
This plant will tolerate most amounts of light, though it does have a preference if you want those gorgeous blooms. Bright, indirect sunlight is the best. Too little and it won’t bloom for you. Too much and you’ll have leggier leaves.
Ideal temperatures for flamingo flowers range between 75 and 85°F (24 to 29°C) during the day and 70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C) at night. Cooler and warmer temperatures are tolerable, but freezing weather will quickly kill a plant. High heat is not ideal and can damage your flamingo flowers.
Water and Humidity
The leaves will tell you when your watering habits need to change. It likes to be watered thoroughly but allowed to dry a bit between times. Don’t let it go too long or the leaf tips will burn brown and the roots will suffer. Watering more than every 3 days will result in yellowing leaves and root rot. Watering once per week is often sufficient.
Because this is a tropical plant, you’ll need to provide at least 80% humidity. A daily spritzing with distilled water will help. Plant humidifiers are also great for providing adequate humidity.
Soil
Pigtail anthurium requires well-drained but moist culture media that is rich in organic matter, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Pigtail anthurium has semi-fleshy aerial roots that are prone to rot in standing water, so it is recommended that permeable and loose culture media is used to plant them in, such as sphagnum moss or coco coir. Appropriate garden soil and organic matter can be added to improve the water retention of this culture media. An appropriate mixture would be 1/2 sphagnum moss plus 1/4 coco coir plus 1/4 garden soil, for example. Compost that is suitable for anthurium or orchids can also be purchased. It is recommended to repot once a year and replace the soil at least every two years to prevent water accumulation in the pot affecting plant growth.
Fertilizing
Pigtail anthurium should be fertilized every three or four months. The early spring, when repotting is performed, is also the ideal time to add fertilizer. It is recommended that slow-release fertilizer is mixed in well with the culture medium. In the spring, the soil moisture is sufficient with little leaching by rainwater; the plant roots thus absorb and utilize the nutrients in soil highly efficiently. This can effectively promote plant growth. At other times of the year, liquid fertilizer can be applied, but there is no need to add fertilizer during the winter. Being over fertilized, their leaves may turn yellow. In this case, avoid adding fertilizer for a while. Besides, phosphorus fertilizers can be used to promote the flowering of plants.
Planting Instructions
Pruning
Not a lot of pruning is needed, except for the odd removal of dead foliage and blooms near the base of the plant. Take extra care not to damage the stem during removal.
Propagation
Making new flamingo plants is best done in the spring. You can propagate the flamingo flower by division and by offsets. I don’t know about you, but I am not that patient when I’m looking to be hospitable to my fellow plant lovers.
Simply remove the plant from its pot, and locate the offshoots. Then divide them by gently pulling them from the mother plant. Then pot them up in separate pots suited to their size in the same kind of potting media the parent plant is in.
Repotting
If your plant is showing signs of being rootbound (roots poking out of the drainage hole is definitely a sign), it’s time to repot. Springtime is the best time, as long as the plant is not severely rootbound. If that’s the case, don’t wait. You might lose the plant.
Water your baby well a few hours beforehand to make it easier on you and the roots. After sliding it out of its old pot, give the roots a little tickle to loosen them. If you hear giggles, see a doctor.​
With a bit of soil in the bottom of the new pot, fill in around the root ball with more soil. Water to settle, then add more soil as needed. Be certain the top of root ball is at the same level as it was in its old container to avoid rot.​
Skip the fertilizer for a month or two. Don’t be surprised if your anthurium flower seems a little depressed and wilted at first. It’ll perk up as it settles into its new digs.​
Pests and Diseases
- Growing Problems
Too little light and your flamingo flower plant won’t bloom for you. Too much and you’ll have leggier leaves. Couple too much light with little water, and you may see leaf scorching. Those plants in too little light with too much water may have brown and wilted leaves.
- Common Pests
Expect the typical houseplant issues of aphids, spider mites, thrips, scale, and mealy bugs. In many cases, a bit of neem oil can take care of infestation issues, as well as control of household humidity, temperature, and light levels.
You can start your treatment, however, by wiping spider mites and aphids off the plant with a damp cloth. Scale insects and thrips of all kinds can be popped off the plant with a q-tip soaked in alcohol. Lightly mist the plant with insecticidal soap or neem oil after ridding it of pests.
Fungus gnat larvae may damage roots and weaken the plant overall. Try soaking the soil with neem oil diluted in water to 1/4 strength. If the problem persists, applications of beneficial nematodes help.
- Common Diseases
Root rot is a condition that can develop in times when the plant remains damp for too long. In cases of rot, you may notice brown, wilted leaves, and a browning, mushy stem. Stop watering and remove damaged foliage for a while to see if the problem persists. If it does, take the plant out of the pot, and repot it in fresh media. Continue to monitor until the problem has passed.
Blight can develop on leaves, making the margins look browned with an amorphous yellow border. There is no cure for this disease. Your best bet is to give your plant the best possible care, and remove any blight affected areas as they crop up.
III. Uses and BenefitsÂ
Because of its unique ornamental flowers, pigtail anthurium is prized as both a potted houseplant and as an addition to shady tropical gardens. Both the foliage and the flower bloom year-round in the right conditions, namely in locations with plenty of heat and humidity. It works well as a specimen plant or clustered border plant when grown outdoors.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
Given a suitable environment, pigtail anthurium can bloom all year round, every three months. Flowering may decrease during the winter due to the reduction in light. However, as the light levels gradually increase in the spring, pigtail anthurium will wake up from its dormancy and the dark green leaves will appear, followed by another flowering period. The ornamental period of the flowers is relatively long. Each flower/spathe can be appreciated for one or two months before being cut. They then have a vase life of between 20 and 40 days. When picking the flowers, use sharp garden secateurs and cut the entire stalk. Prune the bottom of the stem at a 45° angle to increase the area for water absorption. Then, to avoid water loss, promptly put it in a vase with clean water.
