Anthurium brownii has bright green-colored leaves with yellow veins. The leaves are ruffled and are shaped like a heart and are on long petioles. Petioles are what connect the leaves with the stem.
This Anthurium was ranked amongst the top plants for its air purification attributes.
It comprises large leaves that provide an ample surface area, enabling the plant to absorb impurities in the air. This makes it a go-to indoor plant. It grows to a height between 24-36 inches or 60-90 cm.
So we now know that it is a great air purifier, but let’s look into how I care for my Anthurium brownii and how you can too.
Table of Contents
Anthurium brownii Plant Care
Anthurium brownii needs warm day temperatures of 78 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 32 degrees Celsius). Keep the environment at 80% humidity and above and provide bright indirect sunlight. The soil needs to stay slightly moist by watering weekly. As a potting mix a loose mix compromising of pine bark, charcoal, peat, and little soil is adviced.
Soil
Anthurium plants are epiphytes, meaning that they are growing on other plants and surfaces. They are therefore used to a lot of oxygen to their roots.
I use a loose potting mix compromising of pine bark, charcoal, peat, and little soil in a ratio of 2:1:1:0.5.
Anthurium brownii requires moist soil to flourish. Water the plant when the soil’s top layer almost dries out but not completely.
In other words always keep it a little moist but never soaked and soggy.
Excessive water may rot their roots, and it can die out. The soil must be carefully selected while planting.
Anthurium brownii requires neutral soil near the 6.5 pH range. They are best grown in a pot with good drainage.
Watering
Watering Anthurium brownii is easy, although a bit paradoxical. While they are tropical plants that thrive in high humidity conditions, the water requirements for Anthuriums are moderate.
Anthurium brownii has large fleshy roots that easily rot in the water-logged soil, so it needs to be watered about once a week.
When the upper layer of the soil is dry, water it thoroughly and let it sit until almost dry.
If this Anthurium gets too dry, its leaves’ tips begin turning yellow.
Anthurium brownii is a plant that regularly thrives in a bit of moist soil. However, do not let it dry out completely between each watering cycle.
Light
Anthurium brownii thrives in bright, indirect, and less intense light. Direct sun is too strong for the plant and can end up burning its leaves.
Anthurium need medium to bright light in order to survive and grow. However, the foliage will not grow in low light conditions.
The best way and process for placing an Anthurium plant is to select a spot close to a sunny window but not in harsh direct daylight. To be particular, in this case, early morning or late afternoon sun is preferred.
Temperature
Anthurium brownii grows best in day temperatures of 78 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 32 degrees Celsius), and for the night, a range of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 24 degrees Celsius) is suitable.
Above the 90 degree Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) mark could cause foliage burning and reduced life.
Night temperatures between 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 7 degrees Celsius) reduce the plant’s growth process and cause yellowing of the lower leaves.
Anthurium brownii cannot tolerate frost or phase transition conditions. These plants do best in temperatures from 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Humidity
Besides light and temperature, humidity is the most vital environmental element for Anthurium brownii.
Most Anthuriums bought as presents are hybrids generally belonging to Ecuador and Colombia.
These species develop in rain forests and want greater than 80% humidity to develop well.
Greenhouses where Anthurium brownii is grown usually require installing a humidification device in areas where the humidity outdoors drops below 70%. Improving the humidity can bring about a sizable improvement in growth.
For people working in such greenhouses and wearing eyeglasses, their glasses fog up due to condensation, which is a good indicator of the appropriate humidity conditions.
Fertilizers
Use approximately 1 gram of a complete fertilizer, for example, Osmocote 14-14-14, Nutricote 13-13-13, or Plant Food.
Artificial fertilizers are generally not preferred, and manufacturers recommend too much of them, which ends up burning your plant.
It is always better to use fertilizers in a much smaller amount than recommended. It is only a myth that the more fertilizer you give to your plant, the faster or bigger it will end up growing.
Take about 20% liquid fertilizer of the amount recommended by the manufacturer, mix it with water and then water your plant.
Ensure that water does not touch parts of the stem and leaf, is absorbed completely by the plant, or drains out of the holes in the pot.
I practice this weekly, but you can always feed your plant with the recommended amount once every few months if it seems too much work.
My Anthurium brownii grew larger and had healthier leaves when I fed it with fertilizer more often.
Use fertilizers that have better phosphorus numbers to get exceptional blooms. This clearly depicts that proper care of Anthurium brownii is not always hard.
Propagation
Anthurium brownii cannot be propagated by using leaves, but they can grow with stem cuttings that include at least one node.
Spring and Summer are the preferred seasons for propagation but I propagate my Anthurium brownii all year round and take the slower growth rate in autumn and winter in accout.
These plants are slow to grow, and cuttings usually take several months to grow to adult size.
Keep the cuttings in an enclosed glass case or plastic box with excessive humidity and heat for some weeks.
I prefer using sphagnum moss as a medium as it works great for me. Just make sure that the sphagnum moss is not overly wet at this will easily rot your cuttings.
The seeds can be grown in shallow earthenware pots packed with chopped sphagnum moss, charcoal, and sand.
For ease of propagation, some important practices can be followed.
These include scattering the seeds inside the moss, covering the pot or pan with a chunk of glass or plastic, and placing it in an area that receives all the ideal conditions required.
Growth and Blooming
The heart-shaped and shiny leaves develop up to eight inches (20 cm) long and grow from a clump within the plant’s center.
The Anthurium brownii produces bright green leaves with yellow veins. The leaves of Anthurium brownii grow year-round when it is grown with proper care and conditions are favorable.
Deadheading will assist in preserving your leaves for the duration of spring and summer. Remove the dwindled vegetation simply underneath the flower stem and leaves.
This will help boost the growth of brand new plants. If the plant turns leggy (lengthy stems and few leaves), prune the lower back alongside the stem.
Pruning
Pruning the Anthurium brownii can impact its growth positively. It also helps the plant look more attractive, thanks to the removal of discolored leaves.
Remove the dead and withered leaves and prune longer and overhanging leaves. Take the Anthurium brownii plant and start pruning from the top.
Remove any discolored or lifeless leaves. Cut the wilted or dull leaves up until the stem’s bottom.
You can also cast away wayward leaves to enhance the growth of the plant.
Tips to Keep Anthurium brownii Problem-Free
- Your Anthurium loves a moist environment, so mist your plant each day. Use a pebble tray or humidifier at some stage in the cold weather months because the air has a tendency to be a lot drier.
- Feed your plant once every four months or every season with a liquid fertilizer for indoor plants.
- All parts of the Anthurium brownii contain calcium oxalate crystals that are toxic and poisonous to pets and humans.
- The primary manner to avoid your plant from wilting is to get the watering right.
- You have to water your plant thoroughly. However, it is most effective when the soil’s top few inches dried out.
- Make sure that each pot and potting mixture permits drainage.
Common Problems with Anthurium brownii
Typically Anthurium brownii grows smoothly and without any problems. However, ever so often, you can face some unusual issues while cultivating them.
Most of the problems you may stumble upon while growing Anthurium could result from improper watering, fertilizing, or temperature control.
When growing this plant, pests and illnesses can also be a concern.
Watering
Improper watering can allow fungus to harm your Anthurium.
Fungus and different anaerobic microorganisms multiply if the air is not always allowed to penetrate to the roots of plants and the roots of the plant remain waterlogged due to excessive watering.
Fertilization
You can make use of fertilizer to improve the growth of your plant. However, an excessive amount of fertilizer can cause problems.
When you use too much fertilizer, the soil turns alkaline. Over-fertilization burns the leaves, and brown spots start spreading all over the fringes, subsequently destroying entire leaves.
Temperature
Anthurium brownii growing in summer at extreme temperatures of 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 32 degrees Celsius) may get harmed or die outdoors.
If the temperature at which the plant is grown falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), the leaves become limp and yellow and begin to fall off.
Light
The more indirect sunlight your Anthurium plant receives, the greater leaves your plant will generate – however direct daylight will negatively affect your leaves, drying them and killing the plant.
Anthurium brownii has thick leaves, and an excessive amount of direct sunlight on the plant ends in sunburnt leaves.
Pest and Diseases
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are insects that produce a white protective powdery layer over the plant and effectively hide.
They like living in safe places of the plant, such as zones where the branches join or on the underside of the leaves.
They consume the nutrition from plants and deplete the fluid and organic matter of the Anthurium until the plant withers and dies.
Aphids
Aphids are pests that can be found in various colors, such as brown, green, red, or black. They are insects that feed on the plant’s body and pull out its sap.
Yellow and changing leaves, slow growth, and a black sticky substance on the Anthurium may additionally confirm that you have aphids.
As they feed, they produce a sticky element called honeydew, soon infested with black mold.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anthurium brownii Care
Is Anthurium brownii toxic?
Anthurium brownii is a toxic plant. Hence, make sure your young kids and pets don’t reach it. However, it is not fatal unless it is ingested in a very large amount.
Conclusion
Anthurium brownii is an exceptional gift of nature. The growth and owning of this plant demand very little time, patience, or responsibility.
You get awarded with a stunning Anthurium with the most magnificent looking heart-shaped leaves of decent size.
In the right care this Anthurium will bloom freuqently.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.