Anthurium Veitchii is often referred to as the King Anthurium. After I have written one of the last blogposts about the Queen Anthurium it is now time for the King.
The Veitchii is native to the South American Rainforests of Columbia. It is an epiphyte growing on other trees in nature.
This plant gets humongous leaves up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) long. The leaves are strongly corrugated and look somewhat like nice abdominal abs.
Anthurium Veitchii Care is easy
Anthurium Veitchii Care Guide
Soil
Anthurium Veitchii is an epiphyte. This means that it is a plant that is growing on other trees without soil.
Epiphytes get their nutrients from the wind, rain, and debris such as leaf litter in tree branches.
The conditions of how the Anthurium Veitchii lives in nature heavily influences how these plants are best cared for as houseplants.
The Veitchii is an aroid. Aroid plants develop a spathe and a spadix. This is a group of plants consisting of the genus Monstera, Philodendron, Anthurium, and many others.
These plants need very airy soil that is well-draining. This allows for air pockets to form as roots need air circulation to not develop root rot.
You can have a look at my article on how to come up with an airy soil mix.
General soil ingredients that lead to a great mix for aroids are:
- Perlite
- Orchid bark
- Peat moss or Coconut coir
- Sphagnum moss
- Activated charcoal
- Volcanic rock
Perlite and Orchid bark, as well as volcanic rock and activated charcoal, will ensure that the mix is airy and well-draining. Peat moss, as well as Coconut coir, ensure that the soil mix retains moisture and nutrients. Charcoal is a great way to further increase the airiness of the soil and remove bad smell and toxins.
A different approach is to grow Anthurium Veitchii in 100% Spaghnum moss. This is how I personally grow my King Anthurium.
The benefit is that it is simple and it is working quite well. However, as the Sphagnum Moss itself does not contain any nutrients, it is important to fertilize regularly.
Light
Bright filtered light is best. Anthurium Veitchii is growing near the top of trees where it gets a lot of natural sunlight that is filtered through the treetops and leaves.
Avoid direct sunlight as this can destroy the leaves of your houseplant.
A good window direction is an east-facing window as it will get loads of indirect light throughout the day.
Read more about sunlight and window direction here.
Watering
I water my Anthurium Veitchii once a week. However, depending on the soil medium you are using as well as the conditions your plant is growing in you might have to water your plant more, less or also once a week.
If you are growing your Veitchii in very humid conditions with a high air humidity you might have to water your plant less often.
Growing the King Anthurium in very dry conditions and with a very chunky soil mix will require much more frequent waterings.
I think you get the idea. Over time you will develop a rhythm of how often you need to water your indoor plants to keep them happy.
A good rule of thumb is to always check the medium before your water. If it is still pretty wet, watering again is never a good idea.
Temperature
Anthurium Veitchii grows best in cooler temperatures. A temperature range between 59°F (15°C) and 79°F (26°C) is a good choice.
Temperature below 59°F (15°C) for extended times is not tolerated by the Anthurium Veitchii. This is too cold.
The cooler months are the months where your Veitchii will grow the best.
Humidity
High humidity is a must when caring for Anthurium Veitchii. Keep the humidity above >60%.
It is important to allow for sufficient airflow at the same time as too much water on the leaves can damage them and lead to a bacterial infection.
There are multiple ways to increased the humidity for your plant:
Put your plants closely together: Putting plants close to each other will ensure that the humidity where the plants are placed is increased.
Use a Pebble tray: The good old pebble tray filled with water below the pot of your plant is another good way to make sure that the humidity is increased for the Anthurium Veitchii.
A humidifier: The best option is to use a humidifier from my point of view. I am personally using a Levoit Ultrasonic Humidifier.
It can be set up to a humidity of 80% and has an auto setting. Whenever the humidity is dropping below 80%, it will turn on and stop once 80% is reached.
To be exact, I think it has a 5% threshold. So once the humidity falls to 75% it will turn on when setting it to 80%.
A closed plastic container: Keeping a certain humidity does neither have to be expensive nor complicated. A single plastic container with a lid is sufficient to keep a constant high humidity for an extended time.
The only disadvantages are that it might not be extremely aesthetic on one hand and depending on the size of your plant it might not be an option.
I personally spray a few times into the container, put some Sphagnum moss in it, and then close the lid entirely.
I will open every few days to allow for air exchange and to prevent that the air becomes stagnant. This keeps the humidity at 90% and above for weeks.
A terrarium: A terrarium or bioactive vivarium is a fantastic way to keep your tropical plants happy.
Depending on the size of the terrarium you can accommodate in your home (especially the height is relevant), this can be a fantastic solution.
It is much easier to create a climate and proper conditions without you having to live in a tropical jungle in your four walls yourself.
If you are serious about keeping your Anthurium Veitchii in the best conditions possible using high humidity, the best options are a terrarium, a closed container, or a humidifier in my personal opinion.
As the Anthurium Veitchii can grow large in terms of leaf size, the humidifier used in your room or an indoor grow tent is often the best option.
Fertilizer
It is often described that Anthurium plants need little fertilizer since they are epiphytes in nature and have to survive with the little nutrients they get from wind, water, and debris in tree branches.
I disagree as I think frequent fertilization is key to keep your indoor plants happy and for them to grow towards their full potential in terms of size.
This also applies to the Anthurium Veitchii.
In addition, you don’t have debris and leaf litter at home and the winds won’t bring any nutrients either.
So what I suggest is a water-soluble fertilizer with NPK values 9-3-6 or 12-12-12 that you are using every second watering.
Propagation
There isn’t much information around on how you best propagate an Anthurium Veitchii.
The most viable option from my experience is to stem propagate Anthuriums. This means cutting off a section of the stem of your plant with nodes and roots.
Other options are seed and tissue cutting propagation. The first one will require you to have a pollinated plant that produces seeds and the second one requires laboratory equipment.
So the best and easiest method is taking a stem cutting fro your Anthurium Veitchii.
Growth
The Anthurium Veitchii is growing as slow as molasses for me. This is not a plant playing in the one leaf a month club.
My plant produces a new leaf about every 3 months max. This easily makes it the slowest growing plant in my collection apart from the cacti I own.
However, we have to take its full potential into consideration. The Anthurium Veitchii is said to grow leaves bigger than life.
The leaves can grow up to a size of 6.6 feet (2 meters). This is likely taller than you, assuming that you are not playing in the NBA.
Potting
If you want to provide the best care possible for your Anthurium Veitchii, provide your plant with an Orchid basket.
Orchid baskets are the closest thing to growing in tree branches. The plants have the possibility to attach their roots to the wood.
Furthermore, the space between the wood is perfect to allow for sufficient airflow.
My Anthurium Veitchii growing loads of roots in airy aroid mix. You could say it is slightly pot-bound
Anthurium Veitchii Propagation
I am no expert in Anthurium propagation but the way these plants can be propagated is similar to most aroids. The most straight forward way is to take stem cuttings.
Ensure that you have a node and hopefully already a few roots of air roots as this will make the propagation process not only quicker but also raises the probability of being successful.
Another way of propagating this plant is by stem division. This will highly depend on how bushy your plant already is and how big the cluster of stems has developed.
Last but not least are Micropropagation and course the propagation from seeds.
The challenge with seeds that they are very hard to get and the chance to get scammed on the internet is high.
A good rule of thumb is to never buy seeds online, at least for now. It might be different 10 years down the road but as of now, this is rarely a good idea.
Most seeds are just good for feeding birds or if you like to watch grass growing, know yourself out on the opportunity.
Let’s get back to the seeds thing. So we learned that you may have to produce your own seeds.
For this, you will have to pollinate your own plant which requires two blooms at the same time or you freezing pollen to propagate a blooming Anthurium Veitchii.
A big advantage according to the University of Hawaii is that the propagation from seeds will not produce exact clones and will lead to a lot of variation in terms of color, texture, size and flower.
A whole different ballgame is micropropagation. You do not need to be a scientist or have a laboratory, but you will need laboratory equipment to be able to keep everything sterile.
Anthurium Veitchii is known for being cloned or micropropagated which made it more readily available and affordable.
You can conclude from this section that taking stem cuttings is probably the way to go (unless you can divide the plant).
Here is a step-by-step tutorial to propagate an Anthurium Veitchii by stem propagation:
- Find a section on your plant that you can propagate. You will need at least one node
- If you can identify a section with roots or air roots and a leaf, even better
- Get your pruning shears or knife ready
- Disinfect the blade using rubbing alcohol and hold it under a flame for a few seconds. This will avoid that you pass on any pathogens or diseases
- Take a clean cutting and use cinnamon on the wounds to distinct and protect the wounds
- Put your cutting in Sphagnum moss or water and wait for roots to grow
- Within 3-4 weeks you should see roots starting to grow
- Wait until the roots are at least several inches long and put into the potting medium of your choice
- You have just cloned your plant. A perfect clone of your mother plant has been created.
In the next section, we will have a look at the most common problems with the Anthurium Veitchii grown as an indoor plant.
Common Problems with Anthurium Veitchii
Damaged leaves
Damaged leaves are a problem with Anthurium Veitchii.
Leaves get damaged easily and when touching other objects or plants often get damaged and will show little cracks or deformations.
A different reason for damaged leaves can be humidity. The lack of sufficient humidity of at least 60% and above often leads to leaf damage.
The reason is that the leaves do not properly emerge from the cataphyll. it almost is like a dry birth.
The humidity acts somewhat like a lubricant that will help the new leaf to emerge and grow.
So what you can learn from this is to leave new leaves alone, have sufficient humidity, and make sure they are not touching anything else until they are hardened off.
Another reason for perforation and tears in leaves can be too much air movement.
Leaves should be allowed to develop away from excessive air movement. So keep your fans at bay and make sure that the Veitchii is not above a radiator or heater.
Pests
As with all the indoor and also outdoor plants, Pests are one of the things you have to deal with from time to time.
I can say, fingers crossed, that I have found Anthurium plants to be less prone to pest infestations compared to Monstera and Philodendron plants.
I actually didn’t have a single infestation on my Anthurium Veitchii. The most common pests that attack our houseplants are Whiteflies, Scale, Mealybugs, Thrips, oh, and of course the nasty Spider Mites.
The best thing you can do is to detect infestations early. By checking on your plants and looking at the underside of leaves on your Anthurium Veitchii, chances are high that you will spot a pest problem early on.
When confronted with pests, these are the weapons that helped me to win the most battles against plant bugs:
- Castille Soap
- Neem Oil
- Spray water on the leaves with high pressure
You are welcome.
Tips to keep the King Anthurium problem-free
This section is a summary of the most important points related to Anthurium Veitchii care.
Keep the humidity above >60% to ensure that new leaves are not damages once they emerge from the cataphyll.
Anthurium Veitchii is a cold grower and grows best in temperatures between 59°F (15°C) to 79°F (26°C)
The best soil mixture to use is an airy mix of orchid bark, perlite, and peat moss. Alternatively, you can use 100% Sphagnum Moss.
Fertilize every two weeks using a liquid fertilizer with a concentration of NPK values 9-3-6 or 12-12-12.
A pot that allows for air circulation is best. Use a cachepot or an Orchid basket.
Now we can move over to the most frequently asked questions about Anthurium Veitchii care.
Anthurium Veitchii – How not to kill it
Frequently asked questions about the Anthurium Veitchii
Why is my Anthurium Veitchii growing so slowly?
Anthurium Veitchii is a very slow grower. It takes approximately 3 months for a new leaf to develop.
Why are the leaves of my Anthurium Veitchii torn?
Torn leaves can be caused by insufficient humidity, too much airflow or objects and other plants touching the Anthurium Veitchii.
Why are the leaves of my Anthurium Veitchii getting smaller?
When the leaves on your Anthurium Veitchii are getting smaller you need to check how often you fertilize your plant. Fertilizing every other week is a good rule of thumb.
How much humidity does the Anthurium Veitchii need?
Keep the humidity above 60% at all times. The higher the humidity the better for your Anthurium Veitchii.
What is the best potting mix for an Anthurium Veitchii?
A general aroid potting mix using chunky material such as orchid bark, perlite as well as peat moss is best. Alternatively you can use 100% Sphagnum moss.
Conclusion
Anthurium Veitchii is called the King Anthurium and it didn’t get this name by accident. It is a glorious Anthurium with leaves that can grow up to 6.6 feet (2 meters).
Anthurium Veitchii care is best when you keep the humidity high above 60% and make sure that the temperature is in a range between 59°F (15°C) and 79°F (26°C).
A light aroid potting mix using perlite, orchid bark, and peat moss ensures a well-draining mix. Alternatively, you can keep your plant in 100% Sphagnum moss.
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Read this article if you are interested in Queen Anthurium Care (Anthurium Warocqueanum).
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.