Anturium Andre: care, description, photo

Anthurium André is a beautiful houseplant, a favorite of many florists, emphasizing the harmony of the décor of the dwelling, bringing to the home interior a note of comfort, natural freshness and bright colors. In the natural environment, a representative of the Aroid family occurs in the tropical zone of South and Central America. Anthurium flower is a symbol of courage, freedom, passion and is popularly called "male happiness". Its name was given to anthurium in 1877 in honor of the famous French natural scientist and botanist Edward Andre with the light hand of the Belgian scientist J. Linden.

Beautiful legend about the flower anthurium

The story of the origin of this beautiful flower, which supposedly turned a young beautiful girl, is interesting. This story happened in ancient times, when people existed by tribes, led by one of which was a cruel, bloodthirsty leader. He planned to marry a 15-year-old girl - a resident of a neighboring tribe. But the imperious ruler did not like the young beauty, and she refused him. In order to revenge, the leader attacked the village where the girl lived and took it by force. The bride could not reconcile to life without relatives and relatives, with a cruel ruler, and rushed to a fire, divorced in honor of the wedding. Before she could touch the fire, as the merciless gods turned an unhappy creature into an elegant flower of an anturium of red color, and the village into a tropical impenetrable forest. Colombians believe that it is the red anthurium that brings prosperity and happiness to the family, that is why couples who marry adorn their homes with these flowers and keep them in wedding rooms for a month. Therefore, the symbol of the honeymoon is considered to be the Anthurium. A photo of flowers conveys the variety of varieties of this beautiful and popular plant.

Description of Anturium Andre

Externally Anthurium Andre, care at home is not particularly difficult, large enough and reaches a height of 70-90 cm. It is characterized by a shortened stem with many roots, including air. With good care, the indoor pet will enjoy the flowering year round, its palette is very diverse and attractive: orange, greenish, white, purple, pink, yellow. Breeders even produced varieties with bicolour and almost black bracts - an integral part of the flower. The bracty leaf of the Anturium Andre has a heart-shaped shape, often bubbly, with well-defined veins on the surface. Inflorescence - the ear (the second part of the flower), most often white or yellow, its approximate length is 15 centimeters. The leaves of the handsome man are large enough (about 30 cm), bright green, shiny, with a clearly expressed heart-shaped base. Grow on long petioles, which are almost perpendicular to the leaf plates.

Proper lighting - the key to successful growth of anthurium

The key to the successful growth and flowering of the Anturium Andre is its location: it is important for the plant to provide diffuse light or light penumbra; The eastern, western and northern windows are most suitable. Lack of illumination should be replenished artificially, using phytolamps.

The most comfortable temperature for anthurium André is 22-25 ^o C heat, at +18 ^o C and below the flower stops in growth. In winter, it is recommended to keep the anthurium in a cool place, not allowing accommodation near to heating devices.

Features of watering

Anturium Andre loves regular abundant watering, but without excess: the upper soil layer is required to give time to dry. Excess moisture can lead to decay of the rhizome, and its lack - the lack of flowering and wilting leaves. The optimal moistening regime of the soil - every 4 days, irrigation water should be soft, room temperature. In winter, the supply of moisture should be reduced to once a week, while avoiding the drying of the earthy coma. An important factor in the successful development of the plant is high humidity: 85-95%. To ensure it is recommended to install an air humidifier near the container with a plant or twice a day to spray the air around the anthurium from the spray. And getting water on the leaves is not desirable, because they will remain white lime scale. And this will somewhat spoil the appearance of such a beautiful houseplant, as an anturium. A photo of flowers conveys the beauty of a tropical visitor who has become accustomed to new conditions for him.

Anthurium in cutting

For bouquets, flowers of a pet are cut off when the flower coverlet is opened, when the cob is in the staminate stage (that is, covered with pollen), and the upper part of the pedicel is firm and firm. The flowers cut at the time of the anthurium blossom remain fresh for about 5 weeks, if earlier, they fade within a few days.

Feeding of plants is carried out by fertilizers for orchids or universal mineral and nitrogen-containing preparations every 2-3 weeks, especially actual before the beginning of flowering. In winter, the plant needs rest.

How to transplant Anthurium

Transplantation of young plants is carried out every spring, in a container with a larger diameter. Adult specimens are transplanted at a time when the plant is already crowded in the old pot. The soil for anthurium must be light, nutritious, provide air access to the roots; The most suitable for orchids or bromeliads. Independently the soil for anthurium can be prepared from peat, leaf and coniferous earth. To support moisture from above, it is recommended to put sphagnum moss.

Reproduction

Anthurium Andre reproduces lateral offspring, dividing the overgrown bush, apical cuttings and seeds - a method rather labor-consuming and not particularly loved by the florists. Sowing is required to be done 3-5 days after collection of the seed material, which can be obtained by pollination of flowers with a brush in the early days of flowering. Then you should wait for the formation and ripening of the berries that are formed on the ear. It is recommended to keep the crops at a temperature of +22 ^o C. Emergence of shoots occurs during two weeks. After 1.5 months, the seedlings in the phase of this leaf require a pick. With the appearance of leaf 5-6, young plants can be planted in separate pots. Anthuriums, grown from seeds, will please with flowering only for the third year.

The easiest way is to reproduce with lateral processes. This procedure is often performed during transplantation. The division is required to be made with a knife with a sharp blade, and the places of cuts must necessarily be powdered with pounded coal. After landing, a young anthurium must be watered. A piece of a stalk with an air root and a leaf quickly takes root.

The plant should be planted in small containers with a good drainage layer (1/4 of the volume of the landing tank). To inflow air into the walls of the pot, it is recommended to make small holes.

Diseases and pests

Of the pests Anthurium most striking shields and mites. Sucking out the cell sap, they contribute to drying out and falling leaves. To get rid of such pests is difficult enough, therefore it is recommended to apply preventive measures, regularly rinsing the plant under a warm shower and wiping the leaf plates with a soapy sponge. Then anthurium must be treated with 0.15% of the composition of the drug "Actellik" (1.5 liters of water should be diluted in a liter of water). Another misfortune of Anturium Andre are mealybugs, settling on all the aboveground parts of the plant. In this case, treatment with "Carbophos" will help.

Anthurium Andre is often affected by stem and root rot caused by a low temperature and waterlogging of the soil. Sometimes a plant can suffer from anthracnose: the edges of leaf blades are drying up, and the pet dweller is gradually dying. Damaged leaves need to be removed, and the plant is treated several times with 0.2% solution of "Fundazol", or 0.5% with the composition "Chloroksi Copper". Fighting such a disease is difficult enough, so it is better not to let it appear, taking preventive measures. The excess of calcium in the soil will indicate the twisting of the leaves, the blackening of their tips.

The enemies of Anturium Andre are downy mildew and rust, most often provoked by contact with infected plants or transmission through the soil.

Anturium Andre: varieties

• Arizona. A bright red leaf bract with pronounced veins and a yellow-green cob.
• Anturium Andre Champion. It is characterized by a yellow-pink cob and white, with slightly pink veins "veil".
• Florida. The leaf "blanket" is characterized by playing hues: from red to yellow, and then - to green. Greenish, white, yellow cobs.
• Polaris. Bracty leaf is green, gradually changing in color to white color, cob - pinkish.
• Minnesota. Yellow-white cob and "coverlet" of salmon color.
• Acropolis. Anthurium Andre white, with dark green, fairly large leaves and bright yellow cob.
• Lunette. Bright pink cob and pink-red leaf bract;
• Otazu. Anthurium Andre red.
• Casino. Characterized by a leaf bract of bright yellow color and a red-green cob.
• Sensa. "Coverlet" lilac, elongated with a dark purple cob.
• Kuba. The white-green "veil" contrasts vividly with the cob of yellow-green color.

Anthurium Andre (a mix of varieties and shades) is widely used by florists to create the most beautiful bouquet compositions. And not only the flowers of the plant are used, but also its leaves: juicy-green and expressive.