Plant of the Week: Anthurium — The Easiest Flowering Houseplant You're Not Growing

Thumbnail image: 1200×628px — a vibrant red anthurium in bloom against a white or light-grey interior background, Singapore lifestyle setting. Glossy spathe, visible spadix, lush glossy leaves. Clean, botanical, aspirational.

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Welcome to Plant of the Week. Each week we spotlight one plant from our collection and give you the full picture: why it's special, how to grow it, and what makes it worth your attention.

This week: Anthurium — the plant with waxy, heart-shaped blooms in red, pink, white, or near-black that last for months at a time. Long overshadowed by more fashionable foliage plants, the anthurium deserves serious reconsideration.

Singapore-specific note: Anthuriums are one of the most rewarding plants you can grow in Singapore. Our tropical climate — warm, humid, and year-round — is essentially what anthuriums evolved for. While growers in temperate countries work hard to recreate the warmth and humidity anthuriums need, Singapore's ambient conditions tick most of those boxes naturally. Well-cared-for anthuriums in Singapore can bloom almost continuously across all 12 months, which is simply not possible in cooler climates.

!A flowering Anthurium andraeanum in deep red displayed in a white ceramic pot on a Singapore condo shelf — glossy spathe catching afternoon light, with tropical foliage visible through a window behind it.

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Why Anthuriums Deserve a Second Look

If you've seen anthuriums before, you may have dismissed them as "office lobby plants" — which is exactly what many of them are, because they're so reliable that they thrive in conditions that kill almost everything else. But that reputation undersells what they're actually capable of.

A well-grown anthurium in the right conditions will bloom almost continuously, producing those glossy spathes (the "flowers") in a cycle that rarely stops. The blooms aren't flowers in the traditional sense — the spathe is actually a modified leaf, and the true flowers are the tiny bumps on the finger-like spadix in the center. But they look like flowers, they last like flowers (2–4 months per bloom), and they come in a remarkable color range.

More interesting still are the foliage anthuriums — species grown not for their blooms but for their extraordinary leaves. Anthurium crystallinum and A. clarinervium have enormous velvety leaves crossed with bright white veins. A. magnificum grows leaves that look carved from dark green velvet. These are some of the most collectible plants in the houseplant world right now — and Singapore's warm, humid climate makes it easier to grow these high-humidity collectors here than almost anywhere.

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Types of Anthuriums We Love

Anthurium andraeanum (Flamingo Flower)

The classic. Heart-shaped, glossy spathes in red, coral, pink, white, or deep burgundy-purple. Compact at 12–18", perfect on a table or shelf. Blooms repeatedly with enough light. This is the anthurium you've seen in Singapore hotels, offices, and malls — for good reason. It thrives here.

Anthurium scherzerianum

Similar to andraeanum but slightly more compact and with a curled spadix. Often available in orange and red tones.

Anthurium clarinervium

A foliage anthurium with dramatic heart-shaped velvet leaves and bright white veins. Compact but stunning. Needs higher humidity than the flowering varieties — Singapore's ambient humidity is an advantage here.

Anthurium crystallinum

Large velvety leaves with iridescent silver veins. One of the most sought-after collector anthuriums. Needs humidity and warmth — both of which Singapore provides naturally. Grows better here than in most places.

Anthurium 'Black'

Deep burgundy-to-nearly-black spathes. One of the most dramatic flowering houseplants available. Not actually black but the darkest color you'll find in a flowering plant.

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Anthurium Care in Singapore

Light

Ideal: Bright indirect light

Minimum: Medium indirect light (will survive but bloom less)

Avoid: Direct harsh afternoon sunlight (bleaches and scorches the spathes and leaves)

Anthuriums need good light to bloom reliably. In Singapore, a bright east or west-facing window is ideal. Morning east light is particularly good — warm and bright without the intensity of afternoon sun. Avoid placing near a west-facing window that receives direct afternoon sun; the intensity of Singapore's afternoon sunlight will bleach spathes and scorch leaves.

In lower light, the plant stays healthy but produces fewer flowers. If your anthurium hasn't bloomed in a while and the foliage looks healthy, try moving it to a brighter spot.

Water

Frequency: Every 5–10 days in Singapore's heat; when the top inch of soil is dry

Anthuriums are aroid plants (related to monsteras and philodendrons) and share their watering preferences: moist but not waterlogged. Water thoroughly, then let the top inch dry before watering again.

Singapore-specific: In our warm climate, soil dries faster than in cooler countries. Check more frequently than you might expect — roughly every 5–7 days during hotter months, 7–10 days during the slightly cooler December-January period. Overwatering remains the most common anthurium mistake even in Singapore's heat; always check the soil rather than watering on a fixed schedule.

Humidity

Ideal: 60–80% — Singapore's typical range: 70–90% (naturally ideal)

This is where Singapore growers have a significant advantage. Anthuriums appreciate high humidity, and Singapore's year-round humidity — typically 70–90% — is essentially perfect for them. You don't need a humidifier, pebble tray, or misting routine that growers in temperate climates rely on. The foliage collector varieties (clarinervium, crystallinum) that require 70%+ humidity are genuinely difficult to grow without a humidifier elsewhere — in Singapore, they get that level naturally.

The main exception: air-conditioned rooms. If your anthurium lives in a heavily air-conditioned bedroom or office, the artificial cool and dry air may lower humidity enough to cause brown leaf edges. A pebble tray or occasional misting helps.

Temperature

Ideal: 25–30°C — Singapore's typical range year-round

Avoid: Cold aircon air blowing directly on the plant, which can cause leaf chill and spotting

Singapore's ambient temperature is essentially ideal for anthuriums. No heating or special temperature management needed. The main concern is direct aircon airflow, which chills foliage and dries the air locally. Keep anthuriums away from aircon vents and ceiling fans on high setting.

Soil

A chunky, well-draining aroid mix: potting mix + perlite + orchid bark in roughly equal parts. Anthuriums have thick aerial roots that appreciate airflow around the root zone. In Singapore's year-round warmth, these roots grow actively all year — ensure the mix allows them room to breathe without becoming waterlogged.

Fertilizing

Once a month year-round (unlike in temperate climates where plants rest in winter, Singapore anthuriums grow actively all 12 months). Use a liquid fertilizer with higher phosphorus to support blooming (a "bloom booster" formula with ratios like 5-10-5 works well). Half strength.

!A split image showing an Anthurium clarinervium with dramatic white-veined velvet leaves (left) and a classic red Anthurium andraeanum in bloom (right) — both photographed in a bright Singapore home.

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How to Get Your Anthurium to Bloom

If your anthurium has been in foliage mode for a while, these adjustments usually restart blooming:

1. Move to brighter indirect light — the single most effective intervention. In Singapore, this usually means getting it closer to a window (but not in direct afternoon sun).
2. Use a phosphorus-forward fertilizer — phosphorus promotes flowering
3. Check for root-bound conditions — a slightly root-bound anthurium blooms more readily than one in an oversized container. In Singapore's fast-growing climate, anthuriums can become root-bound more quickly than in cooler places — check annually.
4. Ensure it's not in direct aircon airflow — cold, dry air stressed anthuriums shift energy away from blooming
5. No need for cold temperature triggers that temperate growers use — Singapore's year-round warmth keeps anthuriums in active growth mode continuously.

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The Foliage Anthuriums: A Note for Collectors

If you've mastered the basics and want to take things further, the collector foliage anthuriums (clarinervium, crystallinum, magnificum, veitchii) are extraordinarily rewarding. In temperate climates, they require humidifiers and careful temperature management. In Singapore, many of those challenges disappear — our natural humidity and warmth tick most of their requirements without effort.

They grow slowly, and the large velvet-leaved varieties are not always easy to find. But Singapore's thriving plant community and access to Southeast Asian plant markets means these collectors come up more frequently here than in most Western markets. Check our full plant collection regularly — we stock collector anthuriums when available.

!A collector anthurium — Anthurium crystallinum with large iridescent silver-veined leaves — photographed in a humid Singapore balcony setting, showing healthy new growth unfurling.

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Common Problems

Yellow leaves: Overwatering or root rot — let soil dry more fully between waterings. Check drainage.

Brown spathe edges: Low humidity (if in a heavily air-conditioned room) or fluoride in water — switch to filtered water, move away from aircon vent.

No new blooms: Insufficient light — move to a brighter spot nearer to a window. Try phosphorus-forward fertilizer.

Drooping despite moist soil: Root rot — unpot and inspect; trim rotted roots and repot in fresh chunky mix.

Black or brown spots on leaves: Cold aircon air damage — move away from vents and fans.

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This week we have Anthurium andraeanum in red, pink, and white, plus a limited selection of 'Black' anthuriums and collector foliage varieties. All are in active growth — in Singapore's climate, they'll continue growing and blooming year-round in your home. Browse this week's anthurium selection — quantities are limited as always for our Plant of the Week feature. Need it today? Check our same-day delivery.

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