When Karl van Scherzer found himself in the Colombian rainforests in the mid-19th century he made a fascinating discovery. He saw a plant with dark-green leaves and large bracts in a dark-red colour. And at the centre of the bracts was a spadix, the actual flower. The Austrian explorer knew that he had found something extraordinary.
Though the anthurium belongs to the araceae family, it is unlike any other plant or flower in terms of appearance. This explains why anthuriums have been popular for such a long time. Since then, breeders have been very busy, as the range of anthuriums has expanded to over 600 varieties.
New varieties are being created all the time. As well as red, there are now pink, purple, white and orange anthuriums. There are even anthuriums with variegated leaves. The inflorescence evolved into a narrower and longer shape and plants became more compact. The range of pot sizes has also widely expanded.
A popular houseplant
That is why anthuriums continue to be incredibly popular one and a half centuries after their discovery. As a cut flower, they make a strong impact in bouquets, but their main draw is as houseplants. Their exotic appearance evokes images of environments that pique our curiosity: impenetrable rainforests, the uninhabitable areas on the edge of the Andes mountain range in South America.
Smaller pot sizes find their way to the Scandinavian countries, whereas the larger sizes are popular in Southern Europe where the climate allows them to be kept outdoors.
Though their native habitat may be difficult to access, they are actually very easy to care for. They are even considered one of the easiest houseplants to keep and are the longest blooming. Read about how to care for them here.
