How to Grow and Care for Anthurium Veitchii Plants

Anthurium veitchii plants are an ideal, unique, tropical addition to your home. With their long, rippled, and bright foliage, they’ll liven up any space you place them in.

Luckily, caring for the indoor plant is relatively easy. As an aroid species, you need to ensure its roots are sufficiently aerated with a well-draining soil mix. You’ll only want to water your anthurium once its topsoil begins to dry out. In addition, the plant will flourish and bloom healthily with a monthly dose of fertilizer.

In essence, you need to ensure your new pet plant’s environment mimics its native, wet biome one. Our guide will delve deeper into the best care methods for your anthurium veitchii to flourish in its new home.

What Are Anthurium Veitchii Plants?

Anthurium veitchii, also widely recognized as king anthurium, are epiphytic plants that belong to the Araceae family. The distinctively long-leaved plant can survive exceptionally well as an outdoor tropical plant and indoor houseplant.

Appearance-wise, king anthurium plants boast vibrant, green foliage that can extend up to three feet when grown indoors. Meanwhile, wild, outdoor varieties can grow double in size. These long, rippled leaves need special care to grow this long.

In terms of overall size, the herbaceous perennial can reach approximately two to six feet tall and three to four feet wide.

As for the plant’s toxicity levels, it’s best to keep your king anthurium away from your pets’ reach. All plants within the genus contain insoluble calcium oxalates that can irritate their digestive tract.

Quick Summary of Anthurium Veitchii

• Scientific Name: Anthurium Veitchii
• Common Names: King Anthurium
• Light: Bright and indirect

• Watering: Moderate requirements and misting
• Temperature: 60℉ to 80℉

• Hardiness Zone: 9 to 11
• Soil pH: Acidic
• Soil type: Well-draining
• Repotting: Every two to three years
• Pruning: During spring
• Size: 2 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide

• Bloom Time: Every three months
• Propagation: Seeds, stem cuttings, and division

How to Care for Anthurium Veitchii Plants?

The good news is that anthurium veitchii plants are typically low maintenance. All they need is sufficient water, lighting, and humidity to perfectly thrive as an indoor houseplant.

Provide Sunlight

Anthurium veitchii plants are native to the bushy rainforests of Colombia. Subsequently, you’ll want to try your best to mimic its original tropical biome. The plant typically rests under the shaded, dense forest canopy with moderate exposure to sunlight.

For this reason, we suggest positioning it in an area with bright, indirect lighting. The south or west-facing windows are your best options. Meanwhile, east-facing windows could potentially shine too much sunlight and scorch the plant’s delicate, elongated leaves.

As for a north-facing window, king anthurium plants won’t get as much sunlight as they need. Consequently, they won’t grow as many blooms and weaken over time.

Mix Soil

King anthuriums need loose and well-draining soil to thrive best. Anthurium veitchii native habitat, they typically grow and climb on trees, which means lots of airflow around the roots. To copy this aerated environment, you can purchase a commercial aroid potting mix.

Alternatively, create your own mix by adding perlite, sphagnum moss, orchid bark, coconut coir, and activated charcoal.

Most of these soil mix ingredients enhance the plant’s root air porosity while also retaining moisture. Charcoal, in particular, is highly beneficial in protecting your soil from fungal and bacterial growth. The chunky soil mix will provide several air pockets around the roots, ideal for the aroid houseplant.

Add Water

Watering your king anthurium doesn’t necessarily require a strict schedule. Instead, it’s all about adjusting moisture levels according to the soil. As a rule of thumb, you don’t want it to be excessively soggy or bone-dry.

To maintain this balance, check the top one or two inches of the soil. Once it feels dry to the touch, you can water your anthurium veitchii. The houseplant’s watering patterns won’t remain consistent throughout the year. During active seasons like spring and summer, the water will evaporate faster than during the winter and fall.

Subsequently, you won’t have to water the plant as much during the latter seasons. Aside from that, you can use helpful tools like a moisture meter to detect water levels in the soil. If it reads anywhere between three and four, your plant is likely thirsty.

In addition, you’ll want to avoid overwatering your king anthurium by ensuring your pot’s drainage holes seep out all the excess moisture after each watering session.

Control Temperature

Anthurium veitchii houseplants flourish in temperatures ranging between 60℉ and 80℉. Maintaining this range is essential.

Dropping below 60℉ can stunt your plant’s growth because it inhibits its metabolism. In contrast, hot temperatures can suck out your plant’s moisture, causing its leaves to wilt.

You don’t want to expose your pet plant to sudden weather changes, such as cold drafts blasting from an open door or air conditioner. Plus, try to keep the indoor houseplant away from heaters and fireplaces that’ll likely dry out the plant.

As for humidity levels, anthurium veitchii plants prefer a 60% moisture level. If your environment is too dry for your Aracea plant, you can resort to misting the leaves or installing specialized plant humidifiers to keep it well-hydrated.

Provide Fertilizer

Fertilizer is a crucial care component for your anthurium veitchii’s health. The additional nutrients will provide it with enough energy to photosynthesize as well as transport nutrients across the plant’s body.

Fertilizing will also promote healthy bloom growth. Plants from the Aracea family will benefit from a 3-1-2 or 2-1-2 NPK ratio. This is a composition of macronutrients that include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Nitrogen maintains the plant’s vibrant foliage and phosphorus is responsible for flowering and root development. Potassium allows the plant’s nutrients, water, and carbohydrates to evenly disperse across its body.

You should avoid feeding the king anthurium year-round. Instead, you’ll only want to fertilize the indoor houseplant during its active seasons, which include spring and summer.

Once fall hits, leave the plant be. As winter comes to an end, you can start refeeding your pet plant with light liquid fertilizer. Ensure it’s diluted to half its strength and administer it once or twice monthly.

Besides that, you can experiment with worm castings. They’re rich in nutrients and promote the best natural plant growth compared to other fertilizer options.

How to Grow Anthurium Veitchii Plants?

You can start growing your anthurium veitchii houseplant with a seed and a small pot. In the container, add the soil mix, which can include components like sphagnum moss and coconut coir. Ensure that the potting mix is moist then press the seed into it.

Cover the pot with a plastic lid and allow the seed to germinate in a warm area with bright, indirect light. Once you notice the little bulb bursting with tiny root and stem formations, take it out and place it in a regular-sized pot with a compatible potting mix.

How to Repot Anthurium Veitchii Plants?

Anthurium veitchii plants like to take their time in terms of growth. Subsequently, you can repot them every two to three years at most. As it grows, you just need to ensure that its roots are well-aerated.

If it overgrows its pot, you risk root-bounding the king anthurium, hindering its growth. You’ll notice the houseplant needing a larger home once it stops growing as usual and the soil doesn’t appear to be retaining moisture well.

In these cases, it’s time to get a new pot, one to two inches bigger in diameter than the old one. Be sure to repot the plant during its active season, when it’s at its strongest to avoid further weakening it during its dormant winter period.

How to Care for Anthurium Veitchii Plants in All Seasons?

As the seasons go by, your anthurium veitchii houseplant will need certain care requirements. During the active summer and spring seasons, you’ll be watering and fertilizing the aroid plant the most. This is also an ideal repotting season.

As for colder, winter and fall periods, you won’t have to trouble yourself with watering and feeding as much. You can water the plant every two to three weeks during that stage. Plus, if your plant is kept outdoors, bring it inside to keep it within its required temperature. We also suggest using a pebble tray to allow the plant to retain some moisture in the dry winter air. 

To understand how to take care of all types of plants have a read of our how to grow and care all types of plants guide.

How to Propagate Anthurium Veitchii Plants?

To propagate plants like the king anthurium (Anthurium veitchii), you need tools like sanitized shears or knife, a glass container, a new potting mix, and a pot. Here’s how to go about it with root separation.

1. Expose the Roots: Remove the plant from its pot and gently loosen and separate the plant’s roots. 
2. Cut the Roots: Using the shears, cut apart a clump complete with its root system.
3. Plant the Divisions: In the new pot, add potting mix and place the cut division inside. Add more potting mix until it reaches the same level as its previous pot.
4. Care for the Plant: Apply the same care routine to the planted division as its mother plant.

What Family Do Anthurium Veitchii Plants Belong to?

Anthurium veitchii are born from the Araceae family. Araceae types of plants are predominantly tropical with over 100 genera and 3,700 known species.

In addition, plants in the family are usually characterized by their bifacial leaves with netted venation. The monocotyledonous flowering plants also have a spadix with small blooms growing from it. 

How Long Do Anthurium Veitchii Plants Live for?

Anthurium plants can typically live between three and five years. Nonetheless, they can live longer in favorable conditions. Regular fertilization, proper watering, and sufficient lighting can work wonders in prolonging your pet plant’s life.

What Are Common Pest and Plant Diseases for Anthurium Veitchii Plants?

Some of the common pests you should be on the lookout for include mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, and scale. In case of infestation, you’ll want to start by using an alcohol-dampened cloth to wipe down the long leaves.

Be sure to get in the undersides as well where these pests usually keep their eggs. You can then wash the plant with an insecticidal spray or neem oil.

As for common plant diseases your anthurium could contract, you’ll need to watch out for bacterial blight, root rot, and other fungal complications. Signs of these diseases usually come in the form of yellowing and browning leaves as well as slimy roots. You can prevent these issues by avoiding over-watering the plant. 

How to Tell if the Anthurium Veitchii Plant Is Not Growing?

As a slow-growing plant, it can be difficult to pinpoint if your anthurium veitchii is facing stunted growth. For this reason, you’ll want to observe the plant’s elongated leaves regularly. They’ll offer telltale signs of disease or pest issues.

Check for discoloration and wilting. Plus, ensure the plant isn’t looking leggy or floppy-stemmed. Observe any signs of brown or yellow spotting as well.

Plus, if it hasn’t grown an inch over the summer, which is its active season, then you’ll want to reassess your care routine. Ensure the plant is getting enough and not too much water, sunlight, humidity, and fertilizer.

Are Anthurium Veitchii Plants Poisonous?

Anthurium veitchii plants are harmful to cats and dogs when ingested. Since the plant contains calcium oxalic crystals it can irritate soft tissue in the digestive tract.

The microscopic crystals can also cause damage to your pet’s oral cavity and mouth. For this reason, we highly suggest keeping the plant away from your children and pets’ reach.

Does Anthurium Veitchii Plant Flower?

Anthurium veitchii plants can flower. It can produce pink or cream-colored inflorescence or blooms around its spadix or spathe.

How to Help the Anthurium Veitchii Plant to Grow?

To keep your Anthurium veitchii growing, you’ll need to monitor for early signs of common problems, whether they come from pests or diseases. For instance, if your leaves are looking droopy, that usually points to insufficient lighting.

Your plant’s growth essentially depends on following a balanced care routine that prioritizes the plant’s watering, fertilizing, and lighting requirements. Once those needs are met, you get to watch your houseplant blossom and thrive throughout its lifespan.