Anthurium jenmanii 'Gold'

A cultivated colour selection from a Guiana Shield species

The origin and breeder of ‘Gold’ are not publicly documented. Anthurium jenmanii ranges from Trinidad across the Guiana Shield to northern Brazil, usually below 500 m. It grows on trees, rocks or the ground in warm moist forest and sometimes more open woodland, forming a litter-catching bird’s-nest rosette.

Care for Anthurium jenmanii ‘Gold’

• Light: Place in medium to bright filtered light. Acclimated plants tolerate soft morning or evening sun; strong midday sun can bleach the upright leaves.
• Watering: Water when the upper 2–3 cm begins to dry. Soak the root ball, drain it and empty water trapped in the central rosette.
• Humidity and airflow: Maintain 55–75% relative humidity with airflow through the leaf bases. Keep the crown free of standing water.
• Temperature: Keep at 20–29 °C, with nights above 18 °C. Warm roots suit these tropical rosette plants.
• Substrate and repotting: During acclimation, keep Anthurium jenmanii ‘Gold’ in its nursery pot while you compare pot weight before and after watering and watch the rosette crown and outer roots; repot after active roots make its drying rhythm predictable. Later, use a stable pot only slightly wider with medium bark, coco chips, coir and pumice.
• Feeding: Feed with a dilute complete fertiliser during active root and leaf growth. Apply it to the substrate and flush with plain water every 4–6 weeks.
• Golden rosette and propagation: Bright filtered light supports the golden colour, while the central crown should remain clear and dry. Separate a basal offset only after it has formed independent roots.

Yellowing, root problems and fading colour

• A lighter pot or soft yellow leaf: Very little weight in the pot and dry mix below the surface indicate thirst; water the root ball, then remove any water held in the crown. High pot weight several days later, damp mix and yellowing from the centre or lower leaves indicate wet-root stress; pause, then examine roots and leaf bases.
• A soft or hollow root system: Healthy roots at the base of the rosette feel thick and firm; a soft or hollow centre shows that the root has failed. Remove soft, hollow or foul-smelling roots with properly sterilised scissors, keep the crown above a close-fitting airy mix and drain the pot completely. Before cutting Anthurium jenmanii ‘Gold’, photograph the root system and confirm failure by texture; preserve every firm section, sterilise the tool between cuts and keep the crown stable while new roots develop.
• Dry leaf tips and water quality: Brown tips can follow uneven moisture, dry air or fertiliser salts. Check moisture deeper in the pot before adding water; clear mineral build-up and maintain mild air movement through the rosette.
• A fixed scar or moving dark edge: A dry bleached patch can follow direct sun, while bruising stays local. A soft wet mark at a leaf base becomes urgent when a yellow edge moves; keep leaf bases dry and monitor the outline closely.
• When the next leaf does not move: Weak light can slow the central growth point; correct light and root temperature before expecting faster growth. Use medium to bright filtered light and 20–29 °C; a firm leaf at the centre shows that growth is recovering.
• Scarring, stippling and visible insects: Thrips often feed while the youngest leaf is still folded; cottony pests and scale are easiest to miss inside the crown. Isolate the plant, wipe visible insects from the plant with a damp swab, apply a product labelled for the pest into accessible hiding places. Keep to the product label for repeat timing and scan the youngest leaf each week over the following four weeks.
• Bleaching or greener new leaves: The golden foliage needs bright filtered light; bleaching or dry tan patches indicate excessive sun, while greener new leaves can follow weaker light. Keep the crown clear and dry after watering.

Pet safety for Anthurium jenmanii ‘Gold’

• Not pet-safe. This plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause immediate pain and irritation if chewed.

The name Anthurium jenmanii ‘Gold’

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Litteratur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 828.

Jenmanii honours the British botanist George Samuel Jenman, whose collections were used in the species’ study. Adolf Engler described Anthurium jenmanii in 1905 in Das Pflanzenreich IV.23B: 72.

‘Gold’ refers to the yellow-green to golden cast selected within the broad bird’s-nest foliage. The cultivar word records the visible colour distinction within the Anthurium jenmanii lineage.