Anthurium crassinervium ‘Jungle Bush’

Name and natural range of Anthurium crassinervium ‘Jungle Bush’

‘Jungle Bush’ is a nursery trade name used for crassinervium-type bird’s-nest Anthuriums. The name may cover more than one cultivated crassinervium-type plant.

Anthurium crassinervium occurs naturally from Colombia to Venezuela and Curaçao. The species grows on the ground or as an epiphyte in wet tropical habitats.

How to care for Anthurium crassinervium ‘Jungle Bush’

• Provide bright filtered light: Rotate the pot gradually if the rosette becomes one-sided. Acclimate the plant slowly to gentle early or late sun and keep the leaves away from hot glass.
• Temperature and humidity: For ‘Jungle Bush’, use 18–30 °C as the normal range and avoid sustained exposure below 15 °C. Aim to keep the air at approximately 50–60% humidity.
• Keep the centre clear after watering: Blot water from the youngest leaf bases, remove loose debris and provide gentle airflow through the rosette.
• Water a coarse mix thoroughly: Let the upper layer begin to dry, soak the entire root ball and let the excess drain. Avoid deep containers that leave unused mix wet for long periods.
• Feeding: Feed the plant lightly as new leaves and roots develop. Reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Use a broad, stable container: The outer leaves place much of the plant’s weight beyond the edge of the pot. Repot when roots fill the container or the plant becomes difficult to balance.
• Propagation: A basal shoot can be separated once rooted; healthy stem sections with an active growing point can also be used.

Issues and solutions for Anthurium crassinervium ‘Jungle Bush’

• The pot begins to tip: Transfer the plant without disturbing the roots into a broader or heavier container before the next large leaf increases the imbalance. Keep the added substrate volume modest.
• The centre remains wet or begins to soften: Blot trapped water, remove loose debris and improve airflow. If the central stem remains firm and clean, keep the leaf bases dry and monitor the next growth. Soft, dark or foul-smelling tissue indicates decay; isolate the plant and remove loose affected material with a clean tool, cutting back to firm tissue only if the softened area expands. Unpot the plant only when several leaves yellow above wet mix, the central stem loosens or the smell comes from the root zone. Keep firm roots intact, remove soft or hollow roots and replace degraded, waterlogged mix.
• Scale or mealybugs collect between the leaf bases: Fixed brown or tan bumps with sticky residue indicate scale, while cottony or waxy clusters, sometimes with sticky residue, indicate mealybugs. If you confirm scale or mealybugs, isolate the plant, remove visible insects with a damp cotton swab or soft brush and rinse accessible foliage, then apply an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil labelled for the confirmed pest and suitable for houseplants to the leaf bases, hidden folds and both leaf surfaces. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course. The mealybug guide and scale guide show the distinguishing signs.

Anthurium crassinervium ‘Jungle Bush’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Who first published Anthurium crassinervium, and what does the name mean?

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Crassinervium combines Latin crassus, “thick”, and nervus, “vein”: “thick-veined”.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Anthurium in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 828.

Nicolaus Joseph von Jacquin first described it as Pothos crassinervius in 1791 in Collectanea, volume 4, page 122. Heinrich Wilhelm Schott later placed it in Anthurium as Anthurium crassinervium in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 1829, issue 3, page 828.