Anthurium digitatum

A little-documented species from Trinidad and Venezuela

Anthurium digitatum is native to Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. Its elevation, rooting position and forest type have not been documented clearly enough to give a more precise habitat account. It is a tropical South American species, but assigning it generic rainforest conditions would go beyond what is known.

Care for epiphytic Anthurium roots and foliage

• Watering: Water when the surface has dried but the centre of the pot is still slightly moist. Soak fully and allow free drainage around the epiphytic roots.
• Humidity and airflow: Maintain moderate to high humidity with light air circulation. Dry new leaves promptly and keep fresh air moving around them.
• Temperature: Keep at steady warmth and away from chilling temperatures at night. Protect aerial roots and the pot from cold surfaces.
• Watering, root care and settling in: Use pot weight and the moisture below the surface to water Anthurium digitatum while it settles. Repot after the epiphytic roots resume growth. Use a close-fitting ventilated pot with bark, coco chips and pumice, adding a little coir for moisture retention.
• Leaf care and propagation: Give mature divided leaves enough side clearance and support the stem if it begins to elongate. Clean each segment with a damp cloth and propagate from rooted offsets or node-bearing stem sections.

Root, stem and leaf problems in Anthurium digitatum

• Yellow foliage with reduced firmness: Low pot weight, dry open mix and shrivelled aerial roots indicate thirst; water slowly through the pot and allow every excess drop to leave. A root zone that stays wet and weighty, damp compacted mix and yellow limp leaves indicate poor root aeration; delay the next soak while checking the roots.
• A compromised root ball: Keep aerial and pot roots that feel solid through the centre. Remove hollow or slippery roots using disinfected pruners, keep the stem above a coarse close-fitting mix and guide active aerial roots into the pot or support.
• Hidden pests on stems and foliage: Check black-specked silver scars for thrips and fixed bumps along the stem for scale. Isolate, remove visible pests, treat every hiding place with a correctly labelled houseplant product, apply follow-up treatment at the labelled interval and then follow the product label for repeat checks.
• Tears in divided leaves: Individual leaf sections can tear when crowded or handled while soft. Give the full blade side clearance, clean each segment separately and leave stable dry tears in place.
• Brown margins with a moist root ball: Brown tips may start with rapid drying or mineral-rich water. Check the root ball and aerial roots separately before flushing salts with low-mineral water.

Anthurium digitatum 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.

Anthurium digitatum: where the name comes from

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Digitatum means “fingered”, referring to the finger-like leaf divisions.

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 digitatus in 1792 in Icones Plantarum Rariorum, volume 3, issue 9, page 18. Heinrich Wilhelm Schott later placed it in Anthurium as Anthurium digitatum in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 1829, issue 3, page 828.