Anthurium dressleri hybrid

Origin of Anthurium dressleri hybrid

This cultivated hybrid includes Anthurium dressleri, a species native from Panama to north-western Colombia. As a horticultural hybrid, it exists only in cultivation.

Care for an Anthurium dressleri hybrid

• Leaf clearance and cleaning: Keep stakes and neighbouring foliage clear of each expanding leaf. Remove dust from mature leaves with a very soft dry brush and avoid leaf-shine products.
• Light: Provide bright indirect light and protect the velvet surface from hot direct sun.
• Temperature and humidity: Keep temperatures around 18–27 °C and avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. Aim for 60–80% humidity with gentle airflow, keeping conditions warm and humid as each soft new leaf expands.
• Potting mix and water: Use a close-fitting container filled with a loose mix. Bark and coarse mineral pieces keep air around the roots, while fibrous material retains moderate moisture. Let the upper layer lose some moisture before watering thoroughly, then allow the pot to drain completely.
• Support: Keep the pot stable as the plant grows and add support to older stems only when they begin to lean.
• Repotting: Repot when active roots occupy the existing container.
• Feeding: Feed modestly while new leaves and roots are forming. Reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Propagation: Use a rooted basal shoot from the clump, or root a healthy stem section with an active growing point.

Common issues with Anthurium dressleri hybrids

• A new leaf opens bronze or red-brown: This is normal. Allow it to harden before judging the mature colour.
• Pale pressure marks remain on the velvet: The leaf was rubbed or pressed during expansion. Existing marks will remain, so clear the path of the next emerging blade.
• A distorted new leaf has silver streaks or black specks: Examine the still-folded tissue with a hand lens. If inspection confirms thrips, isolate the plant and rinse hardened foliage. Apply a treatment labelled for thrips to the folded tissue and leaf undersides, then complete the manufacturer’s full repeat-treatment schedule.

Anthurium dressleri hybrid 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.

Where does the name Anthurium dressleri come from?

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. The epithet dressleri honours the American botanist and orchid specialist Robert L. Dressler.

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

Thomas Bernard Croat first described Anthurium dressleri in 1978 in Aroideana, volume 1, page 54.