Anthurium esmeraldense

From Ecuador’s humid coastal foothills

Anthurium esmeraldense is endemic to Ecuador, especially the wet forests of Esmeraldas Province. It has been recorded in humid coastal foothills from roughly 250 to 1,900 m and may grow either on the ground or as an epiphyte. Its habitat stays sheltered and moist beneath forest cover while roots occupy loose organic material rather than exposed open ground.

Care for velvet Anthurium foliage and roots

• Leaf care and propagation: Keep the long velvet leaves dry and give them open space during expansion. Dust with a soft brush and use rooted offsets or node-bearing stem sections for propagation.
• Watering: Keep the substrate lightly and evenly moist, allowing only the surface to begin drying. Use low-mineral water and drain thoroughly.
• Humidity and airflow: Aim for high humidity with steady gentle airflow, especially around a new leaf and the crown.
• Temperature: Give Anthurium esmeraldense warm days, slightly cooler nights and relief from prolonged night-time heat.
• Feeding: Feed lightly with a complete fertiliser during visible growth. Use low concentrations and flush with plain water occasionally because montane roots are sensitive to accumulated salts.

Troubleshooting Anthurium esmeraldense: normal changes and damage

• Moisture-related leaf decline: A pot that lifts easily, dry surface and flexible leaf indicate thirst; water slowly through the pot and allow every excess drop to leave. A pot that stays heavy, damp mix and soft yellowing indicate root stress, while prolonged hot nights can produce similar decline despite adequate moisture.
• When roots turn soft or hollow: Keep pale roots that stay firm in the fine open mix. Remove hollow or slippery roots with disinfected scissors, use a ventilated close-fitting pot and maintain cooler nights during recovery.
• Scale, mealybugs and soft-leaf pests: Thrips scar soft new leaves and mites cause fine stippling across the velvet surface. Search undersides and emerging leaf sheaths with magnification. Isolate, test a labelled treatment on a small area, use the label instructions for every repeat application and scan the youngest leaf weekly until four clean checks have passed.
• Minerals, roots and brown tips: Brown margins can result from dry roots, salts or hot stagnant air. Check pot weight first, flush with low-mineral water, then restore 17–25 °C with cooler nights and steady airflow.

Anthurium esmeraldense 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.

What does Anthurium esmeraldense mean, and who first published it?

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Esmeraldense means “from Esmeraldas”, the Ecuadorian province associated with the species.

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

Luis Sodiro first described Anthurium esmeraldense in 1905 in Anales de la Universidad Central del Ecuador, volume 19, page 337.