Anthurium lancea

Botanical identity and natural origin of Anthurium lancea

Native from western Colombia to western Ecuador, Anthurium lancea is a climbing epiphyte of wet tropical habitat.

Care for Anthurium lancea

Let the extending stem develop with room around it and keep the pot stable as the plant gains height. Leave the leaf stalks free to take their natural angles. Bright filtered light helps keep growth compact and the dark upper leaf surface well defined.

• Temperature: Maintain roughly 18–27 °C during normal growth. Use a warmer location before temperatures remain under 15 °C.
• Humidity: Maintain high humidity, around 60–80%, with mild air movement around the plant.
• Watering: Water thoroughly after the upper layer has begun to dry. Make sure the middle of the pot is wetted, then let the excess drain.
• Potting mix: Use an airy mix that remains springy after repeated watering. Replace it if the centre compacts or begins drying much more slowly than the edges.
• Feeding: Use a modest feed during periods of fresh leaf and root growth. Reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Repotting: Repot when roots fill the container. Keep the base at its existing level and settle the roots firmly before filling around them. Choose a container that balances the climbing stem without surrounding a small root system with excess wet mix.
• Propagation: Take a stem cutting with a node. Keep it warm in humid air while it roots, with the cut surface out of persistently wet material.

Common problems with Anthurium lancea

• Gaps between new leaves become much longer: Check whether light has become weak or strongly one-sided. Move the plant gradually closer to a brighter filtered source and reassess new stem growth; the bright indirect light guide explains how to judge the position.
• The climbing stem pulls away from its support: Bring the support closer and add a loose tie between nodes before the stem hardens in a new position. Use a heavier outer pot if the root ball is tipping, and leave the petioles free to angle naturally.
• Several lower leaves yellow: Feel the centre of the root ball and inspect roots if it stays wet for long periods. Remove rotten tissue and replace compacted mix; if roots are firm, also check for a cold draught.
• Dull stippling or silver scars spread on new leaves: Fine pale stippling with webbing indicates spider mites, while silvery scars with black specks indicate thrips. Check both leaf surfaces and the newest leaf for these signs, then keep the plant separate from neighbouring foliage. If you confirm spider mites or thrips, rinse hardened leaves, then apply an indoor-plant treatment labelled for the confirmed pest to both leaf surfaces and the newest folded growth. Repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course.

Anthurium lancea 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 the name Anthurium lancea mean?

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. The epithet lancea is Latin for spear, referring to the lance-shaped leaves.

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 lancea in 1901 in Anales de la Universidad Central del Ecuador, volume 15, page 13.