Anthurium pedatum

Natural range and habitat of Anthurium pedatum

Anthurium pedatum is endemic to western Colombia, where it occurs at about 350–2,100 m. It grows both terrestrially and as an epiphyte in wet montane forest beneath a broken canopy.

Care for Anthurium pedatum

• Pot and leaf clearance: Choose a broad, firm pot and leave enough room for the outer sections to open freely.
• Light and orientation: Give the crown bright diffuse light and rotate the pot occasionally to keep light exposure even around the plant.
• Temperature and humidity: Keep Anthurium pedatum warm, around 18–27 °C, with high humidity and gentle air movement around the divided leaves; avoid cold draughts and direct dry heat. Avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C.
• Water: Water when the surface begins to dry, soaking the root ball thoroughly and letting the pot drain.
• Potting mix: Use a mix that holds light moisture and remains open, such as fine bark and coco fibre with pumice or perlite.
• Repotting: Inspect the root ball when roots fill the container, the mix drains more slowly or the plant becomes unstable. Refresh degraded mix when drainage has deteriorated. Move to a slightly larger pot only when the roots need more room; use a heavier outer pot separately if stability is the only problem.
• Feeding: Apply a light complete fertiliser during active leaf and root development. Reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Propagation: Propagate from a rooted division or a healthy stem section with an active growing point.

Common changes in Anthurium pedatum

• A new leaf has fewer divisions: This can follow repotting or a period of weak light. If the plant was recently repotted, keep care steady while it re-establishes; if light has been weak, move it to a brighter filtered position. Judge recovery from later leaves.
• The crown repeatedly tips or leans: The mature foliage has outgrown the container’s footprint. Use a wider, heavier pot and give the plant more even light.
• Outer sections fold or tear: Crowding or contact during expansion is a common cause. Clear the surrounding space before the next leaf opens.

Anthurium pedatum 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 pedatum: where the name comes from

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. The epithet pedatum is Latin for foot-shaped, referring to the divided leaf.

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

Karl Sigismund Kunth first described it as Pothos pedatus in 1816 in Nova Genera et Species Plantarum, volume 1, page 78. Karl Sigismund Kunth later placed it in Anthurium as Anthurium pedatum in 1841 in Enumeratio Plantarum Hügelianarum, page 79; Stephan Friedrich Ladislaus Endlicher had proposed the name.