Anthurium peltigerum

Natural range and habitat of Anthurium peltigerum

Anthurium peltigerum comes from south-western Colombia and Ecuador. It grows as an epiphyte in wet tropical Andean forest, rooting in loose organic material on trees where rain drains quickly and air continues to reach the roots.

Care for Anthurium peltigerum

• Airflow and leaf clearance: Keep air moving around the crown and leave each new leaf enough room to turn into position.
• Light: Place the plant in bright indirect light with even exposure across the broad leaves.
• Temperature and humidity: Keep it around 20–28 °C. Protect it from prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. A humid 60–80% range works well when air can move gently around the leaves.
• Water: Water when the surface has dried and the centre still holds a little moisture, then drain the pot completely.
• Pot and potting mix: Use a close-fitting pot with an airy mix of medium bark, coco chips or fibre, and coarse mineral material for drainage. Keep the stem above the surface.
• Support: Keep the plant stable in its pot and support older stems only if they begin to lean.
• Repotting cue: Increase the pot width slightly once roots or new growth from the base begin crowding one another.
• Feeding: Feed modestly during fresh leaf and root development. Reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Propagation: Rooted basal shoots can be divided away; a healthy stem section with an active growing point is another option.

Troubleshooting Anthurium peltigerum

• A leaf hangs from a sharp bend near its centre: Check the stalk and the attachment beneath the blade for a crease. The damaged leaf may remain bent; clearing space protects later growth.
• The plant droops in a very light pot: Rehydrate the mix thoroughly. Drooping with a heavy pot can indicate slow drainage. Pause watering and improve drainage if the lower mix remains saturated before watering again.
• Brown or bleached patches appear after a brighter move: The leaf may have reacted to a sudden increase in exposure. Move it back from direct sun and increase light gradually.

Anthurium peltigerum 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 peltigerum: name and meaning

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Peltigerum combines Greek peltē, “shield”, and Latin -ger, “bearing”: “shield-bearing”.

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 peltigerum in 1905 in Anales de la Universidad Central del Ecuador, volume 19, page 316.