Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum

Queen Anthurium crossed with an Ecuadorian cultivated line

This cultivated hybrid combines Anthurium warocqueanum, an epiphyte of humid Colombian forest at roughly 400–1,200 m, with material sold as Anthurium waterburyanum. The latter is an unpublished horticultural name associated commercially with Ecuador, while its exact collection locality and rooting habit remain unverified.

Care for velvet Anthurium foliage and roots

• Leaf care and propagation: Stabilise the crown and leave clear vertical space for the long velvet blades. Brush the surface dry and propagate from rooted offsets or a node-bearing stem section.
• Light: Give bright, diffuse light from above and protect the long leaf blades from direct midday sun.
• Watering: Keep the open root mix lightly moist, watering as soon as the surface begins to dry. Drain fully and use low-mineral water.
• Humidity and airflow: Aim for high humidity with gentle continuous airflow along the full length of the leaves.
• Substrate and repotting: Let Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum settle in the original container first, using pot weight, root activity and clean new growth through the well-aerated root zone and emerging foliage to decide when a later repot will cause the least disruption. Later, choose a stable elevated pot with coarse bark, coco husk, chopped sphagnum or coir and pumice.

Root, stem and leaf problems in Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum

• Moisture-related leaf decline: Use pot weight and deeper moisture to interpret wilting. A dry light pot with flexible leaves needs a full soak; a heavy damp pot with soft yellow growth needs drainage and a root check. Check root temperature when moisture looks correct. Sudden temperature or humidity changes can mark the newest leaf.
• When roots turn soft or hollow: Keep firm roots in a coarse, lightly moist mix. Remove hollow or slippery tissue with disinfected scissors, keep the crown above the substrate and stabilise the pot.
• Scale, mealybugs and soft-leaf pests: Silver scars and black specks point to thrips; fine even stippling points to mites. Search both surfaces, the newest sheath and the full hanging length. Isolate, apply a labelled product and follow its repeat interval.
• Minerals, roots and brown tips: Crisp tips can result from excessive drying, salts or a humidity change. Check the centre of the pot, use low-mineral water and inspect roots if browning continues in moist mix.

Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum 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.

The meaning and history of the names Anthurium warocqueanum and Anthurium waterburyanum

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Warocqueanum honours the Belgian plant grower Arthur Warocqué. The epithet waterburyanum honours Bette Waterbury.

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

Thomas Moore first described Anthurium warocqueanum in 1878 in The Florist and Pomologist, volume 1878, page 101.

Thomas Bernard Croat and David Scherberich first described Anthurium waterburyanum in 2025 in Aroideana 48(3): 255.