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 The latter is an unpublished horticultural name associated commercially with Ecuador, while its exact collection locality and rooting habit remain unverified. The cross therefore has one well-mapped species parent and one open cultivated line; its individual breeder is also unrecorded.

Care for Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum

• 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 where possible.
• Humidity and airflow: Aim for 70–85% relative humidity with gentle continuous airflow along the full length of the leaves.
• Temperature: Maintain 20–28 °C and avoid abrupt changes. Stable warmth and humidity are especially important during leaf expansion.
• 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.
• Feeding: Use a dilute complete fertiliser during growth and flush with plain water every 3–4 weeks. Sensitive roots respond poorly to concentrated salts.
• Long hybrid leaves 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.

Brown tips, leaf damage and root stress

• 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 sterile sharp scissors, keep the crown above the substrate and stabilise the pot. Before cutting Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum, photograph the root system and confirm failure by texture; preserve every firm section, sterilise the tool between cuts and keep the crown stable while new roots develop.
• 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.
• A bruise, scorch mark or active lesion: Dry creases and contact scars may stay confined to the original area. Isolate a soft or water-soaked mark that grows or gains a yellow edge; keep the leaf dry and photograph it daily.
• Weak light, cool roots and delay: Parent influence can change temperature response. Keep bright filtered light and 20–28 °C with steady humidity, clear the full hanging path, then watch for fresh roots and an evenly opening leaf.
• 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 while checking weekly for four weeks.
• Pot tipping as leaves lengthen: Long leaves can make a light pot unstable even while the roots remain healthy. Stabilise the crown and base, then leave clear vertical space for the next leaf.

Anthurium warocqueanum × waterburyanum and pet safety

• Not pet-safe. This plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause immediate pain and irritation if chewed.

The botanical names behind this plant

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Litteratur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 828.

Warocqueanum honours the Belgian plant grower Arthur Warocqué. Thomas Moore described Anthurium warocqueanum in 1878 in The Florist and Pomologist: 101.

Waterburyanum is a horticultural name that has not been formally published. Its meaning is unknown, and it has no botanical author or publication date.