Anthurium watermaliense (Black Anthurium / Black Prince)

Origin of Anthurium watermaliense (Black Anthurium / Black Prince)

Anthurium watermaliense occurs naturally from Costa Rica through Panama to Colombia. It grows terrestrially in wet tropical, premontane rain and lower montane rain forest, rooted in humid organic layers on the forest floor.

Caring for Anthurium watermaliense (Black Anthurium / Black Prince)

• Give it bright filtered light: Ample diffuse light supports compact foliage and can help a mature plant flower. Protect leaves and flower bracts from strong midday sun.
• Temperature and humidity: Aim for a steady 18–27 °C. Move it away from the coolest area if temperatures hold below 15 °C. Maintain roughly 60–80% humidity, with enough air movement around the leaves.
• Keep water out of the crown: Water the potting mix once the surface has partly dried. Empty the saucer and blot water left around the inner crown or a flower stalk.
• Use an open potting mix: Medium bark, coco pieces, a fibrous material that holds moisture and pumice provide organic matter with reliable drainage around the substantial roots.
• Feeding: Apply a light complete feed during active leaf and root growth. Reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Choose a stable, slightly wider pot: The crown expands outwards. Repot when active roots fill the container, keeping the short stem at the surface.
• Propagation: Separate a basal shoot once it has formed roots, or root a healthy stem section with an active growing point.

Problems with Anthurium watermaliense

• The rosette centre becomes soft or develops an odour: Remove trapped water and dead material and let the centre dry. If the crown or roots are soft or foul-smelling, remove only decayed tissue with a clean tool and repot in fresh airy mix when root decay is confirmed.
• A flower stalk turns brown after opening: The flower bract naturally ages and dries. Remove the stalk with clean tools once it is fully spent, unless pollination and berry development are intended.
• Fixed brown bumps or sticky residue appear near the crown: Check petioles and leaf bases for scale insects. If you confirm them, isolate the plant and remove accessible insects gently. Apply a treatment labelled for scale to the petioles, leaf bases and sheltered crown, then repeat it at the intervals stated on the label for the full course. Follow the scale insect guide for the full sequence.

Anthurium watermaliense 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 watermaliense mean?

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. The epithet watermaliense refers to Watermael in Belgium, where the plant entered cultivation.

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

Liberty Hyde Bailey and George Valentine Nash first described Anthurium watermaliense in 1914 in The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, page 303.