How To Care For Your Anthurium Crystallinum

You’re not buying an Anthurium Crystallinum for its flowers, as its green spathes aren’t particularly attractive and the plant rarely flowers when kept inside.

Instead, the enormous, long, slightly heart-shaped, deep green leaves of this rare species are much sought after for their velvety texture and beautiful pale green or silvery-white venation.

Below is how to care for the Anthurium Crystallinum and why you should give it a try!

 

How is the Anthurium Crystallinum Described?

A blooming plant in the Araceae family, Anthurium crystallinum is endemic to the outskirts of rainforests in Central and South America, from Panama to Peru.

A. crystallinum is an epiphytic perennial that reaches a height and width of about 90 centimetres (35 inches); its large, velvety, ovate to heart-shaped leaves have prominent white veining, and its blooms are relatively unremarkable inflorescences with green spathes and pale green spadices that appear year-round.

It is grown as a houseplant or in a grow room (for seedlings) in temperate climates, where temperatures must reach at least 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit).

The Royal Horticultural Society has honoured it with its Garden Merit Award.

 

 

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What are the Requirements For the Care of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

• What is the Water Requirement of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

Your Anthurium crystallinum will benefit from regular watering, but that doesn’t mean you should drown it every time it gets a little dry. Overwatering and damp soil can create root rot, which is fatal to plants.

Don’t water again until the top several inches of soil have dried up. Instead of gauging dryness by sight or adhering to a strict schedule, you should stick your finger into the soil to check.

Also, be careful not to soak those big leaves. Pests and fungus illnesses thrive in damp environments.

• What is the Light Requirement of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

Anthurium crystallinum requires a certain lighting setup in order to flourish. These plants thrive in indirect, bright light.

This is to be expected, given that they are naturally accustomed to spending time under the shady canopy of a rainforest.

The spectacular but delicately veined leaves of your Anthurium crystallinum will be damaged by too much direct sunlight, but too little will prevent you from fully appreciating the plant’s grandeur and patterning.

The best view is usually out of an east-facing window. Add a thin curtain to your south-facing window to soften the sunlight. A plant grown in a north-facing room could benefit from grow lights.

• What is the Soil Requirement of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

Don’t just use any old potting soil you find in the garage for your Anthurium crystallinum. To thrive, this plant must be planted in soil that is both light and porous.

To make a more sustainable alternative to traditional potting soil, try combining one part perlite with two parts peat moss or coconut coir.

This reduces the risk of waterlogging while increasing the likelihood of consistent hydration and root exposure to oxygen.

Instead of making your own, get some good orchid soil and amend it with gravel and perlite.

• What is the Fertilizer Requirement of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

Although Anthurium crystallinum isn’t a particularly hungry plant, it benefits from light feeding during the spring and summer growing seasons to encourage the development of large, robust leaves.

A monthly dose of a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted in half or an organic supplement, like natural fish emulsion, should do the trick.

Fertilizing too often might cause root scorch, so be sure to follow the instructions on commercial fertilizers.

• What is the Humidity Requirement of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

Plants require humidity levels above 50%, with values above 70% likely producing the healthiest and most remarkable results.

It also helps to place a tray of pebbles and water under the plant and to group plants of the same kind together. A humidifier may be necessary to get the desired levels of humidity.

• What is the Temperature Requirement of the Anthurium Crystallinum?

Since this plant is originally from the tropics, it makes sense that it thrives under hot and humid conditions. It’s possible that this plant isn’t right for you if your home constantly blasts air conditioning or heating.

The ideal temperature range for the Anthurium crystallinum is between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but it may tolerate temperatures as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

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How To Propagate the Anthurium Crystallinum?

• How To Propagate the Anthurium Crystallinum By Stem Cutting?

  • Take a cutting about 6 inches long with at least two healthy leaves using a clean, sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears. To prune, make a cut just below a node (a bud’s developing spot on a stem). It would be ideal if it also had some aerial roots sprouting from it.
  • Waiting a few days for the cut end to callus over increases the likelihood of a successful repair.
  • Plant the stem cutting in a new, well-drained, loose potting mix.
  • Keep the soil evenly moist by watering it. The cutting should be done in a warm area that receives good indirect light.
  • If a cutting germinates and grows new plants within two months, the propagation is successful. If you give the plant a light tug and meet with some resistance, you know the roots have taken.

• How To Propagate the Anthurium Crystallinum By Division?

  • Avoid damaging the plant’s root system as you gently coax it out of its container.
  • Remove any excess soil, give the roots a good rinsing, and then carefully separate them, either by hand or by cutting them apart with a pair of clean, sharp scissors.
  • Make sure there is at least one leaf on each section, while many leaves will produce better results.
  • Carefully repot the newly-separated plants, keeping in mind that either too-large or too-small containers can be detrimental to their health.

 

What are the Common Problems with the Anthurium Crystallinum?

• Tips Turn Brown:

Unattractive brown tips or blotches on the foliage of your Anthurium crystallinum may be the result of either insufficient humidity or overwatering. Overexposure to the sun’s rays can also cause brown spots.

• Yellowing of Leaves:

Too much water or direct sunlight might cause the shiny green leaves of your Anthurium crystallinum to develop an ugly yellow shade.

You may be able to solve this issue by reducing the frequency with which you water the plant or by relocating it to a location where it receives more indirect sunlight.

• Curling of Leaves:

The worst thing that may happen to your Anthurium crystallinum is for its impressively sized leaves to begin to droop, wilt, or curl.

Incorrect watering practices are probably to blame. This problem can also be caused by too much sunlight or even by drafts of cold air.

 

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Conclusion

Although Anthurium crystallinum requires little attention, it is best kept as an indoor plant because of its preference for warm, humid conditions typical of the tropics.

This will allow you to provide your plants with abundant bright indirect light, reasonable humidity, steady hydration, and a loose, well-draining potting mix.

Now that you know how to care for the Anthurium Crystallinum do well to give it a purchase @ Amazon.

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