TAILFLOWER

ANTHURIUM ANDRAEANUM

The long-lasting flowers of this tropical beauty look spectacular against its large, arrow-shaped, dark green leaves. Its spike of small flowers is surrounded by a red spathe, making this plant a stylish choice that’s guaranteed to add drama and interest to your home.

HEIGHT 18in (45cm)

SPREAD 12in (30cm)

FLOWERS Small spike, surrounded by waxy, red spathe

FOLIAGE Large, arrow-shaped

LIGHT Filtered sun

TEMPERATURE 61–75°F (16–24°C)

CARE Challenging

PLACE OF ORIGIN Columbia and Ecuador

CARE

The tailflower, also known as flamingo flower, is a challenging plant to grow, but, if properly cared for, will add style to any interior. For success, place the plant in a room with both filtered sunlight and moderate humidity. The warmer and brighter the room, the greater are the chances you’ll be rewarded with long-lasting blooms.

Make sure you don’t ignore this slow-grower: it needs a moist potting mix throughout the year, which could mean you’ll be watering every other day. Mist the plant every couple of days and if you’re going away, put the container on a tray of damp pebbles.

To encourage flowers, feed the tailflower in spring with a high-potash feed and repot with fresh potting mix.

Plants can be easily divided in spring at the same time as repotting. Keep the crown of the plant just above soil level as it will rot if planted too deep.

PROBLEM SOLVING High humidity is essential for this plant to thrive. If the air in the room is too dry, leaves will turn brown and curl and flowers won’t develop. To prevent this, avoid placing it in rooms with open fires, mist plants regularly with tepid water, and cover the soil surface with moist moss.

The spikes of flowers and their red spathes can appear any time of year.

Moistened moss, placed on the compost surface, will raise humidity.

DISPLAY

Anthuriums, rose grapes, and birds of paradise work well both as cut flowers and houseplants. All enjoy similar growing conditions. Display them together as houseplants to create a dynamic tropical beach-look in your home.

Houseplants A–Z | TAILFLOWER

ALSO TRY

The tailflower’s waxy, red spathe and flower spike create a bold statement. For other plants with spathes, why not try:

• Calla lily (Zantesdeschia aethiopica), height 32in (80cm). This semievergreen can be grown outside if protected from frost, but it will survive indoors, as long as it’s given a daily soaking during the growing season.
• Golden calla lily (Zantedeschia elliottiana), height 24in (60cm). The bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers of this eye-catching plant are offset by dark green foliage with white markings.

The calla lily has a white spathe and a spike of yellow flowers in summer.