Anthurium is a plant belonging to the aroid family. In the natural habitat, you can find about 900 varieties of this culture. Homeland plants are tropical forests in South America. In the Russian Federation, this greenhouse or indoor plant with a dense ears and beautiful flowers has gained great popularity. Black Anthurium is considered especially beautiful. Features of its cultivation and maintenance will be described in this article.
The most popular types
There are several popular varieties of black anthuriums. In the initial flowering phase, the bract is often not black, but maroon. The blanket darkens as the cob ripens, which gives the culture even more decorative. Consider the most popular varieties of black anthurium.
Black queen
This variety is also often called the black prince. It is customary to refer to tall varieties. Often there is another name for this anthurium - "the black queen." In height, adult specimens reach up to 80 cm. At the beginning of flowering, an upright cob is painted in light beige or white.
The size of the bedspread is from 12 to 15 cm. This will depend on the age of the flower, as well as the conditions for its growing. The bract is glossy, has a heart-shaped form, pronounced relief veins that emphasize the unusual variety of this hybrid.
During the initial phase of flowering, a veil of maroon or cherry color. Over time, this bract becomes darker, becoming almost black, but it has a reddish tint.
Black love
This plant belongs to the line of hybrids of Love. The shrub reaches a maximum height of 60 cm.
Glossy elongated leaves have a dark green hue without blotches. The ear is erect, light beige with a yellow or greenish tint. The coloration becomes darker as the cob ripens, while almost completely merging with the color of the bedspread. The size of this bedspread can reach 15 cm across.
Black beauty
This species is very rarely seen in the collections of even experienced gardeners. The appearance of black anthurium is characterized by the decorativeness of its green foliage, as well as the tulip-shaped form of the bedspread.
At home, the epiphyte is capable of reaching 65 cm in height. The leaves have a slightly velvety surface, green saturated color. On the back of the sheet there are bright burgundy streaks. In the ripening phase, the cob turns black, merges with the background of the entire bedspread.
Black dragon
This species can also be very rarely seen in indoor collections. The plant is not only distinguished by its decorativeness, but also by the unusual color of the foliage. Elongated lanceolate leaves grow on short petioles, while forming a lush herbaceous bush. The color of the leaves is mottled, it changes over time from green to bright burgundy inclusions.
The color of the cob is close to brown tones. The cob hue changes to tan as the final flowering phase approaches.
Chocolate love
Evergreen decorative flowering shrub in height can reach 50 cm. Often, flower growers call this species chocolate love or just chocolate anthurium. An erect vertical cob is painted in a light green tint. It darkens as it blooms. The bedspread or bract has a glossy surface.
The widths of the bedspreads are from 9 to 11 cm. Under favorable conditions, the anthurium forms a large number of growth points, thereby providing dense greens.
Care Rules
It can be noted that anthuriums are unjustifiably called easily-wounded and capricious indoor plants. Features of the content of black anthurium will not differ from the rules for growing other epiphytic representatives of tropical forests. At home, you can successfully grow this culture only in such a microclimate that will be as close as possible to the conditions of natural cultivation. Most often, black anthurium suffers from:
- Incorrect lighting.
- Insufficient humidity in the room.
- Wrong watering regime.
If you observe errors when growing, black dots may appear on the leaves of the anthurium.
Room temperature
The air temperature in the room in which the plant is grown will depend on the vegetative phase. During the active growth and flowering of black anthurium, the temperature in the room should be about 20-25 degrees above zero. This evergreen shrub begins to enter the dormant phase after prolonged flowering. In some cases, the flowering of black anthurium lasts for 10-12 weeks.
During rest, the air in the room should be no more than 18 degrees. Also, the air temperature should not fall below 15 degrees. In cooler conditions, the plant may die.
Air humidity
We continue to consider the features of home care. Anthurium black needs high humidity. He will respond positively to daily year-round spraying. However, it is necessary to spray black anthurium, the photo of which is presented in this article, with boiled soft water. The procedure should be carried out in the morning.
Lighting Features
In the natural habitat, anthurium does not encounter direct sunlight, as these crops grow in the shade under tall trees. If you will grow this plant at home, then you should give preference to the windowsill, which is located on the southwest or southeast side.
In winter, you will need to extend the daylight hours, which uses artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps. Therefore, the evergreen shrub requires at least 8-10 hours of daylight.
If the lighting rules are violated, black spots may form on the leaves of the anthurium.
Watering
Epiphytic plants absorb moisture with their whole nature, while not only the root system. These green pets do not have the ability to preserve and accumulate moisture. Watering schedule will depend on the season, vegetative phase, as well as climatic conditions in which the indoor flower grows.
It is also important to control soil moisture levels to prevent waterlogging or drying out. Otherwise, black spots may also form on the anthurium. What to do in this case? How to prevent a similar problem? Epiphytes do not need to be watered until the topsoil dries. Watering is carried out at least once a week, when the plant is in a period of active growth.
Watering is reduced to once a week after the plant has completed flowering.
Top dressing
Twice a month, dressing is applied for indoor flowering plants. The concentration of fertilizers should be slightly lower than recommended, which is indicated on the package. Feeding during the dormant period is completely excluded, otherwise unplanned shoots will appear.
The most common growing mistakes
Black flower Anthurium is very whimsical to grow. Many beginner growers experience some difficulties in its maintenance. If this is the first time you have acquired this culture, you should avoid the most common mistakes, which are as follows:
- Drying or waterlogging of the substrate.
- Poor soil aeration.
- Fatal drafts that cause moisture loss and hypothermia.
- Finding a plant in a too bright place where direct sunlight falls.
- An attempt to root cuttings in water.
- Sharp fluctuations in room temperature.
- Hypothermia of the culture in the winter.
If you do not follow the basic rules of growing and keeping black anthurium, then you should not rely on beautiful flowering and plant health. The main reason for the death of these valuable specimens is an elementary misunderstanding of the vegetation of epiphytic species.