The Flamingo Flower plant is one of the most exciting houseplants around. With its bright, vibrant colours and luscious, shiny dark green leaves, it works wonderfully as the centrepiece to any indoor plant display, complimenting the other plants, and adding a flash of colour. What more do you want from a houseplant?
A beautiful plant is not the only thing you get when you buy a Pink Flamingo Flower – like so many other indoor plants they offer a wide range of other benefits, like improving the air quality within your home, which in turn can have a wonderful impact on your mood and productivity. Having a collection of houseplants in your home is a good thing, of that there is no doubt.
They do come with a small amount of responsibility, though. These are living things, and they will require a little bit of care. So in this blog we are going to take a look at everything that you need to do to really help your Flamingo Flower plant thrive, so you can enjoy its stunning blooms for many years to come.
The flamingo lily, also known as anthurium, is a stunning tropical plant known for its spectacular flowers and glossy foliage. With the right care, the flamingo lily can add a touch of the tropics to any indoor space. In this complete guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know to keep your flamingo lily healthy and happy.
Choosing the Right Flamingo Lily
There are over 1000 species of anthurium, but two common types grown as houseplants are Anthurium andraeanum and Anthurium scherzerianum. Anthurium andraeanum features a straight flower spike and heart-shaped leaves, while Anthurium scherzerianum has a curled spike and elongated leaves. The brightly colored spathe (modified leaf) comes in shades of red, pink, orange, purple or white.
When selecting your flamingo lily, look for plants with healthy foliage and avoid any with signs of pests, diseases or damage. The flowering varieties offer long-lasting color, while the foliage varieties add vibrant greenery
Providing the Right Growing Conditions
Flamingo lilies need specific growing conditions to thrive. Here are the key factors to get right:
Light: Bright, indirect light is ideal. East or west-facing windows are perfect spots. Avoid direct southern sun exposure.
Temperature: Ideal temps are 60-90°F. Keep away from drafty areas.
Humidity High humidity of at least 50-60% should be maintained.
Soil: Use a well-draining, acidic potting mix. Add perlite or orchid bark to improve drainage.
Pot: Pick a pot with drainage holes using a quality potting soil. Plastic pots hold moisture better than terra cotta.
Water: Water when the top inch of soil dries out. Avoid overwatering. Use room temperature distilled or rain water.
Fertilizer: Use a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength every 2-4 weeks during spring and summer.
Caring for Your Flamingo Lily
Once you’ve set up the right conditions, a few simple care tasks will keep your flamingo lily thriving:
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Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil dries out. Never let the soil get completely dry.
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Mist the leaves every few days to increase humidity. Use filtered or distilled water.
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Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms. Cut back the stem after flowering.
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Wipe leaves with a damp cloth to keep them clean and shiny. Avoid harsh chemicals.
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Rotate the pot periodically to promote even growth.
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Repot every 2-3 years in spring using new potting mix. Go up one pot size.
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Fertilize regularly in spring and summer, tapering off in fall and winter.
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Prune away any dead, damaged or diseased foliage. Sterilize pruners between cuts.
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Treat pests like spider mites with horticultural soap or neem oil. Isolate affected plants.
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Monitor for any signs of pests or diseases. Address issues promptly.
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Keep leaves dry when watering to prevent disease. Water soil only.
Boosting Flowering
To encourage your flamingo lily to produce more of its prized blooms:
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Ensure the plant gets bright, indirect light. Low light reduces flowering.
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Use a fertilizer higher in phosphorus to promote flowering.
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Maintain warm temperatures between 65-80°F. Cooler temps can delay blooming.
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Keep the plant slightly rootbound. Repot only when necessary.
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Allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings during flowering.
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Prune back the stems after flowering to promote reblooming.
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Propagate plants by division to create younger, vigorous flowering plants.
Propagating Flamingo Lilies
Flamingo lilies are easy to propagate by division or stem cuttings:
Division: Carefully divide the root ball and repot sections with roots and leaves into new pots.
Stem cuttings: Take 5-6 inch cuttings and remove lower leaves. Place in water or potting mix. Keep humid.
Seeds can also be harvested from pollinated plants. But seed propagation is more challenging and slower.
New plants from division or cuttings will establish quicker than growing from seeds. propagating
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Here are some common problems and solutions for ailing flamingo lilies:
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Yellow leaves: Usually caused by overwatering. Allow soil to dry out more between waterings.
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Sparse blooms: Could be due to insufficient light or phosphorus. Increase light exposure and fertilize with more phosphorus.
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Wilting: Can result from underwatering or root rot from overwatering. Adjust watering practices.
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Leaf spots: Leaf spot diseases may be the culprit. Improve air circulation and use a fungicide.
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Dry leaf tips: Low humidity is generally the cause. Increase humidity around the plant.
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Leggy growth: Insufficient light causes lanky growth. Provide brighter indirect light.
Enjoying the Flamingo Lily’s Exotic Blooms
With high gloss leaves and showy tropical blooms in shades of red, pink, orange and white, it’s easy to see why the flamingo lily is such a popular houseplant. For the best results, provide this South American native with the warm, humid, bright conditions it prefers. A little attentive care will be rewarded with exotic flowers that lend a touch of the tropics to your indoor garden.
What are Flamingo Plants?
Flamingo Flower plants, or Anthurium plants to give their botanical name, hail from the tropical rainforests of South America and the Caribbean. They are usually found growing within trees, in the crevices, where they find the right balance of warmth, water and light. Growing under taller trees means that the light they receive can be a bit sporadic, which is how theyve adapted to grow in differing light conditions.
The most common form of Anthurium plants are andreanum. The Anthurium flowers from these plants can come in a variety of colours – pink, red, white and purple most commonly. They all have heart shaped leaves, and they are all incredibly attractive. They are perfect blooming tabletop plants – a wonderful centrepiece.
Are Flamingo Plants easy to care for?
Flamingo Flower plants take an average amount of care – not the easiest, not the most difficult compared to other houseplants. As a tropical plant, the key to Flamingo Plant care is recreating the natural environment that they are used to – which isnt as difficult as it may sound! A home in the UK can easily recreate the tropical rainforests that they are used to!
They have a few different names, sometimes called a Flamingo Lily (they are from the same plant family as the Peace Lily), as well as the Tailflower, Red Peace Lily and Red Heart Plant – referencing the bright flowers that they produce.
Flamingo plants are pretty good at adapting, particularly when it comes to light conditions, so they will work with you and can adapt to wherever you put them. The main thing to focus on is watering, as they do like regular waterings to recreate the moist soil that they are used to – but we will go into the specifics of that further down this article. If you are capable of watering a plant, though, you are more than qualified to own a Flamingo Flower plant! They are suitable for first-time plant owners – all you will ever need to know to really help your plant thrive is in this article.
10 MISTAKES Growing Anthuriums | Flamingo Flower Care Tips
FAQ
How do you care for a flamingo lily plant indoors?
Flamingo lilies (Anthurium), thrive indoors with bright, indirect light, moderate moisture, and high humidity. They prefer temperatures between 65-80°F and should be fertilized monthly during the growing season.
Where should I put my flamingo lily?
Flamingo Plants are complemented with a continuous display of bright waxy, red heart-shaped spathes with yellow spadices. On average, the flower lasts for a full two to three months. In their native rainforest environment, these houseplants flourish best in indirect, high light sources such as a southern exposure.
How long do flamingo lilies last?
The flower is actually the central ‘spadix’, made up of lots of tiny blooms. The blooms appear intermittently throughout the year and last for between six to eight weeks, with a ‘rest period’ of up to three months in between.
How to keep flamingo lily alive?
- Conditions. Place in a light area out of direct sunlight, as this will damage the leaves. …
- Watering. The growing medium should be moist, but allow it to dry out a little between waterings.
- Minimum temperature 18°C.