Anthurium

tropical plants · flowering · indoor plants · rainforest

Huge plant family. Anthurium is the largest genus in the arum family, with about 1,000 different species. That means more anthuriums exist than almost any other plant group you can think of.

Heart-shaped blooms. Anthurium flowers are famous for their waxy, colorful spathes (the showy part that looks like a petal) that come in red, pink, white, and even purple. Each flower has a special club-shaped structure called a spadix in the center.

Native to tropics. These plants come from Central and South America, where they grow wild in warm, humid rainforests. Many varieties now grow as popular houseplants around the world.

Funny nicknames. People call anthurium by many names like flamingo flower, pigtail plant, and tailflower. The 'pigtail' nickname comes from the curly, twisted shape of the spadix that looks like a pig's tail.

Lacey leaf varieties. Some anthuriums have beautiful leaves with holes and cut edges that make them look like delicate lace. These 'laceleaf' anthuriums are prized by plant collectors.