Anthurium Crystallinum is a wonderfully gorgeous house plant that can grace your home with astounding beauty and heart-shaped leaves with significant coloration. Plus, they are relatively simple to care for, which is why they are so popular.
Finally, they are a good size for most people because they are large enough to offer more to an aesthetic, but not too large to get in the way, even in compact rooms.
This article covers:
- What Anthurium Crystallinum is and what it looks like
- How to care for it with the right amount of water and light, the right type of soil, and more
- Common problems you may experience and what to do about them
Let’s get into it!
Read More >> Caring Tips For Growing Blue Star Fern
Table of Contents
What is Anthurium Crystallinum?
Anthurium Crystallinum is a tropical plant native to the rainforests of Central and South America, specifically Panama to Peru. What makes them so cherished is the relative ease of care combined with the gorgeous contrasting colors of the leaves.
The main concerns with care are pests and temperature, so if you can keep those under control, you shouldn’t have too many issues.
The leaves are large and velvety with a mildly heart-shaped appearance. The deep green leaves are contrasted with very prominent and noticeable white veins that take up a lot of the surface area and create a very interesting design.
The veins are usually white but can be light green in some cases, similar to other Anthurium plants.
To learn more about all different types of Anthuriums, check out this awesome video:
How to Care for Anthurium Crystallinum
Caring for Anthurium Crystallinum is not too difficult, but you do need to know what to do. These rainforest plants require the right temperature, humidity, water supply, soil, and lighting conditions if you want lovely color variegation and healthy growth.
Let’s look at all the factors and how you can keep the perfect environment for your house plant.
Soil
As a perennial epiphyte found in Central America that grows on tree tops, sides of hills, and other places of elevation, the Anthurium Crystallinum doesn’t even need soil to grow!
In addition, it can grow healthily in a wide variety of different soil types and mixes. A porous potting mix that retains moisture and water is usually best.
We recommend using nut shells and other thick organic matter along with compost and adding it to a regular potting mix. You can even use charcoal, perlite, or gravel to ensure that the soil remains porous with lots of openings for air, growth, and water retention.
For even better results, start with Orchid soil before adding perlite or small amounts of gravel.
Read More >> Growing A Healthy Manjula Pothos
Light
Anthurium Crystallinum plants require a lot of light, as much as 16 hours every day. This amount of light will help it grow fast and bloom healthily. It is best to use lightly shaded to bright light, but you also want to avoid direct sunlight that can burn and scorch the leaves.
The good news is that it will survive dimmer light conditions, but it may not keep its bright contrasting colors or grow very quickly if it does not get a good amount of indirect light.
We recommend using an East facing window with a small amount of shade to block out the scorching sunlight. A 20 to 40% shade cloth or in a window underneath a tree’s foliage can work well too.
If you live in a northern climate with low light conditions, then you may need to use grow lights, especially during the Winter months.
Water
Anthurium Crystallinum is native to rainforests, so it makes sense that the plant work requires lots of water and moisture. It is important to understand that their roots are exposed to air and dry out quickly as well, so regular watering is necessary if you have a well-draining pot.
During the growing months, you may need to water it twice or three times every week. This can slow to once a week or less during the Winter and slow-growing months.
Furthermore, you don’t want to saturate the root system because it can lead to disease or attract pests, so try to give it time to thoroughly dry in between waterings.
Temperature and Humidity
Since this plant comes from the rainforests of South and Central America, they certainly like warmth and humidity. However, they aren’t too picky with normal interior conditions and can thrive in temperatures anywhere between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24°C).
If you are growing it outside, you should definitely place it inside when the nighttime temperatures drop below that range. The absolute minimum temperature that it can withstand for short periods is 55°F (13°C).
Anthurium Crystallinum wants the air to be humid and full of moisture, and sometimes it can be hard to cultivate the perfect environment while you also stay comfortable in your home.
Since they prefer humidity between 70 and 80%, you may want to choose a bathroom or kitchen for placing the plant. Otherwise, you may have to regularly spray the leaves or invest in a humidifier to keep the moisture in the air at all times.
Fertilizer
Anthurium Crystallinum doesn’t need tons of feeding or fertilization to grow well, but it can still improve its growth, especially when the plant is young. A well-balanced liquid fertilizer applied once per month during the growing season of Spring and Summer is usually sufficient.
We recommend always using organic feeds with this plant because chemical fertilizers on epiphytes like Anthuriums are slow-release and less likely to harm the foliage or roots. Excessive build-up from chemical fertilizers contains a lot of salt that can wreak havoc on the plant’s health.
You should also regularly flush the root ball with complete watering, especially immediately after you apply fertilizer.
Growth and General Maintenance
Anthurium Crystallinum is a slow-growing species that takes a few weeks to grow each additional new leaf. They are self-heading and take up a lot of space as they spread out. While fairly compact for indoor growing, the leaves can grow up to a foot long.
They can grow in the ground outside if you live in a moderate region.
As far as pruning goes, they do not require a ton. However, you will want to periodically remove dry or dead leaves.
You can also do a little extra pruning if the plant is getting too large for the space you have available, but don’t prune it too far since they are slow growers because it can make them look uneven or irregular.
Common Problems with Anthurium Crystallinum
There are some common problems that you certainly want to be on the lookout for because they can damage the appearance of your plant, slow growth, or even kill it altogether. Once you spot some of these issues, they are normally easy to address, but there are certain guidelines for doing so.
Let’s look at the most likely issues that can arise while you are growing your beautiful Crystal Anthurium.
Leaf Spots
If you notice that there are leaf spots that look dark or even similar to burn marks, then that could be a sign of a serious problem of bacterial infection. This usually occurs when you overwater wet leaves or root systems, so be sure to wait until the plant is completely dry before watering again.
With these types of infections, they may be developing without showing any negative signs, then suddenly the deterioration spreads rapidly. Quickly cut away all affected leaves, stems, and roots.
If there is prominent root rot in the soil, then you will also have to change pots, use a new soil mix, and remove all infected portions of the plant. This will usually solve the problem as long as it doesn’t undergo excessive moisture again.
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves can be caused by too much direct sunlight. This is especially true if they feel dried out, but the humidity is still high enough. If this is the case, it means that the leaves are being burned by the sunlight and the best bet is to immediately move the plant into more shade.
This should clear up the problem, but it may take some time for the normal color to return.
Wilting Leaves
This can be caused by opposing problems but is more likely to be caused by overwatering and excessive humidity. However, too little humidity for a prolonged period can also cause dried-out leaves to wilt.
Feel the leaves to see if they are moist or dry and that should tell you whether you need to water less and reduce humidity or do the opposite. If the leaves are completely dead, then you will want to remove them while also making the necessary changes for healthier Anthurium Crystallinum growth.
Pests
The most common pests for Anthurium Crystallinum are aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs. They can be a nuisance and suck the life out of your house plant. They can also attract other insects that can be annoying.
It is easy to treat these infections as long as you catch them fast. Typically, regular insecticidal soap once a week will remove them and keep them away. You can also use isopropyl alcohol to dap the insects with a cotton ball, but try no to get too much on the plant itself.
Finally, neem oil is a great option as well that is unlikely to harm your plant.
Final Thoughts on Anthurium Crystallinum
Anthurium Crystallinum is a wonderful plant with awesome-looking white veins spreading over the entire leaf. They like warm humid environments and porous soil, but can also be waterlogged fairly easily even though they need a lot of water and dry out rapidly.
If you follow the guidelines in our article, you are sure to have a happy, healthy, colorful plant with expansive foliage in no time.