If you are looking for something to brighten up your home or work environment, why not consider the heart-shaped and very colourful flamingo flower.
This strikingly glossy flower is available from most retail florists as cut stems. However, it is generally favoured as an indoor pot plant and is ideal for brightening any environment.
The colourful blooms flower all year long, require very little maintenance and survive well both indoors and out.
The flamingo flower or anthurium, belongs to the Araceae family and originated in the humid, tropical continent of South America.
Most flamingo flower blooms are imported from Asia, where they are very popular, and are available in an abundance of marvellous colours, including glossy reds, hybrid greens, pink, purple mauves and peachy creams.
The plants are very hardy and do well outdoors, but try to avoid extreme frost or freezing conditions. Being a tropical plant, these blooms prefer warm, humid conditions and should be planted in the shade.
With the right care, the plan should start flowering within six months and the long lasting and highly prized heart-shaped glossy flowers are well worth the effort. Anthuriums grow fairly slowly, with only about 6 to 10 flowers produced on a single plant each year.
To encourage more of the gorgeous blooms, keep your anthurium in a warm place and feed it every month with liquid fertiliser. Keep the soil moist, but well drained and aerated.
Regular pruning of old blooms and foliage from the base of the stem will encourage the proliferation of more healthy flowers and leaves.
To prevent premature wilting and rotting, make sure your flamingo flower gets plenty of light, without direct sunlight.
If cut flower blooms are your preference, look for flowers with no spots or tears and mist them regularly to keep them bright. As a cut flower, you can expect at least two to three weeks of vase life. If the blooms wilt, submerge the flower in room-temperature water for 20 to 30 minutes.
Feeds