# anthuriums (*Anthurium*)

Anthuriums are beautiful flowers known for their shiny, heart-shaped leaves and bright colors. They are often called 'flamingo flowers' because of their unique shape and vibrant appearance.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Tropical rainforests
- **Also known as:** Anthurium, Flamingo Flower, Painted Tongue, Pigtail Plant

![anthuriums](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425920/objects/3924.jpg)

## Appearance

The anthuriums has glossy, often heart-shaped leaves and a distinctive waxy 'flower' structure called a spathe. This spathe comes in bright colors like red, pink, white, or green, surrounding a spike-like spadix. Its shiny texture makes it visually striking and different from typical petals.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Alismatales
- **Family:** Araceae
- **Genus:** Anthurium

## Interesting facts

- If you touch its sap, it can make your mouth feel a bit prickly!
- They are sometimes called 'Flamingo Flowers' because of their bright, tropical look!
- What looks like an anthurium flower is actually a special colorful leaf!
- Wild anthuriums often grow high up in trees, not just on the forest floor!

## Special abilities

- **Air Purifier Power:** Anthuriums can help clean the air in your home by removing certain pollutants, making the air fresher to breathe!
- **Bright Lure Trick:** Anthuriums has a super shiny, colorful leaf (spathe) that acts like a beacon to attract insects for pollination.
- **Flexible Home Finder:** Anthuriums can grow not just in soil, but also on other plants, helping them find sunny spots in crowded forests.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 5-30 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [scarab beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scarab-beetle) (*Cyclocephala lunulata*) — Beetle attracted to plant's scent to transfer pollen.
- **Pollinates:** stingless bee (*Trigona fulviventris*) — Bee collects pollen from the spadix, aiding reproduction.
- **Eats:** leaf-cutter ant (*Atta cephalotes*) — Ants cut leaf pieces to cultivate their fungus gardens.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rainforest): This habitat trait refers to species found in tropical rainforests, characterized by high annual rainfall, high biodiversity, and dense tree cover.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Anthuriums are not for eating, so just enjoy looking at them!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify anthuriums?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is anthuriums?

30-90 cm

### How wide does anthuriums spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on anthuriums?

5-30 cm

### When does anthuriums bloom?

Year-round

### Is anthuriums edible?

No

### Is anthuriums toxic?

Mild

### What is anthuriums's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Watch

- [Play video: anthuriums](https://www.snappit.app/videos/anthuriums)
- [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=RG59j3OyRhA)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Anthuriums: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/anthuriums)