I recently got my dad an anthurium warocqueanum. Learn all about anthurium warocqueanum care, including how to help this stunning and totally unique-looking tropical plant thrive.
Anthurium warocqueanum care
This is my very first anthurium care guide, if you can believe it! And today’s anthurium is…anthurium warocqueanum! Also commonly known as the queen anthurium because, well, she looks simply regal.
I mean, talk about commanding a presence. Everyone who has seen a picture of my plant (well, my dad’s plant now—he got it for father’s day) has gasped at its stunning foliage. My dad thinks it looks like both a pickle and a skeleton.
What is an anthurium warocqueanum?
So let’s jump right in by talking about how this plant is classified and where it comes from. Anthurium is a genus of about 1,000 different plant species. Anthurium plants of all kinds are native to the Americas from Argentina to Mexico and the Caribbean.
And anthurium warocqueanum is just one of these 1,000 different varieties—and it is a simply stunning one. The queen anthurium specifically is native to the tropical rainforests of Colombia, but the plant has become a favorite among houseplant hobbyists and collectors around the world.
Distinguishing characteristics
When grown in the wild, it can be seen climbing other plants and trees, clinging to them for support. Its long, lean leaves can grow up to 4 feet long in ideal conditions—but it’s harder to achieve this size as a houseplant.
The leaves have a thick, leathery feel with dark green coloring and a velvet sheen. This dark green is offset by bright white veining that creates a stunning contrast.
Where can I find an anthurium warocqueanum?
You won’t find one of these in a big box garden center. And depending on where you live and how diverse of a selection your local nurseries offer, you might not find it there, either.
Before I acquired my plant, I had seen an anthurium warocqueanum in person only once. It was at a nursery about an hour away from my house that specializes in harder-to-find and rare houseplants.
However, you’ll likely pay a premium buying locally from a nursery. The plus side is that you know exactly what you’re getting and you don’t have to deal with the stress of shipping. And you’re supporting a small business 🙂
But if that’s not in the budget for you, you can check out Etsy (affiliate link). These may also be expensive, and you’ll have to deal with shipping. However, I have definitely noticed a wide range of prices on Etsy. SO have a look and read the shop reviews before ordering.
As with most harder-to-find plants, you will pay more money the larger and more mature your plant is. Therefore, you could also cut costs by looking for a smaller plant or a cutting.
A potential path to owning an anthurium warocqueanum might be the path I took—importing into the United States from an international seller. Importing can be a good option to get plants at an affordable price, but you pay a lot in shipping and U.S. phytosanitary certificates.
Therefore, if you go in on a large order with others, you can cut costs by spreading out shipping and the certificate costs. Have a look at rare plant pop-up shops that might be coming to a local nursery near you, too!
I purchased my plant through the company Ecuagenera, a nursery based in Ecuador. The company was doing a pop-up at one of my favorite local spots. SInce I preordered before the popup, I paid only $42.14! And my plant is gorgeous and pretty large, as you can see.
Anthurium warocqueanum care…not the easiest, but not the hardest!
So now that we know a bit more about the queen anthurium, let’s talk about anthurium warocqueanum care. Because once you get your hands on one, you want to keep it healthy and happy. As the title of this section says, it’s not the easiest, but it’s not the hardest 🙂 Let’s go over the care aspects one by one.
How much light does a queen anthurium need?
The anthurium warocqueanum does not need a ton of light. This isn’t a low-light plant, but it also doesn’t do a ton of bright light. Too much direct light will burn the leaves, no matter how thick and hardy they may seem.
I had my anthurium warocqueanum in my glass greenhouse cabinet under grow lights, and it was perfectly happy. Once I gave it to my dad, though, we decided to keep it outside for the summer. I put it on their porch, which gets morning sun but is largely shaded the entire day.
Indoors, shoot for putting the plant near a sunny window (rotating it every few weeks to ensure even growth) or under a grow light. I have never burned a plant with an LED grow light; simply start low and work your way up until you find the right level. (Read more about using grow lights with houseplants!)
What is the best soil?
Well-draining soil…and then make it even more well-draining 🙂 As I mentioned earlier in the post, queen anthuriums often grow up other plants or trees in nature. These plants absolutely do not grow in heavy soil.
My plant arrived bare root in sphagnum moss, so I decided to mix my own chunky soil mix using a well-draining houseplant soil mix as a base. I then added some additional perlite, coco coir, some of the sphagnum moss from the root ball, and some coconut husk chunks.
You can also use an orchid mix or orchid bark, but I didn’t have any on hand. The coconut husk chunks definitely help loosen things up and increase air circulation.
The well-draining soil helps to ensure plenty of oxygen can get to the roots while also allowing excess water to drain out of the drainage holes when you water it. Sitting in water is not what you want for your queen. She will throw a fit.
Should I pot a queen in a terracotta pot?
I generally avoid unsealed terracotta pots for many plants because they can dry out the soil too quickly. Unsealed terracotta clay pots are super absorbant. But guess what? That’s a HUGE plus for plants like the anthurium warocqueanum!
Much like my baby Thai constellation monstera, I chose an unsealed terracotta pot for my queen anthurium. This has worked out really well so far. I can definitely see after watering the plant that the clay absorbs the excess water, which is exactly what you want!
How often do you water an anthurium warocqueanum?
And speaking of water, let’s cover that now. Anthurium warocqueanum care is slightly complicated by its watering needs. Anthurium warocqueanum does not like to be over or underwatered. I recommend letting the top half of the soil dry out before watering the plant again.
Generally this means that the soil will be dry down as far as you can dig your finger. If the soil is well-draining and chunky and the pot is absorbant, there is less of a chance of overwatering.
But even if you have a super well-draining soil, you can still overwatering your plant. I must have sounded like a crazy person explaining the watering needs of this plant to my mom, who basically said, “I water my plants when I water my plants, and that’s it.” We’ll see how that goes LOL.
Why is my anthurium warocqueanum yellow?
If you notice yellow leaves on your queen anthurium and the soil substrate is wet, you’re likely overwatering. Make sure your soil substrate is super chunky and well-draining and that you’re not watering the plant too often.
If the older leaves are yellowing off and the soil is bone-dry, you’re probably underwatering. I recommend snipping off the yellow leaves once they finish turning colors.
Temperature & humidity
Anthurium warocqueanum is a tropical plant, which means it does not tolerate cold weather. It enjoys temperatures in the 70s, 80s, and even 90s (Fahrenheit). It will thrive with warm temperatures. If you live somewhere that it gets cold—even down into the low 50s at night—make sure you take the plant indoors.
High humidity is another requirement for this plant. Which is kind of a pain for houseplant hobbyists who live in areas with all four seasons like I do! I do recommend some sort of higher humidity setup for your anthurium warocqueanum in the fall and winter (and summer if you live in a dry climate).
We have very humidity and warm temperatures where I live, so that works our perfectly. But if you don’t have those, or if you have a fall and winter with lower temperatures, you’ll need a humidifier or some sort of indoor greenhouse solution with air circulation to ensure the leaves don’t remain too moist.
Should I fertilize my anthurium warocqueanum?
I recommend using an organic fertilizer to add nutrients to your soil substrate. Something like Liqui-Dirt, which is a concentrated fertilizer that you dilute in water. Or you can work in nutrient-rich worm castings, which you can buy in a bag, to the top inch or two of soil.
Toxicity—is it safe to have around kids and pets?
Yes, anthurium warocqueanum is safe to have around kids and pets, but it should never be ingested. Ingesting any part of this plant can be toxic and lead to gastrointestinal issues. I always recommend keeping plants away from kids and pets that might nibble.
This is another reason that some sort of greenhouse tent or glass greenhouse cabinet is a good solution—it keeps the plant away from any nosy kids or animals!
Pest problems your queen anthurium might encounter
I have not yet experienced any issues with my queen. But I would personally keep an eye out for all of the normal houseplant pests like thrips, mealybugs, fungus gnats, etc. I treated my plant by spraying it down as soon as I got it (using Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew).
I also routinely treat my plants with a heavily diluted neem oil spray as a preventative measure. This helps clean off the leans and deter any pests that might want to move in.
If you notice any rotting spots on the plant’s leaves, I would suspect some sort of fungal infection as a result of a lack of air flow and moisture sitting on the leaves or overwatering. I’ll have to send you off to Google for that one, though, because I don’t have any experience on that front.
How to propagate an anthurium warocqueanum
Anthurium warocqueanum plants can of course be propagated. The best way to do this is by taking a cutting of new growth from the plant. However, I don’t personally have experience propagating my queen yet, so I’ll update this post when I do. My dad has promised me that, despite this being a father’s day present for him, I can take a cutting to propagate next year!
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Brittany is a seasoned DIY home and garden expert, running a creative brand since 2014 that inspires others with approachable plant care guides, woodworking tutorials, and decor projects. She is a certified project manager and has completed extensive coursework in the art and science of growing your own plants. Her work has been recognized by major publications, and she routinely collaborates with fellow DIY industry leaders—but her favorite thing to do is inspire you! Learn more about her here.
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