You got a new Anthurium plant to add a bit of red, glowing color to your home or garden.
However, things went unlike you’d expected, and you found it turning into a color other than red. That naturally makes you wonder: why is my Anthurium not red?
Flamingo flowers’ red color can turn to green, white, and even brown for multiple reasons like lack of nutrients or light. There can also be Anthurium species whose original color isn’t red.
In this post, we’ll walk you through all the causes of unusual Anthurium colors. More importantly, how to solve the plant problems to regain its original look.
Are Your Anthurium Flowers Really Red?
Even though they’re well-known for being red, not all Anthurium flowers are actually red.
Some species may come in different degrees of red, like orange or purple, or any degree between the two.
Other species naturally have a green color, like Hookeri and Clarinarvium. In addition, some grow in two colors simultaneously.
So, before you think there’s a problem with your Flamingo flowers, ensure that your plant is actually one with red blooms.
Why Do Anthurium Flowers Turn Green?
Your Anthurium might turn green for a few reasons. Here they are:
Out of the Natural Growth Cycle
You may buy a new Anthurium plant with scarlet blooms from a nearby gardening center. Then, it takes only a few days before you notice its flowers’ colors shift to pale green.
This happens because the Anthurium hasn’t grown naturally. Commercial gardeners often use hormones to boost the Flamingo flower growth cycle.
That way, it looks flourishing and attractive, before the regular inflorescence time. So, once the plant is in your house and no longer gets the same hormones, it returns to the normal growth cycle.
That way, the flowers start getting green. However, as part of its natural cycle, your plant will produce red blooms again when it reaches full growth naturally. So, keep caring for it.
Insufficient Light
Another reason your Anthurium might grow with green blooms is that it doesn’t get sufficient sunlight. Indeed, this plant doesn’t like direct light. Still, it’s not a shade plant.
So, you should place it in a location with reflected or filtered light. For example, position it in a room with a lot of natural indirect light.
Further, avoid exposing it directly to that light, and keep it away from the window.
Too Much Nitrogen
If you fertilize the plant, you probably give it more nitrogen than required. That way, its blooms turn green.
When fertilizing Anthurium, you should keep nitrogen levels to a minimum level and increase phosphorus by using phosphorus-rich fertilizer.
Needs a Rest Period
Like any plant, flamingo flowers go through multiple growth phases. So, you should know that the inflorescence phase lasts only for one month in the best conditions.
After that, the blooms start to demolish, and their color gets paler. That’s why to get another inflorescence period, you should prepare the plant for the next growth cycle.
To do so, give it a rest period of six weeks. In this rest period, place Anthurium in a cool place with a temperature of around 60 °F all the time.
In addition, offer it only a small amount of water regularly. After these six weeks, your plant will be ready to start a new growth cycle and produce red, glowing blooms.
Why Do Anthurium Flowers Get White or Washed Out?
In addition to green, Anthurium flowers’ color may turn white or bleached. There are two reasons for that.
The first one is temperature. Although it’s a tropical plant, Surprisingly, Anthurium loses its balance and turns white when exposed to excessive temperature.
This plant needs to grow at 78 to 90 °F. So, any temperature above 90 °F is considered extreme and can negatively affect its color.
Moreover, direct sunlight may result in whiting Flamingo flowers even if the temperature isn’t high.
Why Do Anthurium Flowers Get Shriveled and Brown?
White and green aren’t the desired colors for your Anthurium flowers, but they’re still somehow acceptable.
The extreme case is when your flowers turn brown or shriveled. That way, there’s a severe issue with the plant. Here are the possible causes:
Inadequate Nutrients
This is a common problem. If you’ve had Anthurium for a while, it’s possible that the plant doesn’t get sufficient nutrients. In this case, usually, there are other accompanying symptoms.
These symptoms are yellowing edges, fewer flowers, and drooping stems. If you ensure this is the case, the solution is to use a suitable fertilizer to nourish it.
To do so, use a diluted to 10-20% phosphorus-rich fertilizer once a week.
Bacterial Infection
Like any plant leaf, Anthurium blooms are prone to health issues, including bacterial infection. This infection can cause the plant to shrivel rapidly.
In this case, you should cut and dispose of infected tissue to stop the spread of bacteria.
After every cut, remember to disinfect the shears to protect the other healthy part of the plant from bacteria.
Root Rot
Shriveled leaves may indicate that the roots are rotten due to overwatering. If the plant’s soil is always soggy, this can grow bacteria and other infections, which may damage its roots.
To solve this issue, remove the plant from the pot and cut away any rotten roots.
Moreover, to avoid this problem in the future, don’t water the plant until the soil surface is completely dried.
How to Keep Your Anthurium Blooms Red and Flourishing?
Besides the solutions mentioned above, here are a few general recommendations to maintain your flamingo flowers flourishing:
- Don’t water it until the soil is dried until the depth of your upper knuckle.
- Use a container with a well-drained system.
- Add a layer of pebbles underneath the soil to improve the drainage process.
- Don’t use dense soil. Instead, use a coarse one.
- Keep it in a place with bright but indirect light all day.
- Place it in a humid location. If the environment is too dry, you can use a humidity tray.
- Keep it at 70 to 85 °F all the time.
- Prune it on a regular basis.
- After fertilizing multiple times, flush the soil to remove any high nitrogen concentrations.
- Move it to a bigger container every two years to give its root more space.
Final Thoughts
Why is your Anthurium not red? This can happen for multiple reasons. One of them is that your Anthurium original color isn’t red. It may be green or orange or any degree of red.
Other reasons might be problems with watering, drainage, or even lighting. Nevertheless, with the right care, you can avoid all these issues and keep the red glowing.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.