The Anthurium in Hawaii has enjoyed a worldwide reputation for its elegant color, texture and long shelf life. A gentleman by the name of Samuel Damon, a son of a missionary family in Hawaii, brought a species of Anthurium Andreanum to Hawaii in 1889 from its native habitat in South America.
After many years of being shared by gardeners in Hawaii, a number of immigrant laborers adopted this unique plant and selectively hybridized this flower to obtain an unusual red color. The development of this unique color gave birth to a major agricultural industry in Hawaii where millions of blossoms are exported annually.
This month’s selection features the Hawaiian Anthurium that started the entire industry and popularized this flower worldwide. The bouquet is accentuated by an assortment of novelty Ti leaves and some greens from the Massangeana plant.
Fate is smiling down once again on Clubs of America, enabling us to bring you this month’s Hawaiian Anthurium Bouquet. Anthurium is from anthos (meaning flower), and oura (meaning tail, referring to the tiny true
flowers that march in formation in the yellow tail-like spadix). There’s no question that you’ve spotted these heart-shaped beauties in gorgeous wedding arrangements, holiday decor, and in office, shopping center and home interior designs.
Similar to Orchids, Anthuriums are easy to grow and to display. Anthuriums outshine Orchids, though, because they last longer in the vase when cared for properly. (See hints at the far right.) These are dramatic plants, with their tropical spathe-and-spadix flowers enhanced by the green foliage. They fit well when arranged randomly, or forward facing, whichever you choose.
With unequaled vase life, you will learn that the Anthurium is truly one of the longest-lasting and most popular of all tropical flowering plants. Need further proof? More than 12 million stems are shipped each year from Hawaii alone. With more than 800 species, Anthuriums are found in the New World tropics from Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay. They are also known as Painted Tongue, Flamingo Flower or Lily, or Tail Flower.
Anthurium colors include the bi-color (obake), pure white, multiple shades of green (midori), light to crimson-deep red, and every pastel imaginable, such as pink and peach. The spathes are mostly red, yellow and green in color.
This month’s selection is the truly stunning Anthurium, grown in select farms that proudly produce the most spectacular cultivars found anywhere. (Take a close look at that beautiful heart. It is actually a spathe, or modified leaf, that flares out from the base of the fleshy spike from which the real flowers grow.)
SPECIAL CARE OF YOUR Anthurium Bouquet
Your favorite Flower of the Month Club recommends placing your entire bouquet in room temperature water for about 10 minutes. Then cut off the end of each stem at a 45° angle, under water, to prevent air bubbles from blocking the stem’s ability to absorb water. (Use a sharp knife to prevent stem damage.) As always, do not refrigerate.
Arrange the stems in your favorite vase any way you wish, using the enclosed Ti leaves and greens from the Massangeana plant for accent and contrast.
Recut the stems and replace the water regularly, every two to three days. You may gently mist the flower heads if you wish. This care will ensure that you will enjoy many days of beauty from all the elements of this vibrant tropical bouquet.
RANDOM ANTHURIUM FACTS
• This plant stem may grow to 20″, depending on the size of the spathe.
• In Greek, Anthurium means “tail flower.”
• Popular both as flower and foliage plants, they come in an array of flowering, velvet leafed, hanging-basket, and Palmate leafed varieties.
