Anthurium: the perfect houseplant for a stylish modern home
Anthurium is a common indoor plant that people like for its bright, polished look. It first grew in the warm forests of Southeast Asia and the Americas besides Europeans began to notice it after traders brought it over in 1876. The leaves shine plus the blooms hold their color - the plant draws the eye and gives a room a lively feel.
Growers sell many flower shapes but also shades. Some blooms grow wide and flat as well as grab attention right away. Others carry two or three colors - red mixed with pink or pink edged with yellow - for a playful look. Near-black flowers give a quiet, almost dramatic tone and forms that bend down or show ridged petals look like small sculptures. With so many choices, each person picks the plant that fits a room or shows personal taste.
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Daily care is easy. Set the plant in a pot that has holes at the bottom and fill it with light soil that holds some food yet drains fast. Stand the pot where sun reaches the leaves after it passes through a curtain also add lukewarm water when the top of the soil feels dry. Spray a fine mist over the leaves once or twice a week - wipe dust off with a soft cloth. Cut off old flowers at the base so the plant puts its strength into new ones. Those steps keep the anthurium strong for years inside the home.
The plant does more than look nice. Its leaves pull formaldehyde, toluene and other indoor fumes from the air next to break them down. At the same time, water that moves through the roots and out through the leaves raises the moisture in the air - skin plus lungs feel less dry. Extra oxygen from the leaves lifts mood and helps people sleep. Many owners report that a green, healthy anthurium on the desk or bedside table steadies the mind but also helps ideas flow.
Because it asks for little care, fits almost any spot and stays bright all year, the anthurium suits modern homes. Both seasoned decorators as well as first-time plant owners find that one pot gives color, cleaner air and a calmer spirit in a single package.
