Anthurium 'Black Love' (dark anthurium) care

Light

Bright but filtered. Anthurium 'Black Love' burns within days in unfiltered south-facing summer sun, and stops growing within months in deep shade. Bright, indirect light produces the most spathes; an east window or filtered south/west light is ideal. Direct sun scorches leaves and fades the dark spathe colour, while deep shade reduces flowering. If you only have a south window, set the plant back 1.5 m or hang a sheer curtain — both knock the intensity down into the right range.

Watering

Watering anthurium 'black love': when the top 2-3 cm of mix is dry, about every 5-7 days. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Keep the chunky mix lightly and evenly moist, watering thoroughly and letting excess drain. The fleshy roots rot if left soggy, so never let the pot stand in water; let the surface dry slightly between waterings and reduce frequency in winter.

Soil and pot

Anthurium 'Black Love' grows best in coarse, airy aroid mix. Use a very open mix of orchid bark, perlite, coco chips and some peat or coir to mimic its epiphytic roots. Excellent drainage and air around the roots are essential to prevent root rot. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Anthurium 'Black Love' sits happiest at around 60-80% humidity and 18-27°C (65-80°F). Loves high humidity; dry air causes brown leaf tips and crisp spathe edges. Group with other plants, use a pebble tray or run a humidifier. Mist only in good airflow to avoid fungal spotting on leaves and spathes. If you keep the room above 18 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed anthurium 'black love' sparingly. Feed every 4-6 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertiliser at quarter to half strength; a slightly higher-phosphorus feed supports flowering. Anthuriums are sensitive to salt build-up, so flush the pot occasionally and feed lightly in winter, if at all. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on anthurium 'black love' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Brown leaf tips and spathe edges — Low humidity, dry air or salt build-up from fertiliser scorch the margins. Raise humidity, flush the soil to remove salts, and use filtered or rainwater if your tap water is hard.
• Root rot — A dense, water-retentive mix or overwatering rots the fleshy roots and yellows lower leaves. Repot into a chunky aroid mix and let the surface dry slightly between waterings.
• Few or green flowers — Too little light, or cold, gives sparse or greenish spathes. Move to brighter indirect light, keep it warm, and feed with a higher-phosphorus fertiliser during growth.
• Yellowing lower leaves — Usually overwatering, cold draughts, or natural ageing of the oldest leaf. Check drainage and warmth; remove spent leaves and adjust watering.

Propagation

Propagate by division of clumps at repotting (separate offsets with their own roots), by stem cuttings with a node and aerial root, or by air-layering. These vegetative methods keep the cultivar's dark colour; seed does not come true. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Anthurium 'Black Love' is toxic to pets. ASPCA-listed as toxic to cats and dogs (Anthurium). Like other aroids it contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals; chewing causes intense oral pain, drooling, mouth and tongue swelling, and vomiting. Keep out of reach and contact a vet or ASPCA Poison Control if a pet bites it. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Anthurium 'Black Love' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of anthurium 'black love' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Anthurium 'Black Love' watering schedule
• Anthurium 'Black Love' light requirements
• Best soil mix for anthurium 'black love'
• Anthurium 'Black Love' fertilizing guide
• When to repot anthurium 'black love'
• How to propagate anthurium 'black love'
• Anthurium 'Black Love' growth rate & size
• Anthurium 'Black Love' cold hardiness
• Anthurium 'Black Love' temperature & humidity
• Is anthurium 'black love' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is anthurium 'black love' toxic to cats?
• Is anthurium 'black love' toxic to dogs?

Featured in these plant shortlists

Anthurium 'Black Love' qualifies for 3 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Anthurium 'Black Love' is also commonly called dark anthurium or black anthurium.

• Types of anthurium — varieties identified, with care and pet-safety
• Monstera care — light, water and common problems
• Pothos care — light, water and common problems
• Fiddle leaf fig care — light, water and common problems
• All 2464 plant care guides in the Growli library