One of the most spectacular home flowers, which you simply cannot pass by, is an anthurium. With an unusual exotic flower is connected a lot of signs and beliefs, according to which happiness and well-being come to the house with him.
Description
Anthurium is a guest from the tropics, originally from South America. At the end of the XIX century, it was introduced to France and quickly spread throughout Europe. The appearance of the culture gave it a name, which literally translated into Russian means "tail-shaped flower". There are 28 species of this plant, and thanks to the work of gardeners - about 80 hybrids were bred.
Learn more about the popular varieties of anthurium.Culture with rich green leaves of unusual shape - heart-shaped or arrow-shaped. A flower can hardly be called beautiful - with its appearance it resembles a young ear of corn. The colors of the flower can be different: white, yellow, green or pink.
The cover that surrounds the flower and serves to attract insects is a true decoration of the flower. In its form, it resembles a heart and is colored in a rich color: from lemon, orange to almost black, although sometimes the bracts are spotted in color.The aroma of a flower depends on the type of plant - it can be very pleasant or quite the opposite.
The period of flowering in "male happiness" (as this flower is often called) is rather long - from March to November. With proper care, anthurium can grow up to 0.8 meters in height, and the diameter of the bedspread can reach 0.5 m.
Did you know? It is difficult to find a plant that could get more names than anthurium. He is also known by such names as: "red tongue", "pigtail", "flamingo flower", "bloody tongue", "arrows of love", "passion flower", "male happiness".
Home care
Effective view of the plant requires proper care for him. In order for it to please its lush flowering, you must adhere to the following rules: 
1. Temperature. Like any other tropical plant, anthurium is thermophilic. The comfortable temperature for it is + 15 ... +28 ° С. In the summer, temperature indicators should exceed the mark of +20 ° C, and in the winter period - +15 ° C. Culture tolerates drafts very badly, for it the effect of the wind is destructive.
Important! If you want to achieve flowering of anthurium in winter - increase the air temperature.2. Lighting. The flower loves diffused and soft lighting, without direct sunlight. Best of all, the “flower of love” will feel on the window sills of windows that look to the east or north-west.
3. Watering. When watering "arrows of love" you need to use separated water at room temperature. In the summer, it is watered once every four days, in the winter - once every 7-10 days is enough. Despite the fact that it comes from the tropics, it does not tolerate frequent watering. Before the procedure, it is necessary to check how wet the earth is in the pot with a flower, whether there is no water in the pan, and only after that to water it. "Male happiness" is easier to tolerate the presence of overdried soil than over-wetted. 
4. Air humidity. For the comfortable existence of a culture, it needs an increased air humidity of 80% and higher. In apartments such conditions are difficult to create, but you can use these tricks:
- regularly spray the flower with an airbrush for indoor plants;
- wipe the leaves with a damp cloth;
- humidify the air with a humidifier;
- place an open vessel with water next to the flower: the liquid will evaporate and simultaneously moisturize the anthurium.
6. Selection of soil. Anthurium feels good in weakly acidic soil, with a pH of 5.5-6.5. For its preparation it is necessary to take 2 parts of humus, 1 part of peat, 1 part of leafy ground, ½ part of sand. In order for the soil to breathe well, you need to add pieces of foam or expanded clay, charcoal. You can use the following soil composition for anthurium: 2 parts of peat, 1 part of sod land and 1 part of peat moss with the addition of coarse sand.
Learn about the properties of perlite and vermiculite, sphagnum, peat, hydrogel and how to grow plants in hydroponics.
Diseases and pests
"Passion Flower" is rarely exposed to diseases, most often problems arise if mistakes were made in caring for a plant.
Diseases
The appearance of brown spots or points on the sheets is associated either with a burn obtained from direct sunlight, or suggests that the air temperature is lowered for quite a long time.
The appearance of yellow and brown specks, which gradually grow on the leaf, causing them to fall, are signs of fungi and are called anthracnose and septoria. The causative agents of the disease may be insects, water for irrigation, contaminated soil.
For treatment, it is necessary to isolate the infected culture from others. Next, remove the affected leaves, and so that the disease does not reappear, change the soil, process the pot, and immerse the flower roots for 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After transplantation, anthurium must be treated with fungicides ("Topsin", "Fundazol").
Important! If the anthurium is severely damaged by the actions of the fungus, it is destroyed because all the indoor flowers in the house can get infected.When spots of obscure origin appear on a flower bedspread, be careful when spraying the plant, this means that water has been spilled on it.
Darker and drying of the tips of the leaves suggests that the soil has a high calcium content - it is necessary to replace the soil mixture.
If the stem and roots are rotting, then excessive watering is to blame, if not reduced, the plant will die.
In case the anthurium has stopped throwing flower stalks, - pay attention to the pot, perhaps it is too spacious, transplant a flower.
Read more about the diseases and pests of anthurium.
Pests
Pests that can be dangerous for "male happiness" are: aphid, shieldweed and spider mite. In order to prevent their occurrence, the leaves and stems of the plant are rubbed with warm water.
If the plant has already hit the pests, then it is treated with soapy water (using soap) or an insecticide (Aktellik, Karbofos).
How to sit down
When a plant grows, daughter stems form around it. As a rule, plant a plant during transplantation, so as not to expose it to stress. During transplantation, side plants are carefully separated from the main one, simultaneously unraveling the roots, so as not to injure them.
If the plant's root system is damaged, it must be treated with water with activated carbon dissolved in it for disinfection. This is followed by the same work as in the transplant.
Did you know? It is believed that during the flowering of anthurium refreshes the feelings of people living in the house, brings love and happiness.
How to transplant
Replanting the "flower of passion" must be regularly. Usually, the spring period (preferably March) is chosen for transplantation, even if at this time the plant has thrown out the peduncle. In the first four years - this procedure is repeated annually, later - they look at the state of anthurium, approximately once every three or four years.
If this is not done, the plant will lose its spectacular appearance, as the leaves will change color and begin to turn black, and the peduncle will be small and quickly fade. 
In order to properly transplant a plant, you must follow these steps:
- Carefully grab the base of the flower with your hand and pull it out of the old container.
- With a skewer or other wooden stick we remove the soil that remains between the roots.
- Carefully wash the roots in a basin of water, but you need to act very carefully, because the plant is fragile.
- To stimulate root growth, we dissolve half of the Heteroauxin tablet in a container with 2.5 liters of water, immerse the plant roots in this solution for two hours.
- Prepare the tank for transplanting. At the bottom of the pot pour a thin layer of drainage, in its role can act clay, bits of broken brick or broken foam.
- Pour one part of the soil mixture, slightly moisten it for shrinkage.
- We arrange in the center of the flower, on the sides of it we fall asleep soil, tightly tamping it with your finger. Above the base of the roots poured soil with a thickness of one and a half fingers - if this is not done, the flower may die.
- Liberally pour "arrows of love" and sprinkle with anti-stress solution for plants ("Epin-Extra").
There is also a flower "female happiness" - spathiphyllum, learn more about varieties, diseases and pests, care for them.With the implementation of proper and timely care for "male happiness", the plant will thank you with a lush and beautiful flowering. And if you believe the signs - then along with the flowers, wealth, love and well-being will come to your house!
