Anthurium balaoanum

Anthurium balaoanum is a climbing anthurium prized by collectors for its long, heart-shaped leaves with a soft velvet-matte finish and gently rippled margins. Juvenile leaves start out modest in size, but once the plant is given a moss pole or cork slab, new foliage enlarges rapidly and can reach impressive dimensions in maturity.

Origins
Anthurium balaoanum is native to the humid tropical forests of western Ecuador and parts of Colombia, where it grows as a hemi-epiphyte climbing tree trunks in warm, consistently humid, shaded conditions. Its species name references the Balao region of coastal Ecuador, where the plant was first documented.

Soil and Substrate
As a climbing epiphytic anthurium, Anthurium balaoanum thrives in a chunky, airy substrate that mimics the bark and decaying leaf litter of its native rainforests. Our Anthurium Mix is ideally suited. The blend of bark, perlite, coco chips, and charcoal keeps thick roots well oxygenated, drains quickly to prevent rot, and holds just enough moisture to support the lush new leaves mature specimens are known for.