Anthurium eggersii
My Anthurium eggersii, it started June 2007, at the National Botanical Garden in Washington, DC,
my eyes fell on this plant prominently displayed, with huge leaves, so tropical looking… I could not take my eyes off this Anthurium!
(picture taken at the National Botanical Garden in Washington, DC)
There was this flower spike hanging downward, ending in a huge spadix covered with tomato-red seeds
(picture taken at the National Botanical Garden in Washington, DC)
Of course I could not help but pick up a five of those seeds off the ground underneath it. I am sure they would have been swept up or squished by the end of the day….
Back home I planted each of the seeds in its own plastic cup, did nothing special to them but keep them in shade. to my surprise, all five sprouted. Sorry to say, I could not find any information about Anthurium eggersii on the internet, other than a picture of the plant at the Washington Botanical Garden.
Here is one of them at one year old in July 2008. With still no knowledge about this plant I gave away two of them to garden friends, with an explanation where they came from. I hope the babies are doing good at their new homes.
A bit larger in 2009, the leaves still did not look like the adult leaves. I still kept all three under the tree in shade and left them be to themselves.
The two winters 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 were extremely cold and my Anthurium babies got hit hard. Stress from the cold and dry winter resulted in leaf burn and even the loss of leaves. Took them a while to stop sulking, but during the summer of 2011 all was fine between us.
By now, February of 2012, the leaves get the adult look I so admire, the size and the wavy look:
The flower spike looks attractive for the first time as well. During the previous years the flower spikes were small and greenish in color.
I will keep posting about my Anthurium baby, hopefully growing up to become a stately specimen plant some day.