Anthurium colour change: reasons why anthurium turns green

Anthuriums belong to the Arum family and constitute a plant group of 1,000 species. Anthuriums are native to South America and are well distributed in tropical regions such as Hawaii. The plant produces a flower-shaped spathe with a well-developed spadix in the traditional shades of red, yellow and pink. Recently, more colours have been introduced into the crop and you can now find green and white, fragrant lavender and a more intense yellow spatula. When the flowers of your anthurium turn green, it may be due to the species or age or a poor harvest.

Why has my anthurium turned green?

Anthuriums grow on trees or on manure-rich soils in areas of tropical forest where there is dense shade. They were introduced into the crop because of their bright green leaves and the long duration of the inflorescence. Growers have manipulated the plants to obtain shades that cover the rainbow and include green. They also trick the plants at retail to flower using hormones. This means that once you take it home and it is no longer exposed to hormones, the plant will return to its normal growth behaviour. For this reason, the change in colour of anthuriums is not unusual.
«My anthurium has turned green» is a common complaint due to greenhouse practices. They often force
flowering plant when it’s not ready to bloom. The plant may react by losing colour as it ages. The spathe can also turn green if it does not have a long enough dormant period during its second bloom. This means that it has not been exposed to adequate light intensity and duration. The plant reacts by producing wilted or green flowers.
Other growing practices can make the plant unhappy and cause anthurium colour changes, such as poor watering, excess nitrogen fertilizer and inappropriate temperatures. These require daytime temperatures between 78 and 90 F. (25-32 C), but any temperature above 90 F. and the flowers begin to wilt.

Changing the color of anthurium

Old age is not good for any of us and the same goes for flowers. The anthurium’s spatula will fade in time. Inflorescences usually last a month under good growing conditions. After this period, the colour change of the anthurium starts when the spatula loses its colour. Green stripes begin to appear and the overall base colour becomes paler.
Eventually the espata will die and you can either cut it and grow it as a houseplant with beautiful new foliage or start forcing the flowering. This process is not infallible and requires that you give the plant a six-week rest period in a cool room with a temperature of around 60 F. (15 C).
Provide very little water and remove the plant once the waiting period is over. This will break the dormant cycle and signal to the plant that it is time to produce flowers.

Other reasons why anthurium turns green

An anthurium that turns green may be one of the above causes or may simply be the variety. A variety called Centennial starts with a white spatula and gradually turns bright green. Other varieties that turn green are also green: A. clarinarvium and A. hookeri .
One that has bicoloured spatulas and may appear to blend into the green is pink obaki or Anthurium x Sarah.
As you can see, there are many reasons why anthurium flowers turn green. First check your species and then look at your growing practices. If all else fails, take advantage of the bright green spatulas and glossy foliage that are another wonderful aspect of this beautiful plant.