Pink Peace Lily: Is That What This Is?

You may have seen a houseplant that looks a lot like a peace lily only with pink or red flowers instead of white. Here are the facts behind this sort-of look-alike, which is also called flamingo flower.

Virtues: Flamingo flower produces long-lasting, eye-catching flowers that can last an extraordinarily long time. It can bloom all year. Even if it is out of bloom, flamingo flower makes a handsome houseplant thanks to its deep green foliage.

Common name: Flamingo flower

Botanical name:Anthurium scherzerianum

Exposure: Bright light, but not direct sunlight. Place near an east or west window.

Season: Year-round, for flowers.

Flowers: Waxy red or pink spade-shaped spathes with a yellowish white spadix. These flowers last for a long time.

Foliage: Large and deep green.

Habit: Flaming flower grows to about 12 to 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide when grown as a potted houseplant.

Origins: Native to Central America.

How to grow flamingo flower: Place in bright but indirect light. Provide a well-draining potting mix and water regularly, never allowing the mix to dry out. Flamingo flower is a tropical plant that does not enter a winter dormancy; provide consistent care for active growth and flowering year-round. Flamingo flower likes humidity; bolster that in the home by placing the plant’s pot on a tray of dampened gravel and clustering several houseplants together.

Image by Rameshng - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0