Anthurium metallicum
Metallic Anthurium
Typical UK price
£12
Limited data
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 1
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- 24 Sep 2026
- On record
- 1
Cutting/cormEstimate
7cm1 sold
12cmEstimate
MatureEstimate
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
- Estimate
for a 7cm pot
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Recent UK sales
For sale in the UK
By month
| Month | Median | Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | £12 | 1 |
US eBay sold listings (not UK prices)
1 sold on ebay.com, 13 Jun 2026 to 13 Jun 2026, median US$113. These are not UK sales and are not in the UK price.
Anthurium Metallicum - Velvet Leaf Aroid - 4 Inch Pots
US$113 · 13 Jun 2026
Before you buy
- Check the growing point (the newest, unopened leaf) for firmness — softness here usually means rot has already reached the crown
- Look at the root system through the drainage holes if possible; healthy roots are firm and pale, not brown and mushy
- Ask for provenance or recent photos rather than relying on an old listing image
- Look for a newest leaf still showing the metallic sheen, a sign of a currently healthy, actively growing plant
About Anthurium metallicum
New growth on Anthurium metallicum often emerges with a genuine metallic sheen before darkening, the trait that gives this Colombian-to-Ecuadorian species its name. Described by N.E. Brown, it's an epiphyte or hemiepiphyte from humid shaded forest, its elongated, narrowly cordate to lanceolate leaves attached by a peltate base and carrying a strong midrib with prominent pale primary veins that create a burnished contrast against the velvety dark blade. Short internodes and modest aerial roots keep the whole plant compact. Among the velvet anthuriums it's known for being both visually distinctive and genuinely difficult to source.
Native range
Colombia to Ecuador (humid tropical forest, epiphytic)
Classification
- Genus
- Anthurium
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Epiphytic to hemiepiphytic, compact
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Elongated, narrowly cordateHeart-shaped foliage, featuring a rounded notch (sinus) where the leaf stem attaches. to lanceolateLance-shaped leaves that are significantly longer than they are wide, tapering to a point at the tip., peltate attachment
- Leaf length
- 30-60 cm
- Leaf width
- 12-28 cm
- Petiole colour
- Slender, green
- Venation
- Strong midrib with prominent pale primary veins giving metallic contrast
- Texture
- Velvety with metallic sheen
- Variegation
- None
- Growth habit
- Compact epiphyteA plant that grows on another plant (like a tree) for physical support, absorbing water and nutrients from the air and rain. with short internodes and modest aerial roots
Anthurium metallicum care
- Substrate
- A chunky, open aroid mix — equal parts orchid bark, perlite and coco chunk, with a smaller portion of moss or coco coir for moisture retention — mimics the loose, well-aerated leaf litter these grow in naturally. Standard potting compost alone stays too wet around the roots.
- Watering
- Water thoroughly, then let the top third of the mix dry before watering again. Velvet-leaf anthuriums are more sensitive to root rot than most houseplants, so err on the side of underwatering rather than keeping it constantly damp.
- Humidity
- Very high, 80-90%. Consistent humidity keeps the metallic sheen and venation contrast at their best; average room humidity alone tends to show it within a few weeks.
- Feeding
- Feed at quarter to half strength every 2 weeks in the growing season with a balanced, nitrogen-forward fertiliser; drop to monthly over winter. Heavy fertilising scorches the fine root system faster than it helps growth.
- Repotting
- Repot every 12-18 months, or when roots fill the pot and start pushing the plant upward. Choose a pot only slightly larger than the current one; these dislike being over-potted into a large volume of slow-drying mix.
Common problems
Root rot
Cause: Substrate that stays wet, often from a mix that's too dense or a pot with poor drainage
Fix: Repot into a chunkier mix immediately, trim away any mushy roots, and let the plant recover in a smaller pot before sizing up again
Thrips or spider mite damage
Cause: Dry air and still conditions, especially indoors over winter
Fix: Increase humidity and airflow together, and treat visible pest damage with a systemic or contact treatment rather than water alone
Loss of the metallic sheen on new growth
Cause: Insufficient light for the effect to read clearly
Fix: Move to brighter indirect light; the sheen is most visible on well-lit new leaves
Gear for this plant
- Premium New Zealand Sphagnum Moss, 100gLong-fibre sphagnum for air-layering, top-dressing, and epiphyte substrate mixes.
- Natural Rooting Powder, 3 x 75gRooting hormone powder for stem and leaf cuttings.
- Precision Bonsai Pruning Scissors, 200mmFine-bladed snips for clean node cuts when taking a cutting.
- Humidity Dome, Heavy-Duty Germination KitVented propagation dome for holding humidity around fresh cuttings.
How to propagate Anthurium metallicum
- Methods
- Stem cutting, Offset (keiki). Step-by-step guide
- Difficulty
- Challenging. Needs stable humidity, consistent moisture, and bright indirect light to thrive. Best suited to experienced aroid growers.
- Time to establish
- 8-14 months
- Notes
- Divides cleanly at the base once a plant has produced multiple growth points — separate with a clean cut, dust with cinnamon or a fungicide, and pot each division into fresh, chunky aroid mix. Top cuttings with at least one node and aerial root also root reliably in damp sphagnum.