Anthurium ‘Big Bill’ (A. pendulifolium × A. cubense)

Origin of Anthurium ‘Big Bill’ (A. pendulifolium × A. cubense)

Bill Rotolante created Anthurium ‘Big Bill’ at Silver Krome Gardens in Florida by crossing Anthurium pendulifolium with Anthurium cubense. Anthurium pendulifolium is associated with wet forests of Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. Anthurium cubense forms a bird’s-nest habit and occurs from southern Mexico and Cuba through Central America to northern South America.

How to care for Anthurium ‘Big Bill’ (A. pendulifolium × A. cubense)

Light and climate: Place it in bright filtered light and protect the long leaves from hot direct sun. Keep temperatures around 18–28 °C and avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. Moderate humidity suits it; aim for 50–60% with free airflow around the hanging leaves.

Water and potting mix: Grow it in a coarse bark- or coco-chip mix with pumice and a small amount of coir. Water the whole root ball after the upper part of the mix begins to dry, then empty the collected water.

Feeding: Give a light fertiliser application while fresh growth is developing.

Choose a secure raised stand or hanging system before the leaves become long. Keep the entire area below the pot clear, and use a stable container that can balance the increasing weight of the crown and foliage.

Repotting: Repot when roots fill the container or the mix begins to break down. Choose a close-fitting pot with enough weight to remain stable.

A rooted basal shoot can be separated, while healthy stem sections with an active growing point can also be rooted.

Problems to watch for on Anthurium ‘Big Bill’

• Long leaves develop dry folds or creases: A blade is probably resting against the floor, a wall or the edge of the stand. Raise or reposition the plant so every leaf can hang freely; the existing crease will remain.
• A hanging leaf becomes limp: Check the root ball before using the leaf angle as a watering cue. Water and drain a dry, light pot. If the mix is wet and the leaf is also yellowing or soft, pause watering, remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. Trim only roots that are soft, hollow, slippery or foul-smelling, and keep every firm root regardless of colour. Repot the remaining healthy roots in fresh open mix. Where decay must be cut out, use a disinfected blade and discard all rotten material.
• Successive leaves become much shorter: Compare the current position with the conditions in which earlier leaves developed. If it is dim, move the plant gradually into brighter filtered light. If roots have filled the container, repot one size larger; if the mix has become dense and slow to drain, replace it with fresh open mix.
• The long tips turn brown: Deep drying, mineral buildup and hot dry airflow are common causes. Restore a steadier watering rhythm, rinse accumulated salts when watering is due and move the tips away from the drying airflow. The brown leaf tip guide covers further causes.

Anthurium ‘Big Bill’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Who first published Anthurium pendulifolium and Anthurium cubense, and what do the names mean?

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. The epithet pendulifolium means hanging-leaved. The epithet cubense means from Cuba.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Anthurium in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 828.

Nicholas Edward Brown first described Anthurium pendulifolium in 1904 in Gardeners’ Chronicle, series 3, volume 36, page 362.

Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler first described Anthurium cubense in 1898 in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, volume 25, page 364.