Which is easier to care for, Anthurium Andraeanum or Anthurium Queen of Hearts?

Anthurium Andraeanum: You want reliable, long-lasting colour rather than foliage alone. Anthurium Queen of Hearts: You want a foliage-first Anthurium with a bold, oversized leaf

Plant Comparison

Anthurium Andraeanum vs Queen of Hearts

Andraeanum is the Anthurium almost everyone has seen — the glossy red or pink flower sold at florists and garden centres worldwide. Queen of Hearts is a foliage hybrid, grown for its broad, glossy, deeply heart-shaped leaves rather than any flower. They share a genus and little else: one is bought for colour that lasts weeks, the other for a leaf shape that lasts years.

Anthurium Andraeanum

Anthurium andraeanum

The classic florist Anthurium, grown for its glossy waxy spathes in red, pink or white. Widely available, easy, and blooms nearly year-round in good light.

Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Anthurium Queen of Hearts

Anthurium × 'Queen of Hearts'

A foliage hybrid with broad, glossy, deeply heart-shaped leaves and mild waviness at the margin. Grown for leaf form rather than any flower display.

Side-by-Side Comparison

CategoryAnthurium AndraeanumAnthurium Queen of Hearts

🌸 Main featureLong-lasting glossy flowers (spathes)Broad, glossy, deeply heart-shaped leaves

🍃 Leaf shapeSimple heart shape, modest sizeLarger, wavier, more dramatic heart shape

💡 Light needsBright indirect — needed to keep floweringBright indirect — needed for the best leaf size

💧 WateringEvery 5–7 days; hates soggy soilEvery 5–7 days; hates soggy soil

💦 Humidity★40–60% — tolerant of average rooms50–60% — slightly less tolerant

📈 Growth rateModerate; flowers appear on a mature plantModerate — new leaves rather than flowers

🌱 SoilChunky, airy orchid-style mixChunky, airy orchid-style mix

🐛 Pest riskThrips, mealybugs — moderateThrips — moderate

🛒 Availability★Very common — florists and garden centresLess common, sold by specialist growers

🎯 Difficulty★BeginnerIntermediate

Choose Anthurium Andraeanum if…

✓You want reliable, long-lasting colour rather than foliage alone
✓You want the easiest, most widely available Anthurium
✓You are new to the genus and want a forgiving first plant
✓You want a plant that keeps producing flowers with basic care

Anthurium Andraeanum Problem Guide →

Choose Anthurium Queen of Hearts if…

✓You want a foliage-first Anthurium with a bold, oversized leaf
✓You already grow flowering Anthuriums and want a different look
✓You don't mind paying more for a less common hybrid
✓You want a plant whose leaves are the whole display, not a bonus

Anthurium Queen of Hearts Problem Guide →

What They Have in Common

•Both are Anthuriums needing bright indirect light and chunky, airy mix
•Both are toxic to pets and children if chewed
•Both benefit from being kept slightly pot-bound rather than over-potted
•Both are prone to thrips damage on new growth

The Verdict

Choose Andraeanum if you want colour — it is the easier, cheaper, and more reliably flowering plant. Choose Queen of Hearts if flowers are beside the point and you want the boldest plain-green leaf shape in the genus; just expect to pay a specialist-grower price for it.

🌺 Anthurium Andraeanum

🩺 Problem Guide →🌿 Care Guide →

💚 Anthurium Queen of Hearts

🩺 Problem Guide →🌿 Care Guide →