How to Care for Lava Anthuriums From Hawaii

Madame Pele, Hawaii's volcano goddess, gets pretty ticked off when someone takes her lava to the mainland. Tourists who take lava rocks to the mainland tell tales of a string of bad luck until they return the rocks to Hawaii. That's why Sunshine Nurseries, the originators of small houseplants grown on lava rock, has all their Big Island lava rocks blessed by a Kahuna before they go to market. Tourists love the little live souvenirs and snatch them up. Anthuriums are one of the bigger sellers and come in pink or red varieties. Some marketers choose to call them “Hawaiian Bonsai” anthuriums, others refer to theirs as “Hawaiian Volcano Plants.” Whichever you purchased, you'll be glad to know that caring for it is a snap.

Container
Small pitcher
Bottled or filtered water
Water-soluble houseplant fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Set the rock on which the anthurium is growing in a container. Some growers use a shallow bowl, others a container the same height as the rock. The taller container holds water for a longer amount of time.
- 2
  Fill a small pitcher with bottled or filtered water and pour it slowly over the lava rock, until the container is half full. Do not drain the water from the container. It will be soaked up by the rock.
- 3
  Place the lava anthurium in an area of the home that gets lots of indirect sunlight. On a table next to a south-facing window is ideal.
- 4
  Add more water when the level in the container drops below half-full. Don't wait to long; the container should always be half full of water.
- 5
  Feed the lava anthurium once a month. Use a water-souble fertilizer labeled for houseplants. Dilute the fertilizer to one-fourth the recommended rate and pour it over the rock. Some of it will drain into the container. Allow it to remain for an hour, then drain it and add water until the container is half full.

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