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Anthurium 'Ace of Spades'
Ace of Spades Anthurium
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Market Analysis
Anthurium 'Ace of Spades' Price Guide & Auction Value
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Before You Buy
Species-specific things to check when evaluating a listing
- Inspect new growth carefully for thrips — check the undersides of unfurling leaves for tiny dark insects or silvery streaking, as velvet anthuriums are a primary target
- Roots should be firm and pale — mushy or dark roots indicate rot often caused by poor transit conditions
- Avoid plants with more than one yellowing leaf; minor leaf loss in transit is normal but multiple yellows suggest stress before shipping
- Request a photo of the most recently unfurled leaf to judge current health — a crispy or damaged newest leaf is a red flag
Anthurium 'Ace of Spades' Morphology
About Anthurium 'Ace of Spades'
Anthurium 'Ace of Spades' is a cultivated horticultural selection bred for its exceptional dark foliage, maintained under controlled conditions worldwide. The leaves are a deep, velvety dark green to near-black — broad, cordate and spade-like, with an elongated apex, clean sinus, and pale venation that creates sharp contrast against the almost luminous dark blade. New growth emerges lighter before hardening to the characteristic lustrous, near-black finish that makes this cultivar so sought after. Compact in habit with a short basal crown, it is one of those rare plants that combines genuine rarity with refined aesthetics in equal measure.
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Anthurium 'Ace of Spades'
Root in a closed high-humidity environment. Mature specimens may produce basal offshoots that can be carefully divided. Patience is essential — establishment is slow.
Care Guide
Anthurium 'Ace of Spades' Care Guide & Growing Conditions
Very chunky, well-aerated mix: 40% orchid bark, 30% perlite, 20% sphagnum moss, 10% activated charcoal. Anthuriums suffocate in dense soil — roots need airflow.
Water when the substrate is nearly dry throughout. Less is more — overwatering is the primary killer of velvet anthuriums. Always use room-temperature water.
70–85% is essential. Below 60% causes stunted growth and curling leaves. A dedicated humidifier is strongly recommended for UK growers.
Low-nitrogen fertiliser (e.g. 5-10-10 or orchid fertiliser) at quarter strength every 3–4 weeks. High nitrogen produces lush but weak growth susceptible to pests.
Reluctantly — only when completely root-bound (every 2–3 years). These plants dislike disturbance and may sulk after repotting.
Common Problems
Yellowing leaves
Overwatering or root rot
Remove from pot, trim affected roots, repot into fresh dry substrate and reduce watering
Curling or crispy leaf edges
Low humidity or cold draughts
Increase humidity above 70% and move away from cold windows
Thrips
Common on velvet-leaf anthuriums; hard to detect early
Inspect new growth and leaf undersides regularly; treat with neem oil or systemic insecticide at first sign
A Name Doing a Lot of Heavy Lifting
A deep-leaved, velvety cultivar that takes its name from the extreme dark colouration of the leaf surface — near-black on the best clones, deep forest green on most of what circulates in the trade. Origin is somewhat murky; almost certainly a selection or hybrid derived from Anthurium crystallinum or a closely related velvet species, developed in Southeast Asian nurseries during the boom years and exported enthusiastically westward. The dark form holds up at close range. The trade in loosely labelled 'ace of spades' material is murkier than one would prefer — verify what you are getting before paying a premium for the name.
