Anthurium besseae 'Variegata'
Variegated Besseae Anthurium
UK price
£80 to £300
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 0
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- -
- On record
- 0
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
- Estimate
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes the prices we show.
About Anthurium besseae 'Variegata'
Anthurium besseae 'Variegata' is a variegated sport of the Bolivian species Anthurium besseae, prized for the irregular cream-yellow sectorial patches that break across its otherwise dark, velvety cordate leaves. The blotching follows the leaf's venation loosely rather than any fixed pattern, so no two leaves display quite the same balance of green and cream. The species is a compact velvet anthurium from a restricted Bolivian locality, and the variegated line sells for a considerable premium over the straight species. It retains the same compact, self-heading growth habit as the type, making it a manageable size indoors.
Native range
Cultivated variegated selection of Anthurium besseae, a terrestrial species from Bolivia's Chapare Province.
Classification
- Genus
- Anthurium
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Variegated
- Growth habit
- Compact epiphyte, self-heading
- Form of
- Anthurium besseae
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- OvateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base.-cordateHeart-shaped foliage, featuring a rounded notch (sinus) where the leaf stem attaches. with narrow to moderate sinus
- Leaf length
- 15-30 cm
- Leaf width
- 10-22 cm
- Petiole colour
- Short, green to light brown
- Venation
- Pale venation, variegation loosely follows vein lines
- Texture
- Velvety
- Variegation
- Irregular cream-yellow sectorial patches
- Growth habit
- Dense compact crown, short internodes
Recent UK sales
No UK eBay sales recorded for this plant yet.
For sale in the UK
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
- Given its limited natural range, ask the seller directly about the plant's origin rather than assuming wild-collected or tissue-cultured status
- Check the compact crown for even, dense growth rather than a stretched, thin one, a sign of insufficient light or humidity in production
Anthurium besseae 'Variegata' 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, 80-95% — among the highest in this genus, reflecting its cloud-forest origin. A closed cabinet or terrarium suits it better than open room air.
- 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
Stunted growth in open room air
Cause: Its montane cloud-forest origin makes it less tolerant of average household humidity than most collector anthuriums
Fix: Move to a closed cabinet or terrarium rather than persisting with an open shelf setup
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.
- Coir Moss Pole, 120cm (4-Pack)Coco coir totem for climbing aroids to root into as they grow upward.
How to propagate Anthurium besseae 'Variegata'
- 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.