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Anthurium carlablackiae
Carla Blackie's Anthurium
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Anthurium carlablackiae 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 carlablackiae Morphology
About Anthurium carlablackiae
Anthurium carlablackiae, described by Croat and O.Ortiz, is a compact species from the tropical forests spanning Panama to Colombia. It grows as a terrestrial or low epiphyte in rich organic debris and deep leaf litter on shaded forest floors, developing short, tightly spaced internodes and a self-heading crown. The broad, cordate to ovate-cordate blades are deep velvety dark green to near-black, with crisp, contrasting white venation and burgundy-toned petioles that deepen with maturity. A pale spathe flushed with pink completes the picture. Among the velvet anthuriums, carlablackiae is exceptionally difficult to locate and ranks among the most sought-after species in aroid collections.
Native Range
Panama
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Anthurium carlablackiae
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 carlablackiae 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 Discovery of Considerable Consequence
I first encountered *Anthurium carlablackiae* in a photograph shared by a fellow collector in Panama, and I confess the image stopped me cold. That near-black velvet surface, those impossibly crisp white veins — surely, I thought, this must be a hybrid. It is not. It is a perfectly described wild species from the forested slopes between Panama and Colombia, growing quietly in leaf litter and organic debris while the rest of the plant world fails to notice it. Getting one's hands on a legitimate specimen requires patience, connections, and the willingness to spend rather more than one's spouse might consider reasonable. Mine remains the most prized plant in the collection, producing each new leaf with agonising slowness and maximum theatrical effect.
