AMYDRIUM
INFO + CARE

genus: Amydrium Schott

common name/s: -

type: herbaceous evergreen

family: Araceae

native range: Southeast Asia, southern China, and New Guinea

zone: 10 to 12

height: 100 to 700 cm

spread: 50 to 120 cm

type species: Amydrium humile Schott

bloom time: rarely flowers

bloom description: creamy white

sun: full sun to part shade

water: medium to wet

maintenance: medium

soil type: loose, well-draining, 'breathing' potting mix

toxicity: toxic to pets and humans

Amydrium is still one of the lesser-known aroids and not often encountered in collections because of its growth habit. It is however, a very attractive genus and makes for a showy houseplant. Amydrium foliage is quite versatile and beautifully textured.

Amydrium are small to large, evergreen root-climbing lianas or creeping to scandent herbs, that usually produce long flagellae with reduced cataphylls. The leaves are often remote from one another, interspersed with few to rather many cataphyll-bearing nodes. They are ovate-cordate to lanceolate or pandurate-trilobed or pinnatifid to pinnatisect, sometimes with round to oval perforations.

The plant of this genus blooms from the erect peduncle with conchiform to ovate, apiculate spathe, sometimes reflexed at anthesis and then deciduous. The spadix is sessile to long-stipitate, sometimes very short. The flowers are bisexual, aperigoniate with white or orange-red when ripe berry and subglobose to heart-shaped seeds.

Amydrium-zippelianum-close-up-foliage-factory

Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.

Amydrium plants are from sub-tropical origins. They enjoy ample light, quite high humidity and warmer temperatures. They can handle a range of light from low to bright indirect. How quickly and how well the plant grows will depend on the amount of light it receives . Plenty of bright indirect light or use of plant lamps is the best to cultivate Amydrium as a houseplant.

The same goes for air humidity: the more humid the environment in which your Amydrium grows, the better. Avoid dry air: radiators and air-conditioners don't do Amydrium plants any favors.