When you find your Anthurium leaves drooping, this is your plant letting you know something wrong is taking place.
Anthurium plants are naturally grown in tropical environment’s so in order for this type of plant to look and grow it’s best, you need to at least somewhat mimic these types of growing conditions.
Common causes for Anthurium leaves drooping include overwatering, cold temperatures, pests, sunlight or lack thereof and poor drainage.
So if your Anthurium plant hasn’t been looking it’s best or is just flat out drooping or wilting then have a look at these causes and solutions.
Overwatering
Anthurium’s mostly prefer to get either completely dry before receiving water or just having a bit of moisture in the soil but not constantly damp or soaked.
If you’re just watering the plant on a schedule rather than checking the soil before watering, odds are overwatering will be the cause of the droopy leaves on your Anthurium.
This is because if you’re providing too much water without letting the soil drain properly then overtime you will prevent the roots from doing their job by damaging them from lack of oxygen and therefore they will stop working all together and your Anthurium will actually dry out.
Not only will that happen but by overwatering you run the risk of root rot occurring which can ruin the plant all together and pretty quickly too.
This is also why you may notice yellow leaves on your Anthurium or your Anthurium leaves turning brown as well.
- Solution
Only water when the top inch or so of the soil has completely dried out no matter what season it is to help prevent overwatering from happening.
If the leaves are not only drooping but have turned brown then you should check the roots for rot as well.
If you do indeed have rot then trim back mushy roots and repot in fresh soil to save the plant.
Overall I would say overwatering is the main cause for your Anthurium leaves drooping so you should pay great attention to this.
Cold temperature
Sudden cold temperature can shock an Anthurium which in turn can cause the plant to droop or look unsightly.
This usually occurs when the plant is left outdoors overnight when there can be wild swings in the temperature no matter what season it is.
If you’ve only been growing indoors then odds are the plant is being grown too close to vents with sudden cool drafts or maybe you have been leaving a door open nearby.
- Solution
Bring your Anthurium indoors overnight if you suspect the weather is causing the droopy leaves or keep the plant away from open doors and vents or fans.
Improper drainage
This one can go hand in hand with overwatering as poor drainage can cause the same type of issues such as wilting or droopy leaves on Anthurium plants.
Poor drainage can be caused by using the wrong type of soil, packing the soil too tight, not using a drainage hole or other causes.
The end result is your plant won’t grow or look proper because the roots have been damaged or are being starved of oxygen from standing water or soil packed too tight.
Droopy leaves will be the least of your worries if this isn’t addressed but this sure is a sign to have a look at the soil.
- Solution
Use the right type of soil and materials such as Peat Moss and perlite or other well draining soils and materials.
Don’t pack in the soil too tight and use a drainage hole if you’re growing in a container.
Also make sure the container you’re using isn’t too large as this can make drainage all that more difficult to get right.
Pests
Pests can be another cause of droopy leaves on Anthurium’s as some of them will eat the leaves and dehydrate them in the process causing them to lose their normal appearance.
Some pests you may encounter include but are not limited to thrips, mites, aphids, mealybugs and scales.
Signs that your Anthurium has a pest issue going on include droopy leaves, holes in the leaves, discoloration of the foliage, white or black spots, sticky leaves and overall dehydration of the plant.
The sooner you get rid of these annoying pests, the less damage they can do.
- Solution
For most types of pests use can get rid of them by wiping down the leaves with a towel and rubbing alcohol, but sometimes you may need to use stronger stuff such as neem oil to get rid of them and help keep them from returning.
I recommend this neem oil by the way.
Lighting
Providing the wrong type of light, or a lack of light in general can cause Anthurium leaves to droop due to either stress or just not getting enough light.
Anthurium’s like to get a lot of bright indirect light or medium light daily, but they do not like full sun or super low light conditions.
Too much full sun can burn the leaves or overall make them droop from the temperature stress and low light will just cause stunted growth and leaf stretching.
- Solution
Keep your Anthurium in a shaded location outdoors either under some trees or under a balcony whichever works best for you.
When growing indoors depending on how direct the sun is through windows, you may need to move your plant further away from the window than you usually have it to prevent direct sun rays from touching the plant.
Avoid low light conditions in most cases.