Anthurium (Flamingo Flower)

Anthurium is one of the longest-blooming houseplants you can grow, producing its waxy, heart-shaped spathes in shades of red, pink, coral, or white for months at a time with only minimal care. The spathe is technically a modified leaf, not a petal, and its lacquered surface gives it an almost artificial appearance. The actual flowers are tiny and clustered along the elongated spadix that rises from the center of each spathe. It's an exotic-looking plant that somehow manages to be genuinely easy to grow indoors.

Native to tropical rainforests in Central and South America, anthuriums do best in bright indirect light (a few feet back from a sunny window is ideal), high humidity, and well-draining potting mix that stays lightly moist but never soggy. They're sensitive to overwatering, which is the most common way people run into trouble with them. Let the top inch or so of soil dry before watering, and make sure the pot drains freely.

Given good conditions, anthuriums will produce new blooms consistently throughout the year, with each spathe lasting for weeks before fading. A dose of phosphorus-rich fertilizer a few times a year encourages more flowering. Keep out of reach of pets and children, as the sap is a skin irritant and all parts are toxic if ingested.