Why Are My Anthurium Flowers Turning Green? Causes and Fixes
Anthurium bloom with a green spadix and an ageing dark red spathe
Why are my anthurium flowers turning green? Most often it is natural aging, since the colourful part is not a flower at all, but a spathe, which is a modified leaf. An old bloom greens as it fades, which is normal. But if new blooms open green, the usual cause is too little light.
Quick answer: Check whether it is an old bloom or a new one. An old spathe greening and fading is natural, so trim it off at the base. If new spathes keep opening green or dull, give the plant more bright, indirect light, and ease off high-nitrogen feed. Match the cause below.
🧰 In a hurry? Jump straight to our tested picks for this guide ↓
Why are my anthurium flowers turning green? Quick diagnosis
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| An old bloom greening, then yellowing or browning | Natural aging, trim it |
| New blooms opening green or dull | Too little light |
| Green, leafy blooms after heavy feeding | Too much nitrogen |
| Green spathes on a certain variety | Naturally green variety |
| Colour loss after a temperature swing | Temperature stress |
| Weak green blooms after a shop-forced plant | Post-forcing decline |
First, it is a spathe, not a flower
Start with this, because it clears up most of the worry. The bright red, pink, or white heart on an anthurium is not really a flower, it is a spathe, which is a specialised, coloured leaf.
The true flowers are the tiny bumps on the finger-like spadix in the centre. Since the spathe is a modified leaf, it naturally has green in its make-up, and it drifts back toward green as it ages, as our anthurium care guide explains. So a greening spathe is usually just an old bloom, not a sick plant.
Natural aging: an old bloom greening is normal
The most common reason by far is simple aging. Each anthurium spathe lasts a good while, often two to three months, and stays vivid for most of that time.
As the bloom finishes, it fades, greens, and eventually yellows or browns, which is a normal end to its life. So you have not done anything wrong. Just trim the spent, greening spathe off at the base with clean scissors, which tidies the plant and makes room for the next bloom, much like removing a yellowing leaf.
New blooms opening green? Give it more light
Here is the difference that matters most. If it is the new blooms coming out green or dull, rather than old ones fading, the usual cause is too little light.
Anthuriums need bright, indirect light to colour their spathes richly, and in a dim spot the blooms open small, pale, and greenish. So move the plant to a brighter window, out of harsh direct sun, or add a grow light, as our grow light guide covers. Better light usually brings the next blooms back to full colour.
Too much nitrogen pushes green growth
Feeding can green the blooms too, in a way people rarely suspect. A high-nitrogen fertiliser drives lush, leafy green growth, and that can spill over into greener, leafier spathes.
So if you feed heavily, especially with a general high-nitrogen food, ease off. Switch to a balanced or bloom-focused fertiliser at a gentle dose during the growing season, as our organic fertiliser guide covers. Phosphorus supports flowers, while too much nitrogen favours leaves.
Some varieties are meant to be green
Before you try to fix it, check your plant. A few anthurium varieties are naturally green, or shift to green as part of their normal look, and there is nothing to correct there.
The variety Centennial, for example, opens white and then turns a bright green on purpose. Others, like A. clarinervium, are grown for green, veined spathes or foliage. So if you bought a green-flowered type, that green is a feature, not a fault, as our anthurium guide notes.
Shop-forced plants and temperature
Two last things can green the blooms. Many anthuriums are forced into heavy flower in greenhouses before sale, so once home, they often fade to green as those forced blooms age and the plant settles into a normal rhythm.
Temperature swings play a part too, since sudden heat or cold can stress the plant and dull its colour. So keep it warm and stable, ideally between 18 and 27C, away from draughts and heat sources. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends warmth, humidity and bright, indirect light for anthurium. Remember too that anthurium spathes naturally age and fade over time.
How to trigger a fresh flush of colourful blooms
If your plant only seems to make green, tired blooms, a short rest can reset it. Anthuriums often bloom better after a cool, dry break that mimics their natural cycle.
Give it about six weeks in a cooler spot, around 15C, with only a little water and no feeding. Then bring it back into warmth, bright indirect light, and regular care. This rest signals the plant to push out a fresh round of well-coloured spathes. It is the same trick that coaxes a shy anthurium back into bloom, and the surest way to revive faded, green colour.
How to keep anthurium blooms colourful
- Trim old, greening spathes off at the base, since aging is normal.
- Move it to bright, indirect light so new blooms colour up.
- Ease off high-nitrogen feed, using a balanced or bloom food.
- Check the variety, since some are naturally green.
- Keep it warm and stable, away from draughts.
- Give a cool, dry rest to encourage fresh, colourful blooms.
Fresh, glossy, richly coloured spathes on new blooms are the sign your anthurium is happy.
Anthurium flowers turning green in India
Two things green anthurium blooms in India: dim indoor light and natural aging.
Anthurium grows well as a flowering indoor plant across the warm parts of the country. But in a dark room its new blooms open green and dull, so give it a bright spot with plenty of filtered light, out of the harsh afternoon sun. Old blooms will still green and fade with age, which is normal, so trim them off. Feed lightly with a bloom fertiliser, not a heavy nitrogen one. Our anthurium guide and not-flowering guide have more.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for anthurium flowers to turn green?
Yes, very often. The colourful part is a spathe, a modified leaf, so it naturally greens and fades as the bloom ages, usually after two to three months. So an old bloom turning green is normal, and you can simply trim it off. Only worry if the new blooms are opening green, which points to too little light instead.
Why are my new anthurium flowers coming out green?
Almost always too little light. Anthuriums need bright, indirect light to colour their spathes richly, and in a dim spot the new blooms open pale and greenish. So move the plant somewhere brighter, out of direct sun. Easing off high-nitrogen fertiliser helps too, since heavy nitrogen pushes green, leafy growth over vivid blooms.
Should I cut off green anthurium flowers?
If they are old, fading blooms, yes. Once a spathe has greened and started to fade, it will not turn red again, so trim it off at the base to tidy the plant and encourage new blooms. But if it is a naturally green variety, or a healthy new bloom, leave it. First work out whether the green bloom is old and fading or new.
How do I get my anthurium to flower red again?
Give it bright, indirect light, which is the main driver of spathe colour. Feed lightly with a balanced or bloom fertiliser rather than heavy nitrogen, and keep it warm and humid. A cool, drier rest of a few weeks can also trigger a fresh flush of well-coloured blooms. The new spathes should then open in full colour, even though the old green ones will not change back.
How long do anthurium flowers last before fading?
A healthy anthurium bloom typically lasts two to three months on the plant, which is exceptionally long for a houseplant flower. Toward the end of that span, the spathe naturally fades, often greening or browning before it dries. Cut flowers in a vase last two to three weeks. If your blooms fade within days or weeks instead of months, look at light, watering, or temperature stress rather than treating the colour change as normal ageing.
Does low light cause anthurium flowers to turn green?
Yes, insufficient light is the most common home cause. Anthuriums need bright, indirect light to produce the pigments that colour the spathe. In a dark corner, new blooms open smaller and greener, and existing ones fade faster. Place the plant near an east window or a metre or so back from a bright one, avoiding direct midday sun that scorches leaves. In Indian homes, a spot with filtered balcony light works well year-round.
Why did my anthurium bloom red in the shop but turn green at home?
Commercial growers raise anthuriums in ideal greenhouse light, warmth, and feeding, and some use growth regulators to push out vividly coloured spathes for sale. Once home, in ordinary room conditions, the plant reverts to what your environment supports, so the next flush of flowers often opens greener and smaller. This is normal adjustment, not disease. Improve light and care, and colour usually strengthens again over the following bloom cycles.
Are some anthurium flowers naturally green?
Yes. Several cultivars are bred for green or green-and-white spathes, and species like Anthurium hookeri carry greenish blooms naturally. Breeders have also introduced lavender, deep yellow, and bicolour forms. So before treating green flowers as a problem, check what variety you own. If it always bloomed green from day one, that is probably its genetics. A colour shift from red or pink to green over time is the sign that points to ageing or care issues.
Do anthurium flowers change colour as they age?
They do. A spathe often opens at its brightest, holds colour for several weeks, then gradually greens or fades as it ages, and this pattern speeds up in low light. Older plants can also produce progressively paler blooms. This slow, one-flower-at-a-time change is natural. Snip spent blooms at the stalk base to redirect energy into fresh flowers, which is where improved light and feeding will show up as stronger colour.
Does fertiliser affect anthurium flower colour?
Indirectly, yes. A starved anthurium lacks the resources to build large, richly coloured spathes, so blooms come out small, pale, or greenish. Feed lightly during the growing season with a balanced or slightly phosphorus-rich houseplant fertiliser at quarter to half strength, roughly every four to six weeks. Avoid heavy dosing, which burns roots and worsens flowering. Pair feeding with good light, because fertiliser alone cannot fix a colour problem caused by a dim spot.
Where should I place an anthurium for colourful blooms?
Choose a warm spot with bright, filtered light, steady temperatures of roughly 18 to 28°C, and decent humidity. An east-facing window is ideal in most homes, or behind a sheer curtain on brighter aspects. Keep the plant away from AC vents, heaters, and cold draughts. In India, shaded balconies or bright indoor spots suit anthuriums well, though extra humidity helps in dry summer months. Stable conditions produce the most consistent colour.
Does temperature affect anthurium flower colour?
Yes. Anthuriums colour best in steady warmth between about 18 and 28°C. Cold draughts, temperatures below roughly 15°C, or repeated hot-cold swings stress the plant, and stressed plants produce dull, greenish, or short-lived spathes. Heat extremes above the mid-30s also fade blooms quickly. Keep the pot away from single-glazed winter windows in cool climates, and in hot Indian summers move it out of afternoon heat into bright shade.
Sources and further reading
Related guides
- Anthurium care guide
- Why is my anthurium not flowering
- Why are my anthurium leaves turning yellow
- Why is my anthurium drooping
- Best grow lights
- Organic fertilizer guide
Still stuck? Ask the Plant Doctor
Describe the problem — yellow leaves, holes, no flowers — and get a clear answer in seconds. FreeAI can make mistakes. Answers are guidance, not a guarantee — check anything important against the guide it links to, and always read the label on any product before you use it.
