New Florida Foliage Plant Cultivar: 'Red Hot' Anthurium

Anthurium X 'Red Hot' (Figure 1) is an interspecific hybrid developed by the Foliage Plant Breeding and Genetics Research Program at UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Educational Center—Apopka as a flowering potted foliage plant. Anthurium (Anthurium andreanum Linden ex Andre (family: Araceae) has been traditionally developed and grown for cut flower production because of its showy red, orange, pink, or white spathes (Kamemoto and Kuehnle 1996). The large overall size, long petioles and peduncles on the cut flower selections generally preclude their use as container plants. Recently, new Anthurium varieties are being developed to emphasize a smaller overall plant size, a propensity to produce basal shoots and a highly prolific flowering habit. Such hybrids are readily adaptable for flowering pot plant production. Anthurium X 'Red Hot' is one such hybrid with numerous attractive, bright red spathes and a compact, well-branched growth habit.