Anthurium Acclimation: What to Expect

Most Anthuriums sold today are grown in greenhouses—places with high humidity, steady airflow, and ideal light. These plants look great in the nursery, but they often need time to adjust once they land in your home.

At Rousseau, we grow our plants in 50% humidity during the day and 70% at night—closer to what they’ll experience in a home with a grow light or bright window. This conditioning helps ease the transition, but even so, a period of decline is normal. Our plants do great in ambient humidity, but this guide will help you with other plants. 

You’ll likely see yellowing or spotting on older leaves in the first 4–8 weeks—sometimes longer. This is especially common on leaves that formed in high humidity. It doesn’t mean the plant is dying. It just means it’s adjusting to a new environment.

Patience is key. Don’t panic. Don’t move it around. Don’t overcorrect. The best thing you can do is repot it (if needed), place it in a good spot, and leave it alone. The roots need time to adjust before new growth can begin. You should see a new leaf within 4–8 weeks, though the first few may still show minor imperfections.

If a new leaf tears or gets stuck while unfurling, that’s often a moisture issue. In nature, plants are exposed to rain, which helps prevent the leaves from sticking to themselves. Indoors, you can lightly mist with a kelp-based spray like Healthy Leaf while a new leaf is forming. It helps keep the surface flexible and minimizes damage.

Choosing the Right Plant

Not every Anthurium is ready for ambient conditions. Imports and freshly rooted plants from high-humidity setups often need more time—and will struggle if moved into drier air.

Look for plants that are already actively growing and have had time to develop in moderate humidity. The best candidates for ambient environments are:

• In 3–6″ pots

• Showing steady growth (1 new leaf every 4–6 weeks)

• 4–6 months old—past the fragile seedling stage

• Grown in moderate humidity

It’s okay to ask the grower:

• What humidity was this grown in?

• How long have they been growing it?

If the answer is less than a couple months, it’s probably too soon for ambient. Plants need time to harden off and build momentum before they can thrive outside of controlled conditions.