Anthurium Lilli in Glass

The Anthurium 'Lilli' proves a flowering plant doesn't have to shout to be noticed. Where the classic Anthurium goes for glossy red or crisp white, 'Lilli' is the quieter, prettier cousin: compact, easygoing and dressed in soft, pink-tinged spathes that lift a smaller space without taking it over. And rather than flowering in one showy burst and then disappearing, it blooms gently and steadily over a long stretch, which makes it a real pleasure to live with.

Known botanically as Anthurium andraeanum, it has every reason to love water. In the wild these are epiphytes, living up in the trees of the Colombian and Ecuadorian rainforests with their roots in the humid air, drinking straight from the rain as it filters through the canopy. The glass vessel is simply a more elegant version of that: roots suspended in water, no soil needed.

It's as easy as it is pretty. Keep the water topped up, swap it for fresh every couple of weeks, and in spring and summer add a diluted liquid feed for 24 hours before refreshing. Just keep the very tops of the root ball above the waterline; full submersion isn't necessary. Give it bright, indirect light and a warm spot above 15 degrees, away from cold draughts, and it'll be content.

One word of caution: Anthurium sap contains calcium oxalate crystals, which cause irritation if the plant is chewed or swallowed, so keep it out of reach of curious pets and small children.

The glass vase is included. Vase will arrive without water.