A Discovery Born from Serendipity
Some of the most extraordinary botanical discoveries happen by accident, and Anthurium carlablackiae is a perfect example. In September 2009, horticulturist Carla Black was exploring the dense, humid forests near Puerto Obaldía, on the Caribbean coast at the border of Panama and Colombia, with one goal in mind: finding heliconias. What she stumbled upon instead would send shockwaves through the aroid collecting community for years to come.
Tucked into the shadowy understory of this lowland tropical forest, growing as a terrestrial plant at approximately 300 metres elevation, she encountered a small, velvety-leaved Anthurium unlike anything formally described. The leaves were remarkable: nearly black, with a texture so rich it seemed almost tactile just to look at. The contrast veining gleamed white against that deep, dark background like lightning on a night sky.
The species was formally described and named in 2020 by renowned botanist Dr. Thomas B. Croat and Orlando Ortiz, who honoured its discoverer in the epithet: Anthurium carlablackiae. The formal description appeared in Phytotaxa, classifying it within the family Araceae, in the genus Anthurium. Carla Black, who lives in Panama’s Chiriquí Province, had unwittingly given the world of velvet anthuriums one of its most coveted species.
Botanical Profile: What Makes It Exceptional
To understand why Anthurium carlablackiae has taken collector circles by storm, you have to understand what distinguishes it from the other velvet anthuriums in section Cardiolonchium, a group already celebrated for stunning foliage.
Foliage
The defining trait of top-quality carlablackiae is its foliage: velvety, dark green to nearly black leaves with dramatic contrast venation in white or silver. But here is where it gets nuanced for serious collectors: the best specimens push this further, holding deep black colouration across multiple fully hardened leaves, not just on emerging growth.
Newly emerging leaves reveal another thrilling dimension: in elite specimens, the unfurling leaves display vivid electric pink veins set against that dark background. This emergent colouration can even persist around the sinus (the indentation at the base of the leaf), a trait considered especially desirable by advanced breeders. Less exceptional plants tend to show yellowish-brown emergent veins, which, against dark foliage, lack the drama that makes this species truly special.
Growth Habit
Anthurium carlablackiae is a notably compact grower, which is part of its appeal as a parent plant in breeding programmes. Petioles are ridged, similar in structure to A. dressleri, and range in colour from greenish-red to deep burgundy. Many individuals hold their petioles horizontally or even below horizontal, giving mature plants a distinctive, low-slung silhouette. Its compact nature makes it manageable even in smaller growing spaces, a significant advantage over larger velvet species.
Inflorescence
While the foliage commands all the attention, the flowers of carlablackiae deserve their own moment. Its spathe is white, often with varying degrees of pink margination, and among popular velvet anthuriums, this is arguably the most attractive inflorescence of the lot. Breeders are actively selecting for deeper pink colouration and larger spathe size, making this an area of ongoing horticultural excitement.
Natural Range
The known natural range of Anthurium carlablackiae is highly restricted: it covers a narrow border region spanning southeastern Panama and adjacent northwestern Colombia. In Panama, it occurs in the Comarca Guna Yala near Puerto Obaldía. Additional observations have been reported near the Cana gold mine site below the Alturas de Nique in Serranía de Pirre, though no formal herbarium voucher exists from that location. In Colombia, it has been recorded in the department of Antioquia near Turbo. This extreme endemism makes responsible cultivation and ethical sourcing all the more important.
The Clone Code: A Community Built on Precision
When Anthurium carlablackiae entered cultivation, introduced to US growers shortly before its formal description in 2020, it arrived with something unusual for a newly described species: immediate, intense demand. Collectors recognised its potential not only as a showpiece but as a breeding parent. The result was a rapidly expanding web of clones, line-bred selections, and hybrids, and with it, an informal but widely adopted naming system that has become the lingua franca of the carlablackiae collecting world.
Understanding these abbreviations is essential for any serious collector navigating the market. Each code traces a plant’s lineage back to a specific breeder, mother plant, or collection, knowledge that matters enormously when assessing quality and genetic value.
RA: Rory Antolak
Rory Antolak is arguably the single most influential figure in the cultivation of Anthurium carlablackiae. A grower and breeder based in South Florida, Rory is also the discoverer of Anthurium antolakii, formerly known in hobby circles as BVEP (Black Velvet Eastern Panama), a newly described species named in his honour.
The RA prefix denotes numbered clones and crosses from Rory’s collection: RA1, RA5, RA7, RA8, RA10, and so on. The vast majority of carlablackiae currently in circulation worldwide trace back to Rory’s plants: wild collected clones, plants grown from wild-collected seed, and domestically bred seed-grown material. When a plant is labelled RA, you are looking at genetics with traceable, documented provenance from one of the most respected hands in the hobby. RA clones have commanded prices in the thousands of dollars, and for collectors, they represent a gold standard of quality and origin.
OG: Scott Cohen
The OG prefix belongs to Scott Cohen, a prominent figure in the Anthurium hybridisation scene whose breeding work with carlablackiae has produced some highly sought-after numbered clones. The OG series (OG1, OG2, OG4, and beyond) represents Scott’s carefully selected mother plants, known for their bullate texture and dramatic foliage. Scott operates through his platform Scott Cohen Plants, and his clones are well-regarded in collector communities for their quality and the rigour of his selection process. OG clones have become reference points in their own right, used as parents in subsequent crosses by other breeders.
PM: Paul Marcellini
Paul Marcellini is one of the most recognisable names in the Anthurium world. Based in Miami, Florida, and operating under the name Understory Oasis (Instagram: @understory_oasis), Paul is a world-class grower, breeder and accomplished photographer. His dual lens on plants, both artistic and scientific, has made his collection documentation some of the most beautiful in the hobby.
The PM prefix marks his specific numbered clones and holdbacks. He is perhaps most famously associated with exceptional kunayalense clones, but his carlablackiae selections carry the same hallmark: meticulous curation and a sharp eye for form. For many collectors, owning a PM-designated plant is as much about the provenance and story as it is about the plant itself.
GPH: Juan (@GayPlantHeaux)
The GPH prefix comes from Juan, known in the community by his Instagram handle @GayPlantHeaux, who catalogued his carlablackiae mother plants under this notation. His most famous plant, GPH001, has become one of the most referenced individual carlablackiae specimens in the hobby. GPH001 has been used extensively as a parent in prominent crosses, including by Granthuriums, where it features in multiple F1 breeding lines. The round x GPH001 cross, for example, has produced offspring with exceptionally uniform dark colouration and a wide range of interesting forms, including unusually pink-spathed individuals. Juan’s careful documentation and willingness to share genetics have made GPH001 a cornerstone clone in the carlablackiae gene pool.
WU: Wuhoo Tropicals
The WU prefix designates clones and selections from Wuhoo Tropicals, a nursery that made meaningful early contributions to the carlablackiae hobby. WU-origin plants have served as a foundation for other breeders, including growers in Thailand who built their own AU series (AU1, AU2, etc.) from specially selected WU stock, demonstrating how carlablackiae genetics have spread globally, with each generation of growers adding their own selections to the lineage.
A: Hoyahole
The A prefix is used by Hoyahole, a breeder and cultivator based in Maine who labels their carlablackiae mother plants A1, A2, and so on. A2, for instance, is a clone acquired when the species first entered cultivation in 2020, while A1 has been used as both seed and pollen parent in documented crosses. The careful tracking of these clones, even in a smaller private collection, reflects the broader culture of precision and transparency that characterises the most respected voices in the carlablackiae community.
Why Clone Provenance Matters
For newer collectors, the alphabet soup of prefixes can seem overwhelming, but it exists for a reason. Anthurium carlablackiae displays extraordinary phenotypic variation. Two plants of the same species can look dramatically different: one holding near-black colouration across multiple hardened leaves with electric pink emergent veins; another fading to a muddy green with underwhelming venation. Without provenance, you are buying a lottery ticket. With it, you are buying a lineage.
This is why understanding who selected a plant, what they were selecting for, and which mother plants were used matters so much. The RA, OG, PM, GPH, and WU designations are not marketing. They are data. They tell you something real about what to expect, and they allow breeders down the line to make informed decisions about which genetics to combine.
Anthurium carlablackiae is still a young species in cultivation, formally described only in 2020. The community of breeders pushing its potential forward is small, passionate, and extraordinarily knowledgeable. For the advanced collector, learning this language is not optional. It is the foundation of participating meaningfully in one of the most exciting ongoing stories in the aroid world.