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What is a Philodendron?
Philodendron is a genus of flowering plants in the Araceae family. They are famous for their diverse array of leaves and vibrant colours and great reliability in easy to achieve conditions. They have a native range from Central America to South America. The name Philodendron comes from the greek Philos (love) and Dendron (tree/plant) and the genus was officially described as such by H.W Schott in 1829.
Care:
Keeping Philodendron is nice and easy, and provides great results with a really satisfying array of plants. The care instructions are fairly simple, and can be found below!
Watering: Philodendron are from humid tropical rainforests, which means that in the wild they are rarely found in totally dry soils. Keep the soil temperately damp but never soaking wet. They are somewhat drought tolerant but will suffer from over-watering. Be sure to make adjustments based on your light conditions and potting mix. In the winter, Philodendron in the UK will enter dormancy, and watering should be reduced to as little as possible to compensate.
Potting: Philodendron like well draining soils. A chunky mix of coir, perlite and pine bark would be an ideal mix, as the perlite and bark stop clumping and allow water to drain through, and the bark will store excess water and allow access to stored water if ever the soil is too dry. It is also recommended to allow some Philodendron to climb a moss pole or coir pole to achieve the best growth.
Light: Being forest-floor growers in the wild, Philodendron generally do not require huge amounts of sunlight in order to grow successfully. In fact, direct sunlight would likely be far too much for them. Instead, medium to bright indirect light is recommended for ideal growing conditions!
Feeding: It is best to feed Philodendron when they are exhibiting periods of active growth, to help to strengthen the new growth. Their leaves get very vivid nutrient burn if overfed, so it is best to feed only when needed. During dormancy it is recommended not to feed at all, and allow the plant to rest.
Pests: Philodendron are particularly susceptible to thrip invasions and the stems can also be a nice feeding ground for scale insects and mealybugs! Keep your eyes out for warning signs and if discovered, treat accordingly.
Things to look out for in Philodendron:
Yellow leaves: This can indicate multiple things. As a general rule, if there is new growth but old, smaller leaves are yellowing, this is just a natural process of prioritizing more productive foliage. If the yellowing is widespread, then the likelihood is there is a more sinister problem, such as: overwatering, drought, pests or nutrient burn.
Underwhelming Growth: As plants with striking foliage, it is easy to tell that when a new leaf comes out shriveled, small or underwhelming. This is usually as a response to a lack of sufficient light.
Phototropism: A Philodendron is a climber, and will usually make its best attempt to grow in an upwards direction, or in smaller, daintier Philodendron if it has nothing to ascend, then it will cascade over. If your plant is instead growing towards a light source, then it is likely in need of more sufficient light.
Philodendron to check out:
Philodendron erubescens ‘Pink Princess’ or ‘Prince of Orange’
Philodendron pedatum
Jonathan Davies
Jonny has worked at Root since May 2023. His love for plants was inherited initially from his grandparents and parents, but really took off once he moved into his own place, where he started picking up small plants and was fascinated by watching how they grow and change over time. Jonny has a degree in Archaeology and Classics from the University of Sheffield, and a masters in Egyptology from Swansea University, where he primarily focused on garden culture in the ancient world, which he has managed to extend to a PhD thesis in the University of Liverpool, where he has been able to combine his love for plants with his love for ancient language and culture. Jonny loves being in the natural spaces around North Wales and Cheshire where he used to go growing up, and often spends hours examining the plants and trees, and kicking up the leaf litter searching for mushrooms and insects. He is fascinated most by plant biology, taxonomy and learning about ecosystems and interactions between plants and their environmental counterparts, and enjoys tending to his varied array of houseplants, and ongoing ‘plant projects’, such as growing plants from seeds and creating living epiphyte displays. Aside from his green thumb, his other interests include: art, reading, listening to and playing music in the company of his cats, Spooky and Boo.
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