Tammy’s top philodendrons

When people ask me what my favourite indoor plants are, philodendrons are at the top of my list. The variety of sizes, leaf forms and growth habits is mindblowing!

Despite their many unusual forms, they are fairly low-maintenance plants and will happily grow indoors without much fuss. Of course, there are a few exceptions, with some needing higher humidity and warmer temperatures year-round, so avoid them if you don’t want to put up with diva-like antics! There are still plenty of options to enjoy, but we suspect it won’t be long until the ‘high-maintenance’ varieties make their way into your home!

Philodendron ‘Black Cardinal’
This large-leafed specimen is big on impact but low on maintenance. Leaves emerge bronzed-red and age to a rich dark chocolate, near black. Stems have a lovely red hue, providing a wonderful colour contrast. As a self-header, it doesn’t require staking unless it becomes too top-heavy.

Philodendron hastatum ‘Silver Sword’
An easy-going climbing plant, this philodendron has silvery-blue leaves. When young, the foliage is slender and sword-like, but as the plant matures, the leaves become more like arrows. It needs staking to stay upright and will climb when given a moss pole or coir totem. It grows up to 2m tall indoors and propagates easily from stem cuttings.

Philodendron erubescens ‘Pink Princess’
This is a striking variegated philodendron with green and pink leaves. The foliage is accented with specks, splashes or bands in varying shades of pink, and the stems are a deep pink-red, too. It grows up to 2m tall indoors, but my preference is to keep it shorter and bushier, so cut the plant back if desired. It needs bright light to maintain the variegation.

Philodendron care

Philodendrons (Philodendron spp.) are native to tropical rainforests of Central and South America, where they grow in the understorey, spending most of their lives in filtered light. This makes them great house plants. Philodendrons grow best in bright indirect light, but some species, such as P. hederaceum (heartleaf philodendron), are adaptable to lower light conditions.

Most species are happy with ambient humidity in the home, but those that have velvety textured leaves prefer humidity levels above 60 per cent. Rare and highly coveted philodendrons require high humidity and temperatures of 20–30°C year round, otherwise growth is stunted and dieback may occur. Choose species that need less maintenance, such as P. ‘Rojo Congo’, P. ‘Xanadu’, P. hederaceum, P. ‘Silver Sword’, P. ‘Birkin’ or P. bipennifolium.

Philodendron plants like a potting mix that holds moisture but also drains well. Most in-store mixes don’t fit the bill, but you can combine a few different types of growing media – such as coarse orchid bark, perlite, horticultural charcoal, coir chips and coir peat – to make something suitable. Seek out specialty nurseries, which often stock their own ‘aroid mix’ that’s perfect for philodendrons.

Thrips and mites are common pests and annoyingly difficult to spot. Signs of them include yellowing leaf edges, bronzing leaf surfaces or patchy discolourations. Spray thoroughly with insecticidal soap.

How to propagate philodendrons

Due to their varied growth habits, philodendrons can be propagated in several different ways. I’ve had great success with the following two methods:

Cuttings in water
Vining and climbing philodendrons readily strike from stem cuttings. Take a 10–15cm cutting and remove the foliage, except for two leaves at the tip of the cutting. Place in a glass of water, ensuring at least one node is submerged. Position in a warm spot out of direct sunlight and replace water weekly. Over the next 6–8 weeks, roots will develop; once they are 5–10cm long, pot them up into a well-drained mix and water with a seaweed solution.

Air layering
This works best with climbing philodendrons. Air layering encourages root growth at the nodes while the stem’s still attached to the parent. The rooted stem is cut and potted up.

Place moistened sphagnum moss around a node, then secure with plastic wrap. This keeps the moss moist and promotes root growth. Once roots are poking through the moss, cut the stem beneath the rooted node, pot it up in a suitable mix and water in with a seaweed solution.

Photo of Tammy Huynh by Brent Wilson