How to care for a Philodendron plant

Philodendron is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. As of September 2015, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 489 species; other sources accept different numbers. Regardless of the number of species, the genus is the second-largest member of the family Araceae. Wikipedia.

Family: Araceae
Scientific name: Philodendron
Subfamily: Aroideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Higher classification: Philodendreae
Order: Water plantains

Philodendron plant List

• Philodendron Esmeraldense
• Philodendron Sodiroi
• Philodendron Gloriosum
• Philodendron Verrucosum
• Philodendron Erubescens
• Philodendron Congo
• Philodendron Moonlight
• Philodendron Bipinnatifidum
• Philodendron Hederaceum
• Philodendron Birkin
• Philodendron Billietiae
• Philodendron Xanadu

Care for a Philodendron plant guide

Light

While the heartleaf prefers indirect sunlight, Philodendron will do just dandy in almost any lighting condition. Even areas of low light can be fine, though the leaves will spread more and the colors won’t be as vibrant or glossy.

Watering

Keep the soil lightly moist spring through fall. Allow the surface to dry out between waterings in winter. Yellow leaves are caused by overwatering. Always use tepid water for your houseplants because cold water is a shock to these tropical natives.

Soil

Any quality potting soil will do as long as it is well-draining. You can also mix Perlite, sterilized garden loam, or coarse sand with half the amount of peat moss for your own soil.

Humidity

Another reason for this plant failing spectacularly in a home environment is because of very dry air. It’s a tropical plant and needs reasonable, or high humidity. If you suffer from dry air have a look at our Humidity guide for ideas as Philodendron is not adaptable to this requirement.

Temperature

The ideal temperature is between 65° and 85° F during the day and around 60° F at night. If you grow your Philodendron Esmeraldense outdoors during the summer, bring them inside before the temperatures drop below 50° F.

Fertilizing

Supplement twice a month during the growing period, and monthly in the autumn & winter. Although a general-purpose fertilizer will still do the job, we’d recommend using a specific houseplant-labeled fertilizer as it’ll support the vital thirteen nutrients that a Philodendron will need to grow.