Philodendron care guide

Philodendron is a big group of tropical plants, with hundreds of species and many more cultivars. Most of the ones sold as houseplants fall into two camps. Vining types trail or climb. Upright types grow from a central crown. Both share the same basic care.

Vining or upright?

	Vining	Upright
How it grows	Long stems that trail or climb	A clump of leaves from the center
Common examples	Heartleaf, ‘Brasil’, ‘Micans’	‘Birkin’, ‘Xanadu’, ‘Rojo Congo’
Needs	A shelf to trail from or a pole to climb	Room to spread
Pruning	Trim long vines to keep it full	Remove old lower leaves

Some climbers, like ‘Pink Princess’, grow upright when given a moss pole.

Light

Give philodendrons bright, indirect light. A spot near an east window or a few feet back from a south or west window works well.

Heartleaf philodendron handles medium light better than most houseplants. In dim light, though, the vines get long and bare between leaves. Variegated types, like ‘Brasil’ and ‘Pink Princess’, need bright light to keep their color.

Hot afternoon sun through glass scorches the leaves.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. In winter, that may be every two to three weeks.

Drooping leaves with dry soil mean it is thirsty. Yellow leaves with wet soil mean too much water. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Philodendron roots want air. Mix houseplant soil with orchid bark and perlite. A pot with drainage holes is a must.

Repot every one to two years in spring, one pot size up. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Support

Climbing philodendrons grow up tree trunks in the wild. A moss pole or a stake lets them climb indoors, and climbing vines grow bigger leaves. Tie the stem to the pole with soft plant ties.

A trailing vine on a shelf is fine too. The leaves stay smaller.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine for most. Velvety types, like ‘Micans’ and Philodendron gloriosum, like more humidity. Keep all philodendrons away from heat vents and cold drafts.

Keep them between 16 and 27°C (60 and 80°F), and above 13°C (55°F).

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Skip it in fall and winter. Pale new leaves can mean it needs feeding.

Pruning

Cut long vines just above a leaf. New stems grow from below the cut, and the plant gets fuller. Remove yellow leaves at the base of the leaf stem.

Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive. The sap can irritate.

Propagation

Vining philodendrons root fast.

1. Cut a piece of stem with at least one node, the bump where a leaf meets the stem.
2. Remove the leaf closest to the cut end.
3. Set the node in water or damp potting mix.
4. Roots grow in two to four weeks. Pot it up once roots are 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) long.

Upright types are harder. Divide a clump when you repot, or take a top cutting with roots attached.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Yellow lower leaves, wet soil	Too much water
Drooping leaves, dry soil	Too little water
Long, bare vines with small leaves	Not enough light
Brown, crispy leaf edges	Dry soil, dry air, or too much fertilizer
Variegation fading	Not enough light
Brown spots with yellow rings	Leaf spot from water sitting on leaves. Water the soil, not the leaves.

For more on yellow leaves, read why are my houseplant leaves turning yellow and how to fix it.

Pests

Mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, and scale show up now and then. Check under leaves and where leaves meet the stem. Fungus gnats mean the soil stays wet too long. Read how to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants.

Pet safety

Philodendrons are toxic to cats and dogs. They contain calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing causes mouth pain, drooling, pawing at the mouth, and sometimes vomiting. Hang vining types up high, out of reach.

Philodendron or pothos?

Heartleaf philodendron and pothos look alike. These clues tell them apart.

	Heartleaf philodendron	Pothos
Leaf texture	Thin and soft	Thicker and waxy
Leaf shape	Deep heart shape	Less of a heart, with a flatter base
New leaves	Grow out of a thin sheath that dries and falls off	Unroll from the last leaf
Leaf stem	Round all the way	Has a groove along the top
Aerial roots	Thin, several at each node	Thick, one at each node

See the pothos care guide for its care. The two need almost the same thing.

Varieties

• Heartleaf philodendron, Philodendron hederaceum, is the classic green vine.
• ‘Brasil’ has a lime stripe down the middle of each leaf.
• ‘Lemon Lime’ has bright chartreuse leaves.
• ‘Micans’ has velvety, bronze-green leaves.
• ‘Pink Princess’ has dark leaves splashed with pink.
• ‘Birkin’ has dark green leaves with thin white pinstripes.
• ‘Xanadu’ is a compact upright type with deep-cut leaves.
• ‘Prince of Orange’ grows new leaves in orange that fade to green.

In my house

I grow most of my philodendrons as climbers, on moss poles. I use the bendable moss poles from Mossify. I love them.