Philodendrons: so much variety

Post Reply
User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2730
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Philodendrons: so much variety

#1

Post: # 41378Unread post Shule
Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:30 am

So, I just did a whole bunch of research on Philodendrons. I had decided I wasn't familiar enough with them.

Anyway, there are a lot of them, and some of them are pretty valuable (e.g. Philodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess'). I read that plants with pink on their leaves are all the rage, these days, and are selling like hotcakes at high prices.

Do any of you grow Philodendrons? Which kinds? I've grown Heartleaf Philodendrons (Philodendron hederaceum).

Several plants that people call Philodendrons are in a different genus, now (Philodendron is a genus of plants). So, the species Philedondron selloum (AKA selloum) is now called Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum; this species has a number of cultivars.

One remarkable thing about Philodendrons is that they don't all have species names, yet. People have bred quite a few complex, unique interspecies hybrids (crosses involving quite a few species). So, instead of saying a species name, they'll omit the species and just do the genus plus the cultivar name: e.g. Philodendron 'Baron'. Very interesting, but I prefer binomial names, personally.

One great way to discover information about a Philodendron hybrid is to look up the patent. Several of them were patented, and the patents tend to be at least semi-informative about the origin of the plants. I imagine you could do the same thing with patented tomatoes, peppers, or similar. The patents also help to distinguish between hearsay/ambiguity, and the facts.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Glitch
Reactions:
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:12 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: Philodendrons: so much variety

#2

Post: # 41411Unread post Glitch
Fri Feb 19, 2021 2:32 pm

I have a philodendron brasil that I quite like. I'm not sure that Pink Princess is stable. I've heard a lot of angst over them reverting, but I don't have any personal experience. There really are so many philodendron varieties these days. It seems like houseplants are having quite the revival the past couple of years. My cousin went from having zero plants to 40 during quarantine. :lol:

I mainly like to stick to easy houseplants. Do you have any philodendron recommendations?
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2730
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Philodendrons: so much variety

#3

Post: # 41462Unread post Shule
Sat Feb 20, 2021 5:50 am

[mention]Glitch[/mention]

Hmm. Beyond the plain green Heartleaf Philodendron, I don't have any experience with Philodendrons. So, take what I say with a grain of salt, except that I do recommend that one (it's an excellent houseplant; it's easy to grow, and it grows fairly fast; Brasil is probably pretty much the same, except for the color).

If you don't have a big house, I recommend getting vining types, without huge leaves, similar to your Brasil Philodendron. So, I might recommend such as Philodendron brandtianum, Lemon-lime (the heartleaf one), and the Velvet-leaf Philodendron. Many, if not all, of these types should be easy to root cuttings if you want to share with friends, or grow more plants.

If you have a bigger house with plenty of space for big plants, you might look into these (and consider how you'll feel about it if they happen to live 100 years, since you may never have more room for more big plants; I mean really research the big plants, and love your choice):

* Philodendron 'McColley's Finale' (Very colorful; similar to Prince of Orange, but with somewhat different coloring and some advantages)
* Philodendron domesticum 'Variegatum'
* Philodendron 'Jose Buono'
* Philodendron 'Imperial Green'
* Philodendron 'Rojo Congo'

Here are some nice-looking ones that I may or may not recommend, but that you should probably know about, if you're a Philodendron enthusiast:
* Philodendron Gigantrum Variegata
* Philodendron 'Birken' (may not be the easiest, but it looks awesome)
* The aforementioned Pink Princess (ditto)
* Philodendron 'Ring of Fire'
* Philodendron 'Burle Marx'
* Philodendron 'Paraiso Verde'

There are a lot of kinds of selloum that used to be in the Philodendron genus, but have migrated elsewhere. At least some of them are pretty big; you may or may not be interested in them (cultivars such as Shangri-La, Xanadu-II, Little Hope, Winterbourn, etc.) Shangri-La looks pretty nice.

There are also loads of kinds that I'm not familiar with, which are probably pretty cool.

Also, it's not a Philodendron, but is related: if you've never tried a Golden Pothos, I highly recommend it. They're nice plants that tolerate low light and do good things to the air. I think Heartleaf Philodendrons grow faster, though (but I think Golden Pothos plants have a number of advantages). I believe both plants can mature to have much larger, differently-shaped, leaves, though, given the right conditions, but as houseplants they're normally in juvenile forms, it seems.

I think I read that Philodendron plants can live over forty years (if properly cared for).

Remember to research any kind you get. And remember that pretty much any plant can be totally awesome if you treat it right, even if it doesn't impress with the first treatment. Don't let that discourage you if a plant dies.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Growing Coastal
Reactions:
Posts: 1092
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:49 pm
Location: Vancouver Island Canada

Re: Philodendrons: so much variety

#4

Post: # 41465Unread post Growing Coastal
Sat Feb 20, 2021 6:52 am

I remember seeing a huge Monsterra in the foyer of a theater along a wall above a staircase. It was a healthy beauty. Given the space, it filled it.

User avatar
Glitch
Reactions:
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:12 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: Philodendrons: so much variety

#5

Post: # 41717Unread post Glitch
Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:05 pm

[mention]Shule[/mention] ,
Thanks for all the recommendations! I also love pothos. I have a golden pothos and a marble queen. You can probably tell that I'm into variegation. :)

I also really like spider plants and snake plants. I just wish I had more windows! I think this summer I will spend some time making some hanging baskets. I haven't looked up all the ones you've listed yet but the velvet leaf is already talkin' to me.
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

Post Reply

Return to “House Plants”