Philodendrons!

Here is our collection of Philodendrons. Not very large considering there are almost 500 different varieties of philodendron! These easy to grow plants are a part of the Araceae family as are Monsteras. *Did you know that a monstera is not a philodendron, even though they are commonly referred to as a philodendron?

Here are some interesting facts about the amazingly diverse group of Philodendrons:

-The name philodendron is derived from the Greek words philo which means "love" and dendron which means "tree".

-Native to the tropics of America these plants can be either epiphytes, hemiepiphytes, or terrestrial.

Epiphytes- Plants that grow on another plant for physical support, but do not cause harm.

Hemiepiphytes- A plant that spends some of its life as an epiphyte but has roots in the soil at some part of their life cycle

Terrestrial- A plant that lives and grows on land.

-Some hemiepiphyte philodendrons start their life cycle in a tree where it survives as an epiphyte. Once it grows large enough it will send aerial roots down to the ground. These primary hemiepiphytes goal is obtaining sun ahead of the nutrients in the soil.

-Others start their life cycle on the ground and then grow up the tree and become epiphytes.

-There are varieties of philodendron that have a symbiotic relationship with ants. Extrafloral nectaries secrete nectar which attracts ants. The ant then protects the plants against insect predators.

-Many philodendrons have juvenile and adult leaves that look drastically different!

-Philodendrons have both subterranean and aerial roots. Aerial roots help the plant attach to trees and collects water from the air. The subterranean roots obtain water and nutrients from the soil.

-The flower of the philodendron can emit pheromones which attract beetles. These beetles are responsible for pollination. The spadix (a floral spike) heats up to about 11 degrees Celsius warmer than the air. This is thought to help distribute the fragrance into the air but also it is thought to speed up the beetles metabolism which causes them move around more and become covered in more pollen.

-Philodendrons are considered poisonous as they contain Calcium oxalate. Symptoms can include swelling, drooling, dermatitis. Although serious poisoning in humans is extremely rare, the plant seems can be more dangerous to mice, rats and cats.

Plant care:

Philodendrons are very popular and easy to care for. They thrive in bright indirect light, but can tolerate lower light as well. Water every 1-2 weeks and let the soil dry out slightly between waterings. If the plant is getting less light it means less water. This is a main reason why indoor plants need less water during the winter months. Some philodendron varieties can benefit from the use of a moss pole which can help them climb.

Propagating:

The vining/climbing philodendron are very easy to propagate from cuttings, where the non vining ones send up plantlets that can be separated and replanted. Philodendrons can be grown from seed as well, although this is not as common.

Isn't it interesting to see how our house plants live in their home habitat? All this information can help us understand and care for our house plants.