The genus Philodendron containsseveral hundred species of herbaceousplants, which are native to Central andSouth America, and belongs to theAroid Family or Araceae. Many of thesegrow as vines but others are epiphytes orare “self-heading”, meaning that theygrow on upright stems and do not needsupport. In Latin, Philodendron means“tree-loving”. Several Philodendrons arecommonly grown as houseplants butmany are suited for the landscape intropical and subtropical climates. Thereare even some that can be grown outdoorsin Central Florida.

Perhaps the most commonPhilodendron grown in Florida landscapesis Philodendron bipinnatifidum orSelloum. It was formerly known as

Philodendron selloum but this speciesand several others including P. lundiiand P. mello-barretoanum have beenreduced to synonyms of P. bipinnatifidum.Selloum is a self-heading species that

grows on a trunk 6 to 8 feettall. The trunk can be uprightbut often the trunk leans orcreeps along the ground.Long, rope-like roots growfrom the trunk and helpprovide support. It has largeleaves that are deeply lobed anddark green in color. It bearslarge, white inflorescencesduring the summer. These areproduced on short stalksamongst the foliage. Selloumgrows in sun or shade. This isa great plant for creating atropical atmosphere in Central Florida.A compact cultivar of Selloum is available.‘Hope’ has smaller leaves and only growsto about 3 feet tall.

Another self -headingPhilodendron isPhilodendronspeciosum. It issimilar to P.bipinnatifidumbut the leavesare not lobed;they are entirewith toothedmargins. Itbears aninflorescencewith a whitespadix andsurrounded bya pink spathe.This plant isfairly rare andnot commonly

available at nurseries. A hybrid betweenP. speciosum and P. bipinnatifidum issometimes seen in local landscapes but israrely sold. This plant is Philodendron xevansii. This is a very ornamental plant

with large, lobed leaves but not asdeeply divided as P. bipinnatifidum. Itbears a colorful inflorescence that iswhite with pinkish edges. Philodendron‘Xanadu’ is a small, self- heading plantthat is great for small landscapes. It onlygrows 2 to 3 feet tall with a slenderstem. The narrow leaves are shallowlylobed and are only 6 to 12 inches inlength. It will grow in sun or shade.Philodendron ‘Xanadu’ is easily found inlocal nurseries. Philodendron bipennifoliumhas lobed leaves similar to P. bipinatifidum,Selloum, but not as large or dark greenin color. The upright stems can grow 2to 3 feet tall. Several other self-headingspecies exist but are rare and can be dif-ficult to locate. Philodendron eichleri andPhilodendron undulatum both havelarge, undivided leaves. Philodendronstenolobum is usually misidentified as P.williamsii. It has narrow, wavy leavesthat can get 2 to 3 feet in length andgrows a slender trunk several feet tall.Philodendron goeldii has divided leavesthat resemble those of a Schefflera.Philodendron ‘Soledad’ is an unknownhybrid that resembles P. x evansii.Philodendron corcovadense is a smallspecies growing 3 to 4 feet tall. It has

Philodendrons for Central Florida

Monstera deliciosa fruit

small, undivided leaves that are arrowheadshaped.

There are also some climbing speciesof Philodendron that can be used inCentral Florida. These plants like amoist, shady location and will climb thetrunk of a tree or palm. Philodendronscandens ssp. oxycardium, the Heart-leafPhilodendron, is one of the most com-monly grown houseplants. It has small,heart-shaped leaves and grows very flatagainst a tree trunk. ‘Brasil’ is a cultivarwith variegated leaves. Philodendronerubescens, the Red-leaf Philodendron,has triangular leaves that are green andglossy and have a red tint on theundersides. The stems and leaf stems arereddish-purple. Philodendron radiatumhas deeply lobed leaves up to a foot inlength. Philodendron x wilsonii is a largeclimber with lobed leaves. These leavescan be 2 to 3 feet in length.

In addition to the climbingPhilodendrons, there are some othervining aroids that can be grown inCentral Florida and resemblePhilodendron. Monstera deliciosa,Ceriman, is a large climber with leaves2-3 feet long. These leaves are deeplylobed and also have circular perforations

in them. It also bears alarge, white inflorescenceduring the warmer months.This will mature into acone-like fruit. This fruit isedible but only when fullyripe as it contains stingingcrystals that can irritate themouth and throat. It usuallytakes over a year for thisfruit to reach maturity.This plant is oftenincorrectly called Split-LeafPhilodendron. Monsteraadansonii and Monsterafriedrichstahlii are similarbut with much smallerleaves, less than a footlong. They are fast growingvines but do not developan edible fruit.Epipremnum aureum,Pothos Vine, is a commonhouseplant and is alsocommonly seen inlandscapes in the southernhalf of Florida. Whengrown in a pot, it hassmall, green, heart-shapedleaves marked with yellow.If it is planted out, it willclimb a tree and developlarge,divided leaves up to 2feet in length. The cultivar‘Emerald Queen’ has puregreen leaves and ‘MarbleQueen’ has green leaveswith white variegation.Epipremnum pinnatum hasdark green, divided leavesup to a foot in length.These other climbingaroids all like a shadylocation with moist soil.

– Eric SchmidtBotanical Records Specialist

Epipremnum aureum

s Philodendron ‘Xanadu’

s Philodendron speciosum inflorescense

s Philodendron corcovadense