Plant Library

Other Names:  Cut Leaf Philodendron, Philodendron selloum

Description:

A dense, tree like tropical plant with deeply dissected, lobed green leaves that are glossy; foliage arches downward from trunks that show former leaf scars; great for containers or as a tropical landscape accent

Ornamental Features

Tree Philodendron has attractive green evergreen foliage on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The deeply cut lobed pinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter. The rough gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Tree Philodendron is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen tropical plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its strikingly bold and coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced landscape composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tropical plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Tree Philodendron is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

This plant is native to the tropics and prefers growing in moist environments with evenly warm conditions all year round. In our climate, it is usually grown as an outdoor annual in the garden or in a container. If you want it to survive the winter, it can be brought in to the house and provided with special care, and then returned to the garden the following season. In its preferred tropical habitat, as a shrub it can grow to be around 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. However, when grown as an annual or when overwintered indoors, it can be expected to perform quite differently, and its exact height and spread will depend on many factors; you may wish to consult with our experts as to how it might perform in your specific application and growing conditions.

This tropical plant does best in partial shade to full shade. Keep it well away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division.

Tree Philodendron makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.