The Philodendron is an easily cared for tropical plant, native to the humid tropical forests of South and Central America and the Caribbean islands. It is grown for the attractive leathery, usually glossy and sometimes velvety leaves. They are an excellent beginner houseplant.
Light and Temperature
They like bright indirect light or curtain filtered sunlight. No direct sunlight. Just off an eastern facing window that has the morning sun and is generally cooler would be a perfect indoor location for the philodendron. Night temperatures of 65-70°F (15-21°C) and day temperatures of 75-80°F (24-24°C) are ideal. Tolerates some air conditioning but warm soil is important as they don’t like cold feet.
Keep the soil constantly moist through the growing season, never soggy or the roots will rot, and cut back on the watering from late fall through early spring so the pot is dry about ½ way down. Use room temperature water as they do not like cold feet. Gently wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or shower periodically to keep them free of dust.Feeding
Feed only every 2-3 weeks with a diluted 5-10-5 fertilizer through the growing season, early spring through fall, and do not feed a new plant for 4 months.
The flowers have a spadix inside a fleshy, white or colored spathe like the Peace Lily or Arum lily. They will rarely flower in a home but older plants regularly flower in a greenhouse.
Pests and Problems
Lush green leaves fading to sickly yellow could be a sign of too much sunlight. Brown marks on the leaves may be sunburn. Straggly stems may be due to too little light.
Lower leaves that turn yellow and fall could be a sign of over-watering. Brown tips of the leaves could indicate that the soil is too dry.
Re-pot in spring or early summer when the roots fill the pot using the medium mentioned above. This is usually necessary every 2 years for the faster growing varieties but could be several years before you may need to re-pot a larger upright grower.