September 21st, 2021

Hey Plant Friends!

This week we are talking about Philodendron Giganteum. This plant is native to the Caribbean Islands and several regions of South America and belongs to the Araceae family. The Giganteum is one of the largest species in the Aroid plant family. The leaves of a Philodendron Giganteum can grow to even as large as 3 feet long! The perfect leaf to hide behind on National Naked Garden Day! Talk about a statement plant. If you have a large space and lots of windows, we highly recommended this plant because of its easy care.

Philodendrons are great companions as indoors plants because they easily adapt to their surroundings and truly aim to please. Let’s talk about care. All upright philodendrons love bright to bright-indirect light while trailing philodendrons generally tolerate lower light situations like their pothos cousins. Like any other Philodendron these plants don’t like to sit in standing water. Allow the top 3-4 inches of soil to dry before giving a good soak. In the summer you can water up to once a week. Cut back in the winter as our days grow shorter therefore taking longer for your plants to metabolize and use the water. No one likes to sit in soggy soil for too long. The Gigantetum will be please with a nice fluffy soil. We our house blend, Tonka Terra or Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix. Add perlite to fluff up the soil and create the a well-drained mix. These are humidity loving plants. Daily misting is recommended. Aerial roots seize the day and will grasp and grab onto any climbing structure you provide – think moss pole, wooden dowel or even a narrow board!

We currently carry Philodendron giganteum in 6”, 10”, 16” pots in the greenhouse. If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to us by phone, Instagram, or email us - hello@tonkadale.com.

Happy Planting!