Philodendron Houseplants

Philodendron Are Adaptable Plants For The Home

The philodendron is part of the Araceae family, native to tropical climates, and there are hundreds of different types of this plant. Many of these start off as vines before evolving into epiphytes – which means they live on other plants.

There are essentially two types of philodendra:

1. Climbing philodendron – has heart-shaped leaves that are usually a deep green colour, and it will climb any adjacent vertical surface.
2. Upright philodendron - with larger green leaves, these don't climb as high and take up less room, but they grow slower.

Young philodendron plants are fantastic for your home or office, and you’ll find a variety of species available online.

Caring for your philodendron

Taking care of your philodendron is easy – you just have to watch the plant for signs. Essentially, it needs three things:

Sunlight

Place your plant in an area that receives bright, indirect sunlight – such as next to a window where the sun's rays don’t hit the plant. Older leaves will often turn yellow but if they are too yellow, there’s too much light. If the stems are long and there’s lots of space between leaves, your plants need more light.

Water

Don’t overwater or underwater the plant. The best way to tell if the plant needs water is that when you put your finger into the soil, you’ll notice the top inch is dry. When that happens, it’s time to give your plant some water.

Fertiliser

When taking care of your philodendron, you want to use a balanced liquid foliage houseplant fertiliser that has plenty of macro-nutrients. You should fertilise the plant every month during spring and summer, and every six to eight weeks in autumn and winter. If the plant isn’t growing or the leaves remain small, you need to switch fertiliser.

With eBay, you can shop by climate for an easy choice, with tropical Philodendrons, sub-tropical Philodendrons, and arid Philodendrons available. Or simply browse through the collection to find one that captures your attention.