Philodendrons are a spectacular species with a wide breadth of trailing, crawlers and free standing upright varieties. Predominantly low-maintenance, Philodendrons are a great starting plant but are also fantastic for those who enjoy an unusual or rare find. Some of the most famous names that you will have probably heard of is the Philodendron Pink Princess and Philodendron White Princess, but there are many more unusual and stunning varieties that you may have not heard of before.
Let’s start with some trailing varieties. A more common and popular house plant of 2022 is the Philodendron Scandens Micans; with its velvet trailing heart shaped leaves and pink hues on its underside, it is a visually appealing plant for your home. The Scandens Micans can live in low light so it would happily sit on the top shelf of a bookcase and trail over the side, but it thrives even more when in medium light. The Scandens variety has a vast array of colours and variations from the vibrant lime greens of the Philodendron Micans Lime and the trio of variegation found within the Philodendon Scandens Brasil.
In our opinion, the most gorgeous of all the Philodendrons is the Pink Princess. The pink variegation differs per plant which stands out even more with its glossy leathery leaves. Its climbing aroid relation is the rarer White Princess, distinguishable from the White Knight via their leaves and stem colours. The White Princess has green pointy leaves with pink additions to the petioles, in comparison to the White Knight with a deep red stem and rounder leaves. Both are stunning but the Pink Princess really stands out amongst the bunch!
For anyone who enjoys the pop of colour in the Pink Princess you will like this next addition. A personal Philodendron favourite of ours is the Philodendron Burle Marx Variegata, with its bright yellow variegation that is glossy and almost Syngonium like. Originally coming from Brazil and named after the architect Roberto Burle Marx, they are a real show stopper for any room with their mottled patterning contrasting the dark green against the vivid yellow.
Next on our Philodendron list is the Philodendron Gloriosum, a must-have for most rare plant collectors. Belonging to the Araceae family this is a crawling plant but they can be trained to grow upwards with canes or moss poles as support. Gloriosum are striking with large heart shaped leaves and silvery white veins that enjoy a warm, medium light spot. Gloriosum can grow very big, but they are very slow growers despite even the perfect growing conditions, so don’t be alarmed if there doesn’t appear to be much movement.
A similar Philodendron but with dark veins, hairy petioles and velvet leaves is the Philodendron Verrucosum, less rare commercially than the Gloriosum but still a stunning plant. For those who like darker leaves than the standard bright green this is a must-have for your collection.
For those of you who wonder if this plant is even a Philodendron or more like a skeletal sea coral, the tropical Philodendron Tortum is palm-like, with large deep-cut leaves fanning outwards. To keep them luxuriously green keep them out of bright light as this can turn their leaves yellow, and make sure you provide a good amount of humidity. This statement plant really will get your visitors talking with long training air roots when mature. Unlike that of some other Philodendrons, the Tortum is multi-stemmed.
Last on our Philodendron index is the Silver Sword, this climber adds a calmness to any room with its silvery blue hues and its blade-like foliage. The Silver Sword enjoys bright but indirect sunlight, ideal in a North or East-facing window with lots of moisture and humidity.
No matter which Philodendron you decide is the perfect plant for your home they all have their quirky qualities and characteristics.
Head across the Philodendron page on the website to find out more and see lots more interesting varieties on offer.
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