Philodendron Xanadu

Sun

Partial shade outdoors; bright, indirect light indoors. Gentle morning sun is suitable, but strong afternoon sun can scorch the leaves.

Water

Water when the top 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) of soil feels dry. Keep the root zone lightly moist during active growth, never waterlogged, and water less in winter.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil. In containers, use a loose potting mix amended with bark and perlite, in a pot with drainage holes.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Spread

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Glossy, dark green leaves with numerous deep, rounded lobes, held on long stalks in a dense, spreading clump.

Growth

Moderate in warmth; slow in cool conditions or low light.

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

3. After 2 years

   2 ft (0.61 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.5 ft (0.76 m)

5. After 5 years

   3 ft (0.9 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Slow

• Check the soil before watering, and empty saucers after watering container plants.
• Feed container plants monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half the label strength.
• Apply a light organic mulch outdoors, keeping it clear of the crown and leaf stalk bases.
• Move containers indoors before frost, preferably before nights regularly fall below 50°F (10°C).
• Repot in spring when roots crowd the pot, using a container only slightly larger than the old one.

Pruning. Remove yellow, damaged or dead leaves at their base with clean secateurs whenever needed. Avoid shearing healthy foliage; divide an overcrowded clump in spring rather than cutting it back hard.

Spring

Repot or divide crowded plants as active growth resumes.

Late spring

Move overwintered containers outside once nights are consistently warm, acclimatising them gradually in shade.

Summer

Check soil moisture frequently and feed container plants monthly.

Autumn

Bring containers indoors before cold nights and check leaf undersides for pests.

Winter

Provide bright, indirect light, stop routine feeding and let the soil dry slightly more between waterings.

• Plant in repeated groups beneath high-canopied trees for a bold, low layer in frost-free gardens.
• Use a single plant in a large courtyard container to give a rounded architectural shape without a climbing support.
• Combine with ferns and cast-iron plants in sheltered shade for contrasting leaf shapes.
• Edge warm-climate patios with loose groups, allowing room for the mature leaves to spread beyond the planting bed.

Garden styles it suits: Modern tropical, Architectural minimal, Modern courtyard, Luxury resort, Green on green and Balinese.

Plant it with: Cast-iron plant, Bird's nest fern, Bromeliads, Clivia, Peace lily and Dwarf mondo grass.

Wildlife: Provides some shelter for small animals in frost-free gardens, but offers little nectar or pollen value to typical garden pollinators.

• Root rot: yellowing leaves and soft roots often follow waterlogged soil; improve drainage, remove rotten roots and reduce watering.
• Spider mites: fine webbing and stippled leaves are most likely in dry indoor conditions; rinse foliage and treat with insecticidal soap labelled for indoor plants.
• Mealybugs and scale insects: inspect leaf stalks and undersides, isolate affected containers and use a suitable labelled treatment.
• Leaf scorch or cold damage: bleached patches suggest excessive sun, while dark, collapsed tissue can follow chilling; move to sheltered, frost-free conditions and remove badly damaged leaves.

All parts contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people if chewed. They can cause immediate mouth pain, drooling, swelling and difficulty swallowing; serious breathing problems are uncommon but require urgent medical or veterinary help. Sap can irritate skin and eyes.

• Tree philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum)

  Usually becomes much larger, with a conspicuous trunk and much bigger, more deeply divided leaves; Xanadu remains a lower, denser clump.

• Hope philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum 'Hope')

  Has broader, larger leaves with strongly wavy margins and generally makes a larger plant; Xanadu has smaller leaves with narrower, more regularly arranged lobes.

Philodendron comes from Greek words meaning tree-loving, referring to the climbing habit of many plants historically placed in that genus.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring, separating rooted offsets with a clean knife and retaining roots and a growing point on each section. Pot into a free-draining mix and keep warm in bright, indirect light; a detached leaf alone will not produce a new plant.

Accepted botanical name

Philodendron

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.