How to Grow and Care for Tree Philodendron

Its most attractive feature is itslarge and unique foliage.

Like all philodendrons, the plant is toxic to humans and pets.

Ensure that you regularlyclean the leaveswith a damp cloth or paper towel.

Indoors, sunny windows filtered with a thin curtain or window blinds are ideal spots for a tree philodendron.

A pH between 6.0 to 6.5 is ideal.

Water

Water your tree philodendron when the top two inches of the soil are dry.

The soil should be consistently moist but never waterlogged.

The tree philodendron does not tolerate drought and grows best with consistent watering.

The tree philodendron grows well in warm, humid environments.

Use abalanced fertilizeronce a month throughout the growing season to encourage strong, healthy growth.

To avoid fertilizer burn, stop fertilizing in the fall and winter months when the plant enters dormancy.

The best time to prune is during the active growing season in the spring and summer.

Cut off stems from the main stem, not just leaves, but leave any woody stems untouched.

Tree philodendrons are easy topropagate from stem cuttings.

Instead of throwing the cuttings from pruning into the trash, propagate them to create new plants.

Repot the plant when it has visibly outgrown its container.

The best time to repot is in spring or summer during the active growth period.

Use fresh potting mix and a pot one or two inches wider than the previous pot.

Tree philodendrons are also susceptible toroot rot, which occurs as a result of improper watering or compacted soil.

Mushy stems and brown, dying leaves are both signs of root rot which can kill a plant quickly.

Lack of light leads to stunted or leggy growth.

No, the tree philodendron belongs to a different genus thanmonsterathough the two are related.

Both monstera and philodendron are tropical plants in the arum family.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

National Capital Poison Center.