Heartleaf Philodendron
Philodendron hederaceum · the Sweetheart Plant
In the wild it is a climbing rainforest vine from Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America, scrambling up tree trunks to about six metres. The genus name is Greek for tree-lover, a literal description of a vine that climbs toward the light.
Family
Araceae
Origin
Central America
In the wild
Climbs 6 m
Indoors
1.2 m trailing
Growth
Fast
With pets
Toxic
Where it's from
Mexico, the Caribbean and tropical America
Tropical understory
Rainforest in Mexico, the West Indies, Central America and Brazil, climbing trees to about six metres.
Outdoors: zones 11–12
Growth stops and leaves are damaged below about 15°C. Outdoors only in frost-free tropics.
Invasive abroad
A Category II invasive in Florida and naturalised in Hawaii, where it can smother native plants. A docile houseplant, an escapee in warm climates.
So easy it is a weed
Philodendron is Greek for tree-lover, from philo, love, and dendron, tree. The plant you keep on your shelf is invasive enough abroad that Florida classes it a Category II invader. A houseplant so easy it becomes a weed when it escapes.
The default starter plant
Missouri Botanical Garden calls it perhaps the most popular philodendron in commerce. Cheap, fast and near-indestructible.
Often confused with pothos
Pothos leaves are thicker and waxier with off-centre notches. Philodendron leaves are thinner and matte, and emerge from a papery sheath.
A single node roots
About the easiest aroid to propagate. One node in a glass of water reliably roots, which is why it is endlessly passed along.
How to keep it
LightLow to bright indirect
Uniquely tolerant of low light, but gets leggy if too dark. Avoid direct sun, which scorches.
WaterWhen the top inch dries
Water thoroughly, then let the top inch dry. Never let it sit in water, which rots the roots. Reduce in winter.
HumidityAverage is finePrefers high humidity but tolerates ordinary household air.
Temperature18–27°CDamage shows below about 15°C. RHS advises a winter minimum of 15°C.
SoilOpen aroid mixWell-drained but moisture-retentive: bark with perlite or pumice and coir.
FeedingGrowing season onlyA balanced liquid feed monthly through spring and summer. Stop in winter.
DifficultyVery easyOne of the best beginner plants.
With petsToxicInsoluble calcium oxalate crystals. Mouth pain and swelling, drooling and vomiting if chewed.
PropagationCutting at a nodeA stem cutting with one node roots in water or soil in two to four weeks.
RepottingEvery 2 to 3 yearsPer RHS guidance.
What the data says
What it costs
A commodity plant, not a collector chase. The variegated cultivars are the only modest premium.
$10–25
Patchier variegated forms like Cream Splash, or large well-variegated baskets, run higher, up to about $100 for big specimens. No five-figure bubble.
It does not clean your air
Philodendron was among the 1989 NASA plants, but only inside small sealed chambers. That single study is the source of nearly all air-purifying marketing.
100–1,000
plants you would need per room to match a single purifier or an open window (Cummings and Waring, 2019). A heartleaf philodendron does not meaningfully clean your air.
IUCN · Not assessed
In the wild
The inverse of the rare-aroid story. So easy and so widely propagated that it is invasive abroad rather than threatened at home.
Not individually assessed on the IUCN Red List, given how widespread and abundant it is. There are no species-level threats. Instead it is a Category II invasive in Florida and naturalised in Hawaii. Thriving everywhere, wild and domestic.
When it sulks
Leggy or sparse growthToo little light. Move it brighter and pinch the tips to bush out.
Yellow leavesUsually overwatering.
Brown crispy tipsLow humidity or underwatering.
Mushy stemsRoot rot from soggy soil, poor drainage, or sitting in water.
PestsAphids, spider mites, mealybugs and scale.
Varieties & company
The varieties
Plain greenBrasilLemon LimeMicansCream Splash
Pairs with · keep apart from
PothosMonsteraPeace LilyCactiSucculentsSnake Plant
A new plant, every week.
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