Philodendrons have a unique way of growing. They are nearly all strong vertical growers and will shoot up a tree or palm quite quickly. As the vine grows upward the successive leaves will increase in size, from juvenile to adult, reaching for the brighter areas of the canopy. The difference in size from the juvenile (typically what one sees in a philodendron house plant) to adult can be astonishing. We see a leaf produced at the base of the tree measure approximately 6" to 8" long, but by the time the vine has reached the tree top a new leaf could be two to three feet in length. The flowers are fragrant and beautiful. Fact is, the flower is actually a spathe and spadix arrangement, with the center spadix being the pollen barer. Reproduction gets quite complicated from here, but suffice to say, it involves a beetle to get the job done.
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This Philodendron has a cataphyll (a protective sheath for
the new leaf) that is bright red. |
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| One of the larger leaf philodendrons |
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Planting a fragrant Philodendron near your patio
will make being outside at night even better. |
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