Family : Araceae
Text © Pietro Puccio
English translation by Mario Beltramini
One of the most tilled in pot varieties © Giuseppe Mazza
The name of the genus is the combination of the Greek words “philos” = friend, and “déndron” = tree, with reference to the usually climbing appearance of the plants belonging to this genus.
The English name of the variety “Emerald Queen”, refers to the colour of the leaves.
Hybrid of indeterminate origin.
It is an evergreen climber, with stems rooting at the nodes and bright green hastate leaves, 20-40 cm long.
It easily reproduces by air layering and by portions of stem. It is one of the varieties of Philodendron more cultivated in pot for indoor decoration, both for the beauty of its foliage, and for the rather easy cultivability and adaptability to poorly illuminated locations, even if a strong luminosity, provided far away from direct sun, is contributing to a luxuriant vegetation. It needs very porous, draining and rich of organic substance substrata and temperatures over the 14-16° C.
It can be utilized as hanging or as climbing on supports covered by bog moss, or synthetic material suitable for maintaining the humidity. Watering must be frequent in summer and reduced in winter, always avoiding water stagnations, which can generate rottenness.
All the parts of the plant contain toxic substances, in particular calcium oxalate, which can cause irritations.