Houseplant · Araceae
Glorious Philodendron
Philodendron gloriosum
Give it warmth, humidity, and bright indirect light, and this velvet-leaf crawler will reward you with one heart-shaped leaf after another.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
Philodendron gloriosum lives up to its name with big, heart-shaped leaves of deep green velvet, laced with soft silvery veins. Where its cousins climb, this one is a crawler, easing its thick stem sideways across the top of the soil instead of up a pole. It hails from the rainforests of Colombia, and given the warmth, steady moisture, and damp air it grew up with, it will feel right at home with you.
It has a name as a collector's plant, but do not let that scare you off, because it is more forgiving than it looks once you learn to read it. The one thing to get right is drainage, since those fleshy roots turn to mush in a soggy mix. Sort out the soil and watering and everything else falls into place, with a fresh leaf unfurling every few weeks through the growing season.
Every part of this plant holds calcium oxalate crystals, which makes it an irritant to people and pets alike. It is a plant to enjoy with your eyes, never one to nibble. Simply keep it where curious cats, dogs, and small children cannot reach the leaves and you can relax and enjoy it.
Care
The short version: give it bright indirect light, a loose free-draining mix, and water only once the top of the soil dries. Keep it warm and humid, feed it lightly through the growing season, and never let it sit in water, and you will be fine.
Light
Settle it into bright indirect light, the sort you find beside a window but just out of the sun's direct reach. It will manage in medium light or dappled shade too, only a little more slowly. Do keep it clear of direct summer sun, which bleaches and scorches those velvety leaves.
Water
Wait until the top of the soil has dried, then water well and let all the extra drain away freely. The fleshy roots rot fast in a mix that stays wet, so when in doubt lean toward the dry side and never leave the pot standing in a saucer.
Soil
Plant it in a loose, free-draining aroid mix made from peat or coir with bark and perlite or sand added in. It prefers things a touch acidic, around a pH of 5.0 to 6.0, with plenty of air moving around the roots.
Temperature
Keep it in the cozy range it knows best, 65°F to 85°F (18°C to 29°C). It has no patience for cold, so tuck it away from drafty doors and chilly windowpanes once winter arrives.
Humidity
Coming from the rainforest floor, this is a high-humidity plant that looks its happiest in damp air. It will get along in ordinary room humidity, but grouping it with other plants or setting it on a pebble tray gives it a welcome boost.
Feeding
Feed it monthly through the growing season, from spring into early autumn, using a balanced houseplant fertilizer mixed on the weak side. Ease right off in winter as growth slows, and rinse the soil through now and then to keep salts from building up.
Pruning
There is very little to do beyond a gentle tidy. Take off any dead, damaged, or yellowing leaves as they show up, and if a stem gets leggy, cut just after a leaf node in spring. Wear gloves while you work, since the sap can irritate skin.
Repotting
Move it up every 2 to 3 years, or sooner once the roots fill the pot, and do it in spring. Since this plant crawls sideways rather than up, a wide, shallow pot suits it far better than a tall, deep one.
Troubleshooting
Almost everything that goes wrong here traces back to water and light, and the good news is that each sign is easy to read. Yellow leaves, soft roots, or scorched patches are simply the plant telling you what it needs. Find your symptom below and make a small change early, before it spreads.
A drooping plant with soft stems and soil that smells sour
Take a breath, because root rot like this is recoverable when you catch it. It nearly always comes from a mix that stayed wet for too long, so slip the plant out of its pot and feel the roots: the good ones are firm and pale, the failing ones brown and soft. Trim the mushy roots away, settle the plant into fresh free-draining mix, and simply water more sparingly from here on.
Fix:
- Remove from the soggy medium and cut away rotten roots
- Repot into fresh free-draining mix
- Reduce watering frequency and empty saucers
The oldest leaves near the base going yellow
When yellowing shows up first on the lowest, oldest leaves, it is usually the plant asking for less water or more light, and both are easy fixes. Feel whether the mix is staying damp and notice if the plant is tucked in a dim corner. Let the soil dry out a little between drinks and shift it somewhere with gentle, bright indirect light.
Fix:
- Allow the medium to dry appropriately between waterings
- Move to a brighter spot with bright indirect light
Pale, scorched patches on the leaves that face the light
Those faded, burnt-looking patches simply mean the leaves are getting too much direct sun, often through a warm summer window. You will notice the marks on whichever leaves sit closest to the glass. Ease the plant back into bright indirect light, and the fresh leaves that follow will come in clean and unmarked.
Fix:
- Move out of direct sun into bright indirect light
Sticky spots, faint webbing, or little bugs on the foliage
A sticky film, thin webs, or tiny specks on the move usually mean sap-sucking pests have found the plant, whether mealybugs, spider mites, scale, or aphids. Turn a few leaves over and peek where each leaf joins the stem, since that is their favorite hiding place. Wipe or rinse them away, follow up with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and repeat every so often until the plant is clear again.
Fix:
- Wipe off or wash off pests
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil and repeat as needed
Crispy brown tips and edges creeping onto the leaves
Browning that works in from the tips and edges is a common sign of fertilizer salts gathering after too much feeding, and it is nothing to worry over. Look for a whitish crust on the soil surface or around the pot rim to confirm it. Pause the feeding, run plenty of plain water through the mix to rinse it clean, and when you do feed again, keep it nice and weak.
Fix:
- Stop fertilizing and flush the medium thoroughly with water
- Resume feeding only at dilute rates during the growing season
Toxicity
This is a plant to enjoy looking at, not one to taste. Every part carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that sting the mouth and throat if chewed, and the sap can leave bare skin irritated. It is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and not safe for people either, so keep it up out of reach of pets and small children and pull on gloves before you prune.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
If a cat chews any part, its mouth will burn, it will drool heavily, and its tongue and lips can swell. Watch for a cat pawing at its face, turning away from food, and sometimes being sick or finding it hard to swallow.
Dogs Moderate
A dog that nips a leaf feels the sting straight away, pawing at its mouth, drooling, and showing puffy lips and tongue. Being sick and struggling to swallow can come next, so call your vet if you see it.
Horses Moderate
Those same crystals irritate a horse's mouth and throat, so it drools, its tissues swell painfully, and swallowing turns difficult. Horses cannot vomit, so any upset stays in the mouth and gut.
Rabbits Caution
The oxalate crystals bother a rabbit's mouth and gut just as they do larger animals, so keep the plant safely up and away. If a rabbit does nibble a leaf, treat it as a reason to ring your vet.
Livestock Caution
Grazing animals that mouth the leaves can end up with the same burning irritation and drooling. It is an unlikely snack indoors, but fence the plant off if it ever spends time outside.
Birds Caution
A curious bird that pecks at a leaf risks the same sore mouth and swelling. Keep pet birds well clear of the foliage to be safe.
People Caution
No part of this plant belongs on a plate. A chewed leaf burns the mouth and lips, and the sap can leave skin red and itchy, so slip on gloves when you prune and keep it away from small children.
Plant sap can cause skin irritation / contact dermatitis; wear gloves when cutting stems and wash hands afterward
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
How to propagate
Making more of this philodendron is genuinely easy, whether you split the creeping stem, root a cutting in a glass of water, or layer a stem before you cut it free.
DivisionModerate
Spring to summer, during active growth · Roots in a few weeks
Because this plant creeps along a thick surface stem, dividing it is the friendliest way to make more, and you really cannot get it wrong. Wait for spring or summer while it is growing well, then cut the rhizome into pieces so each keeps at least one node. Pot the sections up, and within a few weeks they will be putting out roots of their own.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to late summer · Roots in about 2 weeks in water
If you would rather keep it simple, a stem cutting is the gentlest place to start. Any time from spring to late summer, take a piece about 4 inches (10 cm) long, snipping just below a leaf node. Stand it in a glass of water and roots should appear in about two weeks.
Air layeringModerate
Any season · Several weeks
Air layering is a reassuring choice, since it lets a stem grow roots before you ever separate it. In any season, nick a node, wrap it in damp moss, and keep that moss moist while roots form over several weeks. Once they have, cut the rooted section free and pot it on.
Myths
Philodendrons are harmless houseplants that are perfectly safe around pets.
In truth the ASPCA flags philodendron as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and each part of it carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. A chewed leaf leaves the mouth burning, swollen, and drooling, so give the plant a home your pets and children cannot reach.
Philodendrons need bright, direct sunlight to grow well.
Happily, what they really want is bright indirect light rather than full sun. Direct rays, above all through a summer window, scorch the velvety leaves and leave pale burnt patches behind, so a spot just out of the sun keeps them looking their best.