(image credit IG: @aceplunt)
It’s entirely possible that behind your interest in Philodendron Patriciae, there were encouraging factors like its magnificent leaves or intense color. Or perhaps you randomly stumbled across its kind and succumbed to the phytomania-the irresistible urge to collect plants! Whatever your inspiration was, I would like to commend you for making this great choice.
With rippled leaves and lush shades, it is an adaptable plant that does well in various environments, based on its low demand for water or fertilizers. For optimum growth, however, it requires considerably humid air above 75% humidity and moderately warm temperatures between 64 (18 degrees Celsius) to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) is ideal.
This epiphytic plant is native to Choco, Colombia, and is one of the most interesting species to cultivate. Like pets, plants are also a source of delight, but they depend on us for care. If you have planted the Philodendron Patriciae or plan to grow one soon, you must learn how to care for it properly.
This species is hard to find as it is rarely available. Awareness of factors like light, water, temperature, etc. would equip you to look after your decorative friend. Let’s get started because Philodendron Patriciae is literally rooting for you!
Table of Contents
Philodendron Patriciae Plant Care
Soil
Have you met someone or been to a place that made you ‘feel like home’? When we reflect on this commonly used phrase, it indicates that home signifies conditions vital to our survival and plays a massive role in determining our personalities.
My experience affirms that a plant’s health considerably depends on the quality of the soil that is its home.
Philodendron Patriciae needs well-drained soil that provides it room to breathe and prevents water pooling.
While sandy soil can make it susceptible to starvation, compact soil can damage your plant by retaining too much water or causing a blanket effect in which the layered water restricts oxygen supply. This is why a moist and arable soil of fluffy nature and a slightly acidic pH of 5-6 is preferable.
You can create and refine your own mix by adding organic materials like compost, peat, or moss. According to studies, an ideal mixture that allows your plant to thrive would have around 30% soil, 40% orchid bark with charcoal alongside sphagnum moss. Mixing them in these ratios and then potting the plant would be the ideal foundation for its care.
Water
Like all living organisms, plants also require substantial water access for their nutrition to be transported throughout their organs. Water also helps regulate the temperature and facilitates procedures like photosynthesis.
Plant enthusiasts initially found Philodendrons in tropical rain forests but make no mistake- overwatering them can cut off their oxygen supply besides drowning their lower parts.
Remember the golden rule of moderation and only water it once a week. Besides, it’s important to note that they require a little more water in summers than in winter.
Light
You have probably heard of how light sources illuminate our dark pathways. If you want to witness a literal demonstration of this phenomenon, provide your precious plant with sufficient sunlight. (Please don’t place it in an artificially lit storage room).
Like other Philodendrons’ variants, this one is also a naturally climbing one and grows tall with adequate sunlight.
The primary reason is that sunlight acts as a catalyst for photosynthesis; the photons speed up the reactions that produce glucose and oxygen. However, this plant has broad leaves that are rich in chlorophyll and do well indoors.
So if you cannot find a lighted place like a window sill for your plant, don’t worry because it’s likely to adapt to the variations in sunlight.
At the same time, it’s imperative to keep it away from direct, intense sunlight, like placing the pot under the scorching sun on a summer day.
Excessive light can damage the cells and impair the enzymes that are responsible for its nutrition. It can expose your plant to the peril of brown, dry, and brittle leaves as water evaporates at a faster rate. Hence, it’s best to keep it where there is indirect sunlight.
Temperature
Like I mentioned above, too much heat or light is also risky for plants as it leads to quicker water loss through evaporation and transpiration.
Alongside water deficit, too high a temperature can also cause heat stress, making your plant vulnerable to microbial infections and attacks.
To prevent complications, keeping the Philodendron Patriciae below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) is ideal. It is relatively easy unless you live in a hot climate. In that case, it’s better to keep your plant indoors throughout the summer as it stays cooler there.
Furthermore, this plant is also frost-sensitive. Unfortunately, this means that if your plants were a group of friends, this one couldn’t be allowed to ‘chill out’ in winters.
Temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius) can result in internal damage that only becomes prominent after almost a week.
The ideal temperature ranges between 64 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (18 – 32 degrees Celsius)
The catch is that you can hardly tell it is suffering from the post-traumatic stress of being exposed to harsh weather conditions until it’s too late. Tragic, isn’t it?
My experience says that to save your beloved plant from this tragedy, you should keep it in places where the temperature falls under the previously defined range.
Humidity
Remember how I mentioned that Philodendron Patriciae originally comes from rainforests? It means that they are used to humid air and need it for good development of their foliage.
You should aim for at least 75% humidity for this species; this would help keep the stomata open for gaseous exchange that is crucial for plant nutrition and metabolism.
Besides, I have observed that the more humid the air is, the more polished and lustrous surfaces the leaves have.
If your surroundings are generally dry, you should consider improvising for your plant, given that increasing the humidity is quite manageable at home. You can effectively do this by misting the leaves or keeping a water-filled dish nearby.
Fertilizer
This plant is an epiphytic species, which means it is habitual of turning to neighbor plants for reasons other than food.
These can include soil, water, or moss. However, if you are growing it as an individual potted plant, the soil may not be as rich in minerals as the natural ones. So, sparingly fertilizing your Philodendron Patriciae would be a good idea.
You can do this every 2-3 weeks to boost growth. It would also compensate for the lack of any substance that it might be facing due to a new location. Some fertilizers that you can alternate between include:
- All-purpose liquid fertilizer: It would supply multiple nutrients that your plant may be deficient in. It usually comes with instructions that include mixing it with a portion of water and then spraying the plant with it as you would with water.
- Granules: If you prefer working with dry fertilizers, you can get granules as they are also easy to use. Lightly sprinkle them evenly on the surface around the lower end of the stem of your plant, then water it moderately, so the granules are activated.
Repotting
Just like kids outgrow their outfits, plants can also outgrow their pot. You may notice signs like tangled roots growing in several directions or out from the drainage hole and around it. It may begin to look like it’s all over the place.
However, you may expect this to happen anyway as this plant is enormous and requires free space.
Philodendron Patriciae isn’t a demanding species when it comes to repotting. Its roots are strong and spread deep in the soil, enabling them to support the stem and leaves. Repotting it every other year should serve the purpose quite nicely.
Pruning
Against the common belief, pruning is not just clipping and cutting the stem, leaves, or shoots randomly. For this practice to be effective, you need an intuitive understanding of why it is beneficial for your plant.
Philodendron Patriciae can get messy and tangled while growing, so pruning can help remove the elements that stunt its growth. It would also leave your plant with a neater appearance that adds to your garden or home’s ornamental value.
You can use tools like a pruning saw or clippers accordingly and make sure you only trim the problematic areas. Like if there are yellow or brittle leaves beyond restoration or inter-tangled stems that come in each other’s way. Hence, pruning every once in a while can help you maintain your plant’s growth, height, and dimensions.
Propagation
In case you want to plant your Philodendron Patriciae in various sections of your home or workplace, propagating it can do wonders. Propagation involves replicating your plant without any additional costs as your plant reproduces into several others.
My favorite aspect about this is that you can plant them in small fancy or funny shaped pots and then gift them to people you care about as a souvenir of your relationship. So if you want to propagate yours for any purpose, here are some methods and directions that may help you:
Soil Propagation
It is a very easy-to-follow and commonly used method that includes rooting the stem. As the term suggests, you will be cutting and planting a stem.
- First off, wear protective gloves and gather tools like scissors or shears.
- Take a clean branch from your plant, and gently make an angled cut so that you have 4 or 5 leaves on the top.
- You can place your cutting in a well-drained soil mixture of manure or sphagnum moss that you would like for it to grow on.
- After a week or two, you’ll be able to sense the growth.
Water Propagation
If you are keen to learn your plant’s plant’s growth cycle, this method is for you.
- As described above, you need to make a careful cut at one of the stems.
- Make sure it is slightly below the node, and the branch you chose has some leaves on it.
- If you want to grow a plant thick towards the bottom, you can also clip several branches.
- Next, place them together in a transparent jar with clean water and wait for nature to perform its magic!
These methods replicate the plant and let you observe how brilliantly the Philodendron Patriciae grows from a ‘baby stem’ to a ‘mom plant.’
Blooms
They do not generally have flowers, but some mature plants have inflorescences. These are a cluster of flowers that appears as one, arranged across a horizontal axis, but it may take a new plant 3 to 4 years before you see any.
While growing, the pale green shade of the inflorescences transforms into a pixie pink one. They may further transition into a velvet red or sunny orange shade as time passes, presenting a treat for your eyes.
Growth
Philodendron Patriciae is mostly self-sufficient as long as you provide appropriate circumstances for its growth. Since it is habitual of surviving on little water and sunlight (the forest life), paying heed to humidity and temperature level alongside occasional fertilizing would suffice.
If given space, a small cutting can crawl upwards and assume the shape of a chuppah. It provides shade and adds ornamental value to places like your door entrances or window sills.
The leaves are undoubtedly the most enticing feature of this plant. These massive plaited structures drape down from the stems like curtains. They may grow to the point where their length is approximately 48 inches with a width of 11 inches. Patriciae is a remarkable journey, and I’d suggest you keep your eyes peeled for it.
Common Problems for Philodendron Patriciae
Mealybugs
If you observe a white cotton-like substance on the stems of your beloved plant, you may conclude that ever-hungry mealybugs have started feasting on the nutritious liquid in the branches. Unless stopped, they suckle away the sap, leaving the leaves dry and plant stunting.
Once you have identified them, getting rid of mealybugs is not an erroneous task. You simply need to disinfect the stems with insecticide or pesticide liquid soap. You can also rub alcohol as it is hazardous to these bugs.
Fungal Attack
You may be alarmed by some yellowish-brown blotches on the leaves or lesions on the stems. These are commonly caused by fungal infection when fungal spores cling to the leaves’ warm surface, making them susceptible to decay.
You should treat them as soon as possible. It’s best to isolate the plant as this condition can be contagious. Use some bicarbonate soda to alleviate the fungus. Unless it works, you may have to prune or clip the infected leaves.
Yellowing of Leaves
Since the leaves of Philodendron Patriciae are immensely green, the leaves’ yellowing would be hard to miss. They may curl on the edges and even turn brownish. A possible cause for this is the deficiency of magnesium, an essential mineral for its growth.
Magnesium facilitates the absorption of Vitamin D from sunlight; hence, sunlight’s deficiency is also a possible cause of this condition. It is likely to occur if your plant is always indoors. Try moving it to more lit areas or misting magnesium-rich fertilizer on the leaves to restore the leaves’ health.
Overwatering
I compiled a list of signs that would help you identify overwatering:
Wilting
Leaves turn limp, and their edges start curling. Their surface feels lifeless to touch. This change is because there are bean-like openings, stomata present on their body that allow the exchange of gases. It can cause malnutrition in leaves and is problematic, like a clogging sink or drainage pipe in the kitchen.
Root Rot
If exposed to water for persistent periods, your plant’s roots lose their strength. Since Philodendron Patriciae is an upwards growing plant and the leaves have a large surface area, the widespread roots act as its support system. You don’t want the roots to turn soggy and limp.
Slower Growth
This may occur because minerals like nitrates are not adequately supplied to leaves as the lower area is draining. You can identify signs like yellowishness in once-lush green leaves and little to no new leaves.
Tips for Growing Philodendron Patriciae
Here are some final tips that would facilitate the optimum growth of your plant.
- Remember to mist the leaves twice or thrice every week, especially if they feel dry to touch.
- If you live in a warm climate, it’s best to keep a dish of water nearby as humidity is important for the growth of this plant.
- Though it can go without sunlight for days, taking it outdoors every now and then would keep it healthy.
- Be very careful of its frost sensitivity in winters and try to maintain a warmer temperature in its space.
- Prune it regularly if you’re concerned about its bulky appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions about Philodendron Patriciae
Is it better to keep my Philodendron Patriciae outdoors instead of indoors?
Though they can survive well indoors, keeping them outdoors is a better choice as it ensures the availability of sunlight that they use for photosynthesis given you are in the right USDA zone for tropical plants to thrive.
How often should I water my Philodendron Patriciae plants?
Watering them once a week would be a good strategy, as Philodendron Patriciae is sensitive to overwatering hazards, but you don’t want it to die due to dryness. However, this is just a general recommendation and will depend very much on your environmental conditions.
How do I prevent it from occupying all my space?
As it is naturally inclined to climb and spread, you have to prune it regularly to avoid a mess in case you have a small space.
Conclusion
Philodendron Patriciae is a rare plant and easily the centerpiece of an aroid collection. If you see one of these plants available I wouldn’t think twice to shell out the necessary funds to acquire it.
If you have a liking for unicorn houseplants, we suggest you read next about the Monstera Obliqua and the Philodendron Spiritus Sancti.