Philodendron Gloriosum Care Tips
Mar 17 , 2019
Hands down my favourite plant of all time is the wonderful velvety goddess, the Philodendron gloriosum. I currently own 4 of these beauties, with number 5 due to join the gloriosum fam very soon.
Light: Medium to bright indirect light, although they can withstand a few hours of direct sunlight if acclimated
Water: Being a little more sensitive than your average houseplant, these guys benefit from well draining soil - an aroid mix is best, or a potting mix with added perlite to make sure water runs easily through the soil. Water when the soil feels dry-ish to touch but don't let it dry out entirely
Growing style: These guys are crawlers, meaning the main stem crawls horizontally along the soil, with leaf stems growing vertically from it. Ensure that the bottom stem, or rhizome, is exposed in order to avoid burying new growth under the soil. New leaves tend to grow agonisingly slowly (from the first appearance of a leaf spike to the leaf opening in full, it can take a month or more), and then reveal in a gorgeous ombré tone that darkens over the space of a week
Propagation: Via stem cutting, ensuring you have a node, in water, soil or sphagnum moss
Pests: Prone to spider mites. Whilst seemingly delicate, they can withstand pest treatment quite well, as mine have been sprayed with hardcore miticide for spider mites (which they are susceptible to) and have done perfectly fine
6 Comments
Hi Lisa,
I would either put it into water, or into moist sphagnum moss. Either of those can be used to encourage new root growth.
Have unfortunately had root rot in my gloriosum after having to leave plants in the care of someone else while in hospital. The plant is down to 1 leaf and not a lot of roots, in fact very few. I am wondering if, like other philodendron, gloriosum can be put into water to encourage new root growth. I really don’t want to lose it as it wasn’t easy to find. In Australia it’s so very hard to find information or assistance with these plants. Thanks
Hi Katlin, thanks for sharing the tips! Where did you get the plant from? I’m so in love with it but don’t know where to buy it. If you could share your experience that would be wonderful! Thanks very much!
Hi, I found a big plant at my local markets. It was sold to me in a plastic bucket with a few holes drilled in the side. It was soaked and retaining a lot of water at the base of the bucket. I drained as much as I could before it went in my car, but it’s still very heavy. Should I repot now or wait until spring?
Hey Katlin! They’re fairly good with a range of humidity levels, unlike some of their cousin Philodendrons that need higher humidity. By the way, the best way to understand the humidity where you live is to buy a hygrometer, which you can get on ebay for less than $10.