Philo Pedatum Plant, Grow & Care Guide 2022

Philo Pedatum, commonly known as Oka Leaf Philodendron, is a rare houseplant that takes around 5-7 weeks to grow out. If you don’t want your plant to die, make sure that its soil is properly moist. 

This rare houseplant has green leaves in a unique shape that makes it stand out. You can keep it anywhere in the house because it grows up to a few inches. Philo pedatum, is incredibly fast-growing and might require additional care and maintenance compared to other houseplants.

However, this shouldn’t deter any plant enthusiast or collector from acquiring this prolific climbing gem. This post will explain all there is to know about the philodendron Pedatum, including its care tips, features, and fascinating facts.

What is Philo Pedatum?

Philodendron Pedatum is a unique-looking house plant that is known for its unique leave shape. The leaf design of this star-shaped plant changes as it matures.

This plant is uncommon on Australian soil, but it has an extremely wide distribution in the tropical Americas. Philo Pedatum is not pet-friendly, but it’s an excellent air-purifying plant. 

Not just in the home, but you can also keep this plant in your office as it can quickly adjust to any indoor habitat and flourishes every season. You can either keep it in a pot or hang it by keeping it in a basket. Either way, the plant will look good. 

Origin and Classification 

Talking about the origin of this plant, it has been known for existing since the 18th century. However, because of its myriad foliage outlook, this plant kept botanists confused for a long time. 

While this plant has various names, Philodendron pedatum is an accepted and recorded name. It belongs to the Araceae family and the Philodendron genus. 

Features of Philo Pedatum

Philodendron Pedatum is an in-house climber plant that can easily adjust to its surroundings. This plant grows well indoors and can reach up to a height of three meters. Talking about the leaves, it gets bigger and better as the plant matures.

This plant can be found in two types, i.e., climbers and non-climbers. As you know, the climber version of this plant makes an extraordinary house plant, but the non-climber version grows have lobed leaves and grows huge. 

The juvenile version of this plant can be easily confused for other variants of the Philodendron. Moving to the flowers, they bloom in a brownish-green shade. But the flowering is rare, and you might hardly see it. 

Besides being a decorative houseplant, Philo Pedatum also purifies the air and keeps the inner air dust-free. As a result, this plant can easily absorb air pollutants and release fresh air to breathe. 

Here are a few more features of Philodendron Pedatum that make it so unique. 

1. Toxicity 

One thing that you should know about Philo Pedatum before growing it is that this plant is toxic in nature. That’s because the leaves of this plant have crystal raphides along with calcium oxalate crystals. 

These materials together can form a substance similar to asbestos, which is harmful to pets and humans. 

2. Pest Resistance 

The best thing about Philodendron Pedatum is that it’s a low-maintenance and strong plant. That means it can easily fight off any pest infestation. But still, it’s likely to have low resistance towards scale bugs, spider mites, mealybugs, and thrips. 

3. Temperature Tolerance 

If you want to grow Philo Pedatum properly, make sure that you keep the plant between 70°-80ºF during the day and above 55º F at night. Also, the plant can endure average home humidity levels, but it cannot live properly in high-humid conditions. 

4. Growth

The growth rate of Philo Pedatum is medium as it takes around 5-7 weeks to grow out. Once the plant has started growing out, you can notice tiny leaves. 

This quick post shows how to grow Philo Pedatum. 

Basic Care of Philo Pedatum

One thing that plant parent likes the most about Philodendron Pedatum is that this plant does not needs high-maintenance. That means you can surround yourself with healthy Philo Pedatum even if you have a hectic lifestyle. 

This plant does not have any tricky demands. This easy-to-care peep requires nothing but bright indirect light and partial watering. 

As much as this plant loves being indoor, it can easily sustain outdoor life as well. But for keeping the Philo Pedatum outdoor, you must provide it with proper shed and care. That’s because excessive sunlight can ruin its leaves. 

For better care and durability, you can mimic the traditional natural living condition of Philo Pedatum. 

Here are some basic care of Philo Pedatum that you can follow.

1. Water Requirment

Talking about the water requirements of this plant, you should never overwater it. That’s because then the roots will get bloated, and the plant will not get the required nutrients. 

While watering, you can even follow the simple dry and soak Philodendron watering strategy. This strategy states that once the soil of this plant gets partially dry, you can water it. 

2. Temperature and Humidity Requirement 

If you want to keep the plant in good shape for a long time, you must keep the temperature between 16 to 24 °C. This ideal temperature range will keep your plant happy. 

Moving to the humidity, this plant can easily withstand house-level humidity. But an increased moisture level is not good for the plant. 

3. Fertilizer Requirement 

Philo Pedatum is a heavy-feeder plant that needs a regular dose of nitrogen-based fertilizer. You can fertilize the plant once a month. But when the weather gets cold, you should stop putting fertilizer. 

4. Pruning 

Once in a while, the Philo Pedatum requires pruning as the plant can get big quickly. If you want to get the best result, it’s suggested to shorten the shoots of plants using a knife. 

5. Light Requirement

Like other Philodendron plants, Philo pedatum needs bright, indirect sunlight to survive. Preferably, place the plant near an east-facing window where it can receive light in moderation. 

Avoid keeping your Philo pedatum plant where it can get direct sunlight. Excess light can cause sunburn and leaf discoloration.

On the other hand, too little light can cause a problem for the Philo pedatum plant. It may cause slow growth and poor leaf development. 

If your plant doesn’t have access to natural light, consider using artificial lights. However, you should not place the light directly in front of the Philo pedatum. In addition, you need to keep the light on for at least 10 hours a day.  

6. Soil

Provide your Philo pedatum with a well-draining soil mix and watch it flourish. Using a soil mix that doesn’t drain well will cause an accumulation of water at the base of the plant. As a result, your Philo pedatum may suffer from root rot and other fungi diseases. 

Consider adding organic matter to the soil, including peat moss and compost, to make it more fertile. Also, add vermiculite or perlite to the soil, as it can help improve aeration and drainage. 

Additionally, choose soils with a PH between 5.5 and 7.0 since Philo pedatum plants blossom in slightly acidic to neutral soils.   

Common Problems in Caring for Philo Pedatum

Philo Pedatum is a great houseplant that requires minimum maintenance but this plant to prone to certain kinds of diseases and problems. Below are some of the common issues. 

1. Yellow Leaves 

One thing that Philo Pedatum is prone to developing is yellow leaves. Yellowing of leaves happens when the plant gets too much water, and the pot does not have a good drainage system. 

Besides this, yellow leaves also result when the plant stays in the sun for a long time. 

2. Pests 

In general, the Philo Pedatum is a rough plant, but it’s likely to get affected by scale bugs, spider mites, mealybugs, and thrips.

3. Grow Slow

This plant does not have a fast growth rate. Therefore, once you have planted it, you are required to wait for around 5-7 weeks before the plant can start growing out. 

Summary 

Philo Pedatum is an attractive climbing plant that has gained popularity because of its unusual-looking leaves. This low-maintenance plant does not need much care, but you should not keep it in extreme sunlight for a long time. 

Frequently Asked Question 

Is Philo Pedatum the same as Florida Beauty?

For this variant of plant, the Philo Pedatum is an accepted name. But this name is not necessarily correct for Florida Beauty. 

Can Philo Pedatum climb?

Philo Pedatum is a climber plant. The leaves of this plant get better and bugger as it matures. 

Is Philo Pedatum Rare?

Philo Pedatum is a rare houseplant that you cannot find easily.