How to Grow Philodendron Linnaei Indoors & Outdoors

Last Updated on April 13, 2022 by Admin

The Philodendron Linnaei goes by many different names. These include:

Philodendron linnaei var. linnaei
Philodendron linnaei Kunth
Philodendron notabile
Philodendron nobile
Philodendron decurrens

The plant is sometimes mistaken for the Philodendron insigne which looks very similar. Although the latter is slower growing and grows bigger than the Philodendron Linnaei.

If you look closely this philodendron plant also has a more prominent rosette formation. And it does not produce runners.

How do you care for the Philodendron Linnaei? Keep the plant in medium to bright, indirect light but avoid direct sunlight. It grows best in warm, humid conditions especially when given fertilizer.

Avoid overwatering the plant as it is prone to root rot. Similarly, make sure that you use well-draining potting soil and a container with ample drainage.

Table of Contents

Philodendron Linnaei Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Philodendron Linnaei grows best in medium to bright, indirect light. This is very important as the plant needs sufficient light to grow and maintain its lovely color.

That said, you want to keep it away from direct sunlight.

That’s because it cannot tolerate more than 2 or 3 hours of this on a regular basis. If you leave the plant in this environment, its leaves will eventually turn yellow. Additionally, they could scorch if exposure gets too much for it bear.

As such, indirect, filtered or dappled light is best.

Outdoors, it is happiest in partial shade. Again, avoid full sun.

The reason for this is that the plant lives in the rainforest understory of the Amazon basin. It is often found attached to larger trees. Thus, the forest canopy blocks the sun’s direct rays.

And what the Philodendron Linnaei is accustomed to receiving is the filtered light that gets through the leaves and the branches.

That said, too little light is likewise a problem.

This time, it is because the plant needs sufficient light for photosynthesis. It converts this light into sugars (glucose) which is uses for energy.

In turn, this energy allows it to grow bigger and produce foliage.

So, lack of light means slower growth, fewer and smaller leaves as well. And to try to get as much light as it can, it will become leggy as it tries to reach out towards the light source.

Temperature

The Philodendron Linnaei is native to South America, more specifically, the tropical rainforest regions of the Amazon.

Therefore, it is used to warm, humid weather.

Just as importantly, the climate stays hot pretty much all year round with not snow or frost.

This is why the Philodendron Linnaei has ideal temperature preference of 60 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It also does not have any problems tolerating hotter conditions although as the temperature rises, you do want to make sure it does not get dehydrated.

On the other hand, because it does not experience cold weather where it comes from, it has low tolerance for this kind of climate.

So, you want to avoid temperatures below 50 degrees.

Once it gets this cold, the plant’s growth will slow down. And the colder it gets or the longer it stays there, the more likely you’ll see its leaves sustain damage.

As such, the Philodendron Linnaei is ideal for USDA Hardiness Zones 9b to 11 if you want to keep it outdoors the entire year.

If you live somewhere colder, it is better to keep it indoors. Although you can take it outside during the summer.

However, make sure to bring it back inside once the weather drops near 50 degrees.

Humidity

Ideal humidity for the Philodendron Linnaei is between 60% to 80%.

Again, this has to do with its natural habitat as the tropical rainforests are one of the most humid places you’ll find. That’s because of the regular rains it receives.

As such, the Philodendron Linnaei thrives in humid environments. Although it can tolerate levels down to 40% or so.

Still, you may want to keep an eye out for the plant to see whether or not the humidity in your home is sufficient.

If the air is too dry for the plant’s liking, you’ll see its leaves turn brown at the tips and they will crispy up and become brittle as well.

This is a sign that they need more humidity.

If this happens, you can help it out by getting a humidifier or placing it on a pebble tray. You can likewise move it to the bathroom or group it alongside your other houseplants.

How Often to Water Philodendron Linnaei

When watering the Philodendron Linnaei, allow the soil to dry between waterings.

The easiest way to do this is to wait until the top 2 inches of soil has completely dries before you water. This is the minimum you want to get it to avoid overwatering.

However, you can likewise wait until the soil is 50% dry (dry up to halfway down). This is a more conservative approach and will eliminate the risk of watering too frequently.

Plus, it also reduces how often you need to water, which helps most busy people.

The reason for this is that the Philodendron Linnaei does not like wet feet. Thus, if you water it too much the roots end up sitting in water for a long time.

This increases its risk of root rot as well as bacterial and fungal infections.

That said, you also want to avoid letting the soil go bone dry. While lack of water is not as harmful as overwatering is for this plant, it can still damage it if dehydration occurs often enough or is allowed to last for long periods of time.

The good news is, once you add water, it will quickly recover.

Nevertheless, avoid the habit of either letting the soil get too wet or too dry.

Related

Philodendron Linnaei Potting Soil

This terrestrial philodendron needs soil that retains some moisture but is well-draining and airy. This allows the roots to get their fill of water but not too much of it that they end up drowning in the liquid.

Well-draining soil is essential as it gets rid of excess moisture.

This helps you out in times that you happen to overwater the plant. Also, it ensures that the soil does not end up waterlogged.

If you prefer buying your potting soil from your favorite nursery or online, look for an aroid mix. This kind of soil is specifically made to provide good drainage and aeration.

Plus, you can use it for your other philodendron varieties as well as monsteras, pothos and anthuriums.

But if you’re like me and prefer to make your own potting mix at home, you can use this recipe instead. It works very well for the Philodendron Linnaei.

30% potting soil
40% bark
20% peat
10% perlite

I also like to incorporate a few handfuls of activated charcoal to increase drainage and chunkiness.

This soil provides the plant with all the things it is looking for it potting soil.

And the two biggest benefits here are:

You can adjust the ingredients or percentages if needed
It comes out much cheaper when you buy the components separately.

Fertilizer

The Philodendron Linnaei benefits from fertilizer. But it is a light feeder.

Therefore, it is very important to apply plant food as needed and during specific times.

Otherwise, you could end up overfertilizing the plant. Doing so will cause more problems compared to the benefits the nutrients provide.

That’s because fertilizers contain salts.

Unfortunately, plants don’t like salt.

So, you want to make sure you are not applying too often, giving it too much each time, using over concentrated doses and feeding it when it is not growing.

Instead, apply a balanced houseplant fertilizer once a month during the spring and summer. You can stop by early or mid fall. Don’t feed your Philodendron Linnaei in the winter either.

When you apply fertilizer, make sure to dilute it to half strength.

Also, only apply when the soil is most, never when it is dry. The plant food will be overconcentrated leaving lots of salt in the soil without water to dilute it.

Pruning

Like other philodendrons, the Linnaei will eventually grow into a good sized plant. Thus, it will end up on the floor of your home instead of a table or counter.

That said, its leaves will make up the largest part of the plant.

Fortunately, its large leaves look gorgeous, And they grow in a rosette which makes them look unique and distinctive as far as philodendrons go.

For this reason, you don’t need to prune the plant too often.

The only times you will want to do so are when the leaves get too bushy or thick or you want to limit the plant’s size.

Additionally, it is important to remove old, yellow, brown and dying leaves as well since these use up valuable energy and resources the plant could be using to produce more foliage.

How to Propagate Philodendron Linnaei

There are many ways you can propagate the Philodendron Linnaei. These include:

Stem cuttings
Runners
Root division
From seed

Each of these methods will vary in terms of simplicity, how quickly they grow into a new plant and their success rates.

Just as importantly, each may or may not have a specific function.

Stem cuttings are the most popular and most commonly used especially by houseplant owners. It is one of the easiest to do and has a very high success rate.

All you need to do is get a stem cutting or tip cutting. You can then root this in water or soil.

The cutting will root in about 3-4 weeks.

Runners are something that the Philodendron Linnaei produces naturally. These will grow roots and be able to produce leaves in rosette formation.

As such, when they start growing, you can separate them from the parent and plant them in their own individual pots.

This is by far the simplest way to propagate the plant.

Although, you don’t have control over when the plant will produce these runners. Also, once t does, you need to wait until it grows roots and gets little bigger before separating it. This usually takes another few weeks.

Therefore, due to its unpredictability, it is not the more practical way to propagate despite its ease.

Root division entails unpotting the plant dividing the root system into 2 or more sections. In doing so, you’re splitting up the parent plant into smaller new plants.

This is great if you want to reduce the size of your plant while propagating it. It also makes sense if you don’t want to wait for the cuttings to root to start growing shoots.

With division, you get semi-grown plants immediately after you propagate.

Propagating from seeds is probably the least practical option for home growers because it takes the longest and requires the most work on your part.

That’s because you need to germinate the seeds, then let them grow and then wait some more before they get bigger.

The risk of failure is also higher because there’s a bit more care required early on.

However, for commercial operations this is what works best as it allows them to grow many plants simultaneously so they can sell enough product.

How to Repot or Transplant Philodendron Linnaei

Repot the Philodendron Linnaei every 2 years. This is the general rule of thumb.

However, I suggest looking at what the plant is doing and telling you.

I’ve found that the best way to know when to repot this plant is to check the bottom of the pot to see if there are roots coming out of the drainage holes.

This is a sign that the plant is looking for more room to grow. Thus, it needs to be repotted.

You don’t need to repot it before then.

When repotting you have two options.

One is to move it to a pot that is one size larger. This tells the plant that you want it to grow more. So, it will get bigger.

But you can use this second option if you don’t want it to grow any bigger.

You can prune the roots.

To do so, unpot the plant and remove excess soil so you can see the roots. Then use a sterile pair of pruning shears and prune come of the roots.

Avoid pruning too much or trimming them all the way up as you may get part of the stem.

After pruning, you’ll be able to put the plant back into the same pot.

Of course, if you want to propagate your Philodendron Linnaei, you can always divide it. This not only reduces the size of the parent but gives you a now plant as well.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes, the Philodendron Linnaei is toxic. This means it is important to position it in your home away from the reach of young children and pets.

Ingesting parts of the plant can cause side effects including pain, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting just to name a few.

Philodendron Linnaei Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Philodendron Linnaei is fairly resistant to pests. Still, it is important to regular inspect the plant even if bugs are a rare occurrence.

That’s because one pest infestation can severely damaged your plant. Plus, it is a complete headache to treat pests once they’ve ballooned in number. It also takes several weeks to resolve.

As such, the key is spotting them early.

This is why regularly checking the undersides of the leaves, the stems and the junctions between the stem and the petioles is important.

The most common pest that will come around include spider mites, mealybugs, thrips and aphicds.

If you notice any of them, immediately treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Diseases

Root rot is the number one thing to look out for with the Philodendron Linnaei.

That’s because its susceptibility to overwatering makes a root rot a very viable threat.

This is why it is very important not to water the plant too frequently, make sure you are using well-draining soil and a pot with sufficient drainage.