Philodendron maximum

A giant climber of western Amazonia

Across western and south-western Amazonia, Philodendron maximum grows from Ecuador through Peru to Bolivia and into the Brazilian states of Acre and Mato Grosso. This massive wet-forest climber sometimes roots in old palm-leaf bases, and Kurt Krause described it in 1913.

Care for supported climbing aroids

• Light: Give this giant climber abundant filtered light. With too little light, new leaves remain smaller, while sudden direct sun can mark shade-grown foliage.
• Water: Check the upper mix and water deeply as it begins drying. Test the interior of a large container too, because its surface can appear dry while the centre remains wet.
• Humidity and airflow: Very broad new leaves unfurl more reliably in moderate to high humidity, with open airflow around the canopy and stem.
• Substrate: A coarse, long-lasting mix should stay airy while holding enough moisture for the very large leaves.
• Feeding: Large-leaf production needs moderate feeding; excessive salts are harder to flush from an oversized pot.

Philodendron maximum: checking a very large plant

• Uneven pot moisture: The centre and base of a large pot can stay saturated while the surface looks dry. Check deeper before watering, especially when leaves yellow or wilt, and replace compacted mix around soft roots.
• Bronze new leaves and wavy margins: Bronze tones on a new leaf and strongly wavy margins can be normal. Tissue should firm and settle as it matures; spreading softness, odour or water-soaking is abnormal.
• Tears and leverage damage: Very large leaves and long stalks can split through rubbing, transport or the force of an unstable pot. Stabilise the support and container, give the canopy clearance and leave firm dry tears to heal at their edges.
• Dry brown edges: Uneven water supply, fertiliser salts, dry air and root loss can all crisp the margins. Inspect roots and moisture throughout the container, then flush salts or correct watering according to what those checks show.
• Pests beneath oversized leaves: Mites and thrips can spread across the broad lower surface, while scale and mealybugs hide near leaf bases and supports. Work across the leaf in sections, remove visible colonies and apply a pest-specific indoor-plant treatment to every affected area as directed.
• Collapsing stalk or stem: A clean mechanical break is firm and local. A constricted soft lesion, foul smell or advancing dark tissue needs removal with clean tools, isolation and a more open root zone.
• Wet expanding lesions: Bacterial disease, water moulds and cold damage can all begin with water-soaked tissue. Keep the plant apart, stop overhead wetting and splash, and remove badly affected material if the damaged margin continues to expand after the cold exposure has ended.

Philodendron maximum is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Where does the name Philodendron maximum come from?

Philodendron combines Greek philein, meaning “to love,” with dendron, meaning “tree.” Maximum is the neuter form of the Latin superlative maximus and means largest or greatest.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Philodendron in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 780.

Kurt Krause first described Philodendron maximum in 1913 in Das Pflanzenreich, IV, 23Db, page 49.