Light
Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux
Araceae
Philodendron mexicanum
- Curated selection:
Every plant is hand‑picked for health and visual appeal, so you receive a strong, well‑established plant.
- Representative photos:
Product images show a typical plant of this variety. Natural differences in leaf number, shape or variegation are normal, your plant will still match in type and quality.
- Size details:
Listed sizes refer to pot diameter (cm) and approximate overall height (cm) from the base of the pot to the tallest leaf or stem.
- “Get What You See” items:
If you are buying the exact plant shown in the photos, this is clearly stated in the size section.
- Individual photos:
One‑off photos are only provided when this is explicitly mentioned in the size section. - For special traits or small quirks, please check the full product description.
VAT included · plus
Your new plant has just travelled a long way and needs a calm start in its new home. For step-by-step unboxing and first-week care, check our after-delivery care guide. For deeper tips on how your plant settles in over the next weeks, read our houseplant acclimatization guide.
- Care basics , Main hub with links to all houseplant care guides.
- After delivery & first week , Unpacking, first placement, and early recovery.
- Light, How much light houseplants really need indoors.
- Watering , When to water and how to avoid root rot.
- Substrates & roots, Potting mixes and drainage for strong root systems.
- Humidity, When humidity matters and what actually helps.
- Fertilizing, Simple feeding routine without burning roots.
- Problems & pests, Yellow leaves, brown tips, bugs, and fixes that work.
- Semi-hydro, How to run low-maintenance mineral substrates.
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28-day plant guarantee, if a plant arrives damaged or fails soon after delivery, we help you make it right.
Free returns, simple, cost-free returns according to our policy.
For full details, please see:
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Care at a glance
Philodendron mexicanum
Watering
Water when ~30–50% dry
Substrate
Airy + fast-draining • Light moisture buffer • Bark-based • Medium-chunky
Temperature
Ideal: 18–29 °C • Avoid below: 15 °C
Humidity
Moist 50–60 %
Growth habit
Climbing hemiepiphytic herbaceous perennial.
Support
recommended
Growth speed
Average
Max size indoors
Max. height with support: 250 cm • Max. spread: 100 cm
Toxicity & safety
Toxic
Origin & habitat
Native from Mexico to western Colombia
Outdoor growing
Outside from 15 °C · sheltered spot
How to read these values
These care values are quick reference points for indoor growing. Use them as a guide, then adjust for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.
For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.
- Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
- Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
- Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
- Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
- Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.
- Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
- Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
- Growth speed: expected pace under suitable indoor conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.
- Max size indoors: realistic long-term indoor size under good conditions.
- Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
- Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
- Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.
Philodendron mexicanum
Philodendron mexicanum is a wet-tropical climbing species with glossy, arrow-shaped green leaves and red undersides that are especially visible on juvenile growth. As the plant matures, the blades become larger and more defined, with the climbing stem producing aerial roots at the nodes.
Younger leaves show the red-backed colour most clearly, while older foliage develops the broader sagittate outline typical of the species.
- Leaf shape: Arrow-shaped to hastate blades with a broad base and pointed tip.
- Leaf colour: Glossy green upper surfaces with red undersides most noticeable on younger leaves.
- Growth habit: A climbing Philodendron with aerial roots along the stem.
- Native range: Recorded from Mexico to western Colombia in wet tropical forest conditions.
Philodendron mexicanum care for climbing growth
Give Philodendron mexicanum a moss pole, plank or other vertical support so the stem can attach as it lengthens. Bright indirect light keeps the growth compact and reduces stretched internodes, while harsh direct sun can mark the leaves, especially on softer new growth.
- Support: A vertical surface gives aerial roots somewhere to attach as the plant produces larger, more defined blades on upright growth.
- Light: Bright indirect light, with protection from strong direct sun.
- Water: Water when the upper part of the substrate has dried, then let excess water drain fully.
- Humidity: Moderate to higher humidity helps new leaves open cleanly, especially during active growth.
- Substrate: Use a chunky aroid mix with bark, coarse fibre and mineral components so air reaches the roots.
- Temperature: Keep warm and stable, away from cold windows and cold wet substrate.
Philodendron mexicanum leaf size, roots and pests
- Small leaves or long gaps between nodes: Usually linked to weak light, missing support or both.
- Yellowing lower leaves: Check for dense, wet substrate around the roots.
- Dry new leaves: Increase humidity around active growth and keep watering consistent without leaving the pot waterlogged.
- Pests: Inspect new leaves, petioles and undersides for thrips, spider mites, mealybugs and scale.
Philodendron mexicanum safety, name and publication
Keep Philodendron mexicanum away from pets and children, as the plant contains calcium oxalate crystals. Sap may irritate sensitive skin.
Heinrich Wilhelm Schott published the genus Philodendron in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst 3: 780 in 1829. The genus name comes from Greek-derived roots meaning “tree-loving.” Philodendron mexicanum was described by Adolf Engler in Flora Brasiliensis 3(2): 143 in 1878. The species epithet mexicanum means “Mexican” or “from Mexico.”
Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.
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Philodendron mexicanum
Sale price€18,00
FAQs about Philodendron mexicanum – maroon undersides, support, and semi-hydro use
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