When the air conditioning is running all summer, your home can become a challenging environment for houseplants. Constantly moving air can dry foliage, while rooms with closed windows may have less humidity than tropical plants would encounter outdoors. And yet there is one group of houseplants that can handle these modern indoor conditions surprisingly well: philodendrons.
Not every philodendron is equally adaptable, but many of the familiar varieties are remarkably forgiving. They can cope with the lower light found in many homes, tolerate average household humidity, and generally don’t fall apart if you occasionally forget to water them. That makes them particularly well suited to the way we actually live now, when keeping the house comfortable for people can mean creating conditions that aren’t quite so comfortable for tropical plants.
There’s another reason philodendrons work so well indoors: There is a variety for almost every decorating style and available space. Trailing types can spill from a shelf or hanging planter, while self-heading varieties make handsome tabletop or floor plants. Choose the right philodendron, give it good indirect light, and keep it out of the direct path of your AC vent, and you have a popular indoor houseplant that is healthy and can look good without demanding a lot of attention. Eager to get started? Shop The Sill for a classic Heartleaf Philodendron as an easy-care addition to your home.
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Why Philodendrons Are So Adaptable
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‘Philodendrons are some of my favorite plants for indoor spaces because they are just really forgiving,’ says Dee Ferguson, owner and founder of rOOTS KC, an independent houseplant shop in Kansas City, Missouri.
‘A lot of them naturally grow under the canopy of larger plants and trees, so they are used to getting filtered light instead of direct sun, making them a perfect placement for a living space. They can adapt to different light levels and normal household humidity.’
Horticulturist Justin Hancock of Costa Farms agrees, pointing out that philodendrons are a large and diverse group. ‘It’s a little tough to generalize because Philodendrons are a big group of plants and not all are as adaptable as others,’ he explained.
‘But the super-adaptable ones, such as Philodendron hederaceum, Philodendron Birkin, and others, offer the one-two punch of tolerating both the lower light levels commonly found in homes and the humidity levels that are lower than the tropical environments they’re native to.’
That tolerance makes common philodendrons especially useful in air-conditioned rooms. They don’t require you to turn your home into a greenhouse just to keep them happy. Still, lower humidity tolerance isn’t the same as loving bone-dry air.
‘Yes, it is true that they’re tolerant of low humidity, but with a caveat: It totally depends on the variety,’ Hancock says. ‘As a general rule of thumb, the thicker or waxier the leaf, the better that variety will hold up to low humidity.’
Ferguson also recommends choosing varieties carefully. ‘Many of the common philodendrons tolerate normal household humidity really well, which is one of the reasons they make such good houseplants and ship so successfully,’ she explained.
‘I would not say that every philodendron loves low humidity though. Some of the velvet leaf and more unusual varieties are going to look and grow better with a higher-level humidity.’
Keep Them Away From the AC Vent
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The fact that philodendrons tolerate air-conditioned homes doesn’t mean they should sit directly underneath an air vent. A continuous blast of cold air can stress the foliage, particularly when the air coming from the vent is substantially colder than the rest of the room.
‘Ideally, they should be far enough away that the air coming out of the vent doesn’t move their leaves,’ says Justin. ‘Since plants in their natural environs aren’t exposed to situations where they suddenly get blasts of air that are hotter or colder than the ambient temperature, this can stress them, causing the leaves to yellow, brown, or drop prematurely.’
Ferguson says you don’t have to banish your plant to the opposite side of the room. ‘A few feet away is usually fine as long as the plant is not getting that constant blast of dry air.’
Choose the Right Philodendron For Your Space
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For a beginner, Ferguson recommends the classic heartleaf philodendron, Philodendron hederaceum. ‘It is really forgiving and can handle a lot of different spaces.’
She also likes Philodendron Brasil for its variegated foliage and Philodendron micans for its dark, velvety leaves. Her favorite, however, is Philodendron Birkin. ‘I love the white pinstriping on the leaves and it looks so good as a home decor piece. It feels a little fancy without being a plant that’s impossible to take care of.’
Hancock points to heartleaf, Brasil, Birkin and other adaptable varieties as good choices, while noting that different growth habits suit different locations. Trailing types can work in hanging planters or on shelves, while self-heading varieties such as Birkin are better suited to tabletops, windowsills and, as they mature, the floor.
Find Philodendron Brasil and a range of other philodendrons at The Home Depot.
Dee Ferguson is the owner and founder of rOOTS KC, an independent houseplant shop with multiple Kansas City locations that also ships nationwide.
Justin Hancock is a horticulturist at Costa Farms, where he helps home gardeners across the country to successfully grow and care for a wide variety of plants, indoors and out. He’s passionate about plants and has gardened across the country from Minnesota to Oregon to South Florida.
Water According To The Plant, Not The Calendar
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Philodendrons are forgiving, but they aren’t indestructible. Ferguson recommends allowing the top couple of inches of soil to dry before watering again, while Hancock lets most philodendrons get about 50 percent dry before watering. Either way, don’t keep the roots constantly soggy, and use a pot with a drainage hole.
In winter, pay particular attention to watering. ‘Our homes get darker, plants grow more slowly, and people sometimes continue watering on the same schedule they used all summer,’ Ferguson says.
‘That can cause problems really quickly. I always tell people to check the soil instead of watering just because it is Sunday or because it has been a week.’
Take the guesswork out of watering with the Simply Conserve Moisture Meter found at Target.
For a modern home where the AC runs much of the summer, the biggest advantage of all may be this: A philodendron doesn’t need perfect conditions.
Just be sure to take care of the five summer houseplant care mistakes and your philodendron can fit comfortably into the way you already live.
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