One of the larger houseplants you can have, the Philodendron Selloum, aka Philodendron Hope or Philodendron Bipinnatifidum, is a relatively popular indoor plant and is pretty often confused for the Monstera Deliciosa. They’re a tropical plant native to South America, and can grow leaves as big as 4 ft in length, while the plant itself growing up to 15ft if given the space.
Being such a big plant, it’s a little hard to imagine that it can be grown from tiny little seeds. It takes a while, (don’t expect a large 4 ft tall plant in one year!!), but it’s definitely a fun and rewarding hobby in its own right. If tended to properly, you can end up with quite a few sizeable Tree Philodendrons! (you can find seeds here!)To plant:
Prep some well-draining potting mix in your planter of choice, whether it be a tray or a nursery pot, and make sure it’s moist but not soggy. It’s not necessary to pre-soak the seeds, but it can definitely be helpful. To soak them, pour some warm-hot water into a jar, drop the seeds in, and leave them in the water for 24-48 hrs. Plant the seeds 1/3” deep at least 2” apart(2-3 per 3” nursery pot to start is a good start). Cover the soil with plastic to maintain the humidity and monitor the soil to make sure it remains moist and the temperature around 70F. The seeds should germinate in about a month.
(Getting the right conditions can be a little tricky, so I recommend setting aside a small amount of seeds to germinate using the paper towel method in case they don’t work out in soil. To do this, take a moist paper towel, place the seeds on the paper towel and fold it so the seeds are secure in the paper towel. Then place it in a ziploc bag. Check in to make sure the paper towel remains moist and monitor for germination activity. Don’t wait too long to transplant the seedlings as the roots may get too attached to the paper towel and it’ll be difficult to remove them.)
Once the seedings start to emerge, you can start hardening them up by removing the plastic covering for increasing blocks of time. Eventually you can remove the covering altogether and mist them so they can get the humidity they need. Keep the soil moist while the seedlings are still small, but as they grow you can start letting the soil dry out a little more between waterings.
Plant Care:
Soil: Regular rich and well-draining soil, soilless potting mix or sphagnum peat moss are good options for growing Philodendron Hope.
Light: They can be grown outdoors in some partial sun if acclimated to it, but indoors, give them bright and indirect light. If the leaves start to yellow, it’s possible the plant is getting too much light.
Water: Let the top part of the soil dry out before watering the plant. Philodendrons love their water, so it’s best not to let the soil dry out too much between waterings.
Temperature: Philodendrons need temperatures above 55F, their ideal range is between 65-80F.
Fertilizer: Philodendrons benefit from some fertilizing, you can use a water-soluble fertilizer at half strength. Since Philodendrons are sensitive to salt build-up, make sure to thoroughly water the Philodendrons when you do your waterings to give a chance to flush through any buildup.
Humidity: Philodendron Selloum do best in humidity >60%, if you’re growing them indoors, you’ll want to mist them regularly or place them close to a humidifier.
That just about sums it up! Hopefully you feel confident to jump in and add a Philodendron Hope(or two) to your plant collection, whether you get the adult plant or you choose to grow them from seed :)
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