Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum
split-leaf philodendron
Family AraceaeAlso called lacy tree philodendron, selloum, horsehead philodendron, guaimbé
About
Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, better known as Philodendron bipinnatifidum or selloum, is a large South American aroid widely planted in warm-climate gardens and grown indoors elsewhere.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Toxic to dogs, cats and horses: insoluble calcium oxalates cause oral pain and swelling, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.
- People
- Low severity: chewing causes pain and swelling of the mouth, lips and tongue, drooling and difficulty swallowing; the sap can irritate skin (calcium oxalate crystals).
- Light
- Dappled light or partial shade (2–6 hours of direct sun).
- Water
- Keep consistently moist; it dislikes salt build-up, so flush the soil regularly or water with distilled water.
- Temperature
- Move container plants indoors when temperatures fall below about 16 °C (60 °F).
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter.
- Pot
- Used as an indoor shrub specimen or a container plant brought inside for winter.
- Growth rate
- Medium.
- Mature size
- About 1.2–3 m (4–10 ft) tall and 1.8–3 m (6–10 ft) wide.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 9a–11b.
Field notes
Morphology
The inflorescence is a spadix sheltered by a spathe, a modified leaf often mistaken for a flower. The spadix has three zones: fertile male flowers at the tip, sterile male flowers in the middle and fertile female flowers below.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay.
Cultivation notes
Planted outdoors in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions, including the Philippines, Australia, the US Gulf and East coasts, California, South Africa and northern New Zealand, and grown as a houseplant in cool climates. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and some selections have overwintered outdoors near Raleigh, North Carolina.
History & etymology
Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, an early specialist in the arum family, studied philodendrons extensively. Philodendron bipinnatifidum and P. selloanum were once treated as separate species but are now combined. The name split-leaf philodendron is also used for Monstera deliciosa.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
- Temperature
- Move container plants indoors when temperatures fall below about 16 °C (60 °F).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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