About
Thaumatophyllum xanadu, usually called Philodendron xanadu, is a compact, clump-forming aroid from southern Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted in warm-climate gardens and grown as a houseplant in cooler regions.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Harmful to dogs and cats if chewed: NC State lists it as a problem for both because it contains calcium oxalate crystals.
- People
- Low severity: chewing leaves or stems causes swelling of the lips, tongue and mouth, pain and drooling; the sap can irritate skin (calcium oxalate).
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade outdoors; bright, indirect light indoors.
- Water
- Keep moist, but overwatering turns the leaves yellow.
- Humidity
- Appreciates some humidity indoors.
- Temperature
- Indoors about 18–24 °C (65–75 °F).
- Soil
- Moist, rich, well-drained soil high in organic matter.
- Pot
- Repot container plants every 1–2 years.
- Growth rate
- Medium.
- Mature size
- About 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) tall and wide.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 9b–11b.
Field notes
Distribution & habitat
Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.
Cultivation notes
Used as a landscape plant in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions, including Florida, Hawaii, California, South Africa, Australia and northern New Zealand, and grown indoors in cooler climates.
History & etymology
It was first reported as a chance seedling that appeared in 1983 in a Western Australian nursery, thought to be a sport or hybrid of Philodendron bipinnatifidum. It was named Philodendron 'Winterbourn' and protected under Australian Plant Breeder's Rights.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Brazil, Paraguay
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
- Temperature
- Indoors about 18–24 °C (65–75 °F).
- Humidity
- Appreciates some humidity indoors.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Crossed T. xanadu with another species?Register the cross. If it's not documented yet you'll be the first contributor; if someone already registered it, you'll be taken there to add your photo.