Philodendron mexicanum
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Philodendron mexicanum is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten; irritates skin and eyes and can cause allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1A — warmer than 15°C 15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten; irritates skin and eyes and can cause allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- In the growing season, let the compost surface get just dry, then water the compost thoroughly. Do not leave plants standing in water, as this can rot the roots. In winter, when growth slows greatly, water less often and pause feeding until spring.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- From April to September, feed monthly with a liquid houseplant fertiliser. In winter, as growth slows greatly, water less often and stop feeding until spring.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Repotting
- Repot every 2 to 3 years.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Increase from leaf-bud or stem-tip cuttings.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Mealybugs, glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
Philodendron mexicanum is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae. It is native to central and southwestern Mexico including Veracruz, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Colombia. An evergreen vine of the wet tropics, it reaches 2 m (7 ft) tall as a houseplant. Its young leaves are lanceolate, and its mature leaves are lobed and spear-shaped, and can be 60 cm (2 ft) long.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Mexico to W. ColombiaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Mexico, Colombia, EcuadorRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- climberWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Climbing (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers green in summer; red in summer; white in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Philodendron
Heartleaf philodendronA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Blushing PhilodendronSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetPhilodendron angustisectumSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Philodendron elegansSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Silver Sword PhilodendronSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Winterbourn PhilodendronSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
More of the Araceae family
Arrowhead plantEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Calla lilyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Dumb caneLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Elephant earCrisp margins that appear in winter
Flamingo flowerBrown brittle margins with a green centre
MonsteraBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Plants with similar care
Ampelopsis glandulosaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Anthurium warocqueanumSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
BullbriarSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Cat's ClawSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Centipede TongavineSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Chestnut VineSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.