Why Plants Die
Theme

Winterbourn Philodendron

Philodendron xanadu, Araceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called Xanadu Philodendron.

Winterbourn Philodendron (Philodendron xanadu), the whole plant.
Obsidian Soul, CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Winterbourn Philodendron 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

Sources file this plant under other names: Philodendron 'Winterbourn' XANADU. Citations below point at the name its source uses.

Light
Partial shade
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained
RHS · 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 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · 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
During growth, water moderately and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser. At other times water sparingly.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Feeding
While growing, water moderately and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Repotting
Plants in containers may need a new pot every 1 to 2 years.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
In spring, layer the stems, or scatter seed on the surface and keep it between 19 and 24 °C.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Regular pruning is not needed, but thin the plant if it becomes crowded or too big, and take off dead or yellowing leaves.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Can be troubled by banded greenhouse thrips.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Move something and watch

Loading the simulator. It needs JavaScript; the care table above does not.

About the plant

Native range
S. Brazil to Paraguay
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
southern Brazil & Paraguay
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Brazil and Paraguay
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
subshrub
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Herbaceous Perennial; habit dense, mounding, spreading
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Clump forming (evergreen)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 36–60 in; width 36–60 in
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Height 1-1.5 metres; spread 1.5-2.5 metres after 10–20 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers cream/tan, red/burgundy, white
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Flowers red in summer
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Other Philodendron

More of the Araceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

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.