Lacy tree philodendron
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Middling It gives warning, with time to act.
Also called Cut-leaf Philodendron, fiddle-leaf philodendron, Heartleaf Philodendron, Horsehead Philodendron, panda plant, Split Leaf Philodendron and Tree Philodendron.
Lacy tree philodendron is toxic
- Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. ASPCA
- Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. ASPCA
- 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 bipinnatifidum (RHS), Philodendron selloum (ASPCA). Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Medium light 100–150 fcClemson Extension, filed as Philodendron selloum · read 13 September 2026Partial shadeRHS, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · 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.
H2 — 1–5°C 1–5 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- ToxicASPCA, filed as Philodendron selloum · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- ToxicASPCA, filed as Philodendron selloum · 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
How it usually goes wrong
- Edges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Tips first on a lacy tree philodendron, then margins. Affected tissue is papery and slightly curled, and the damage stops rather than advancing once conditions change.
Penn State Extension notes that most indoor plants benefit from more humidity than a home heated in winter provides. The leaf edge, furthest from the veins, is where the shortfall shows.
Telling it apart: Whether the damage advances. Dry air marks a leaf and stops; rot keeps going.
Penn State ExtensionLacy tree philodendron brown leaf tips and edges: causes- Pale, undersized leaf blades at the tips of the stems
Older leaf blades on the lacy tree philodendron keep their colour while each new one comes in thinner, with a longer stretch of bare stem below it.
Placed darker than the medium light its source describes, the plant invests in length rather than leaf, because length is what finds a window.
Telling it apart: Spacing. A plant short of light stretches; one short of nitrogen keeps its spacing and only loses colour.
Clemson ExtensionLacy tree philodendron leaves turning yellow: causes- Yellowing that begins at the leaves nearest the soil
The lowest leaf blades of the lacy tree philodendron go yellow and translucent at the stalk and drop with a light pull, while the compost stays wet.
Its source describes soil that is moist but well-drained. Roots held below that are short of air, and roots short of air stop moving water, so the vine wilts in a wet pot.
Telling it apart: Whether new growth is affected too. Root damage shows up everywhere at once; ordinary leaf loss shows only in the oldest leaves.
RHSLacy tree philodendron leaves turning yellow: causes
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for Lacy tree philodendron.
Routine care
- Watering
- Salt buildup harms it, so flush the soil often, let rain fall on it, or water with distilled water. It may form aerial roots that take up water and nutrients.NC State Extension, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026During 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 fertilizer.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In spring surface-sow seed at 19 to 24°C, or layer.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning group 11, in spring.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by banded greenhouse thrips.NC State Extension, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026Glasshouse 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 bipinnatifidum, synonyms including Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum and Philodendron selloanum, is a plant in the genus Philodendron, in the family Araceae. The species is native to South America, namely to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay, but is also cultivated as a landscape plant in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- E. Bolivia to SE. & S. Brazil and NE. ArgentinaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026E. Bolivia to SE. & S. Brazil and NE. ArgentinaNC State Extension, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026S AmericaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- scrambling shrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026Perennial, Shrub; habit ascending, erectNC State Extension, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 48–120 in; width 72–120 inNC State Extension, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026Height 2.5-4 metres; spread 2.5-4 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers purple/lavender, red/burgundy, whiteNC State Extension, filed as Philodendron bipinnatifidum · read 13 September 2026Flowers cream in summer; purple in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with Lacy tree philodendron
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
Heartleaf philodendronA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Plants with similar care
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · 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.