Philodendron Verrucosum 101 - Complete Care Guide

Philodendron Verrucosum: @RootedHues. Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.

The Ecuador Philodendron (Philodendron verrucosum) is one of the most stylish of all Philodendrons, stealing the show in your plant collection with its deep green leaves with golden ribbing. Don’t be fooled by its good looks, though. Philodendron verrucosum care is not a piece of cake, quite the contrary.

A lovely climbing container plant, the Philodendron verrucosum is relatively fussy and requires precise attention to elements like humidity and temperature. You’ll also need to be ready to adjust its lighting and watering. At the same time, a healthy Ecuador Philodendron will grow quickly and turn your indoor growing space into a beautiful green jungle in no time.

Let’s have a look at the best way to care for this green Ecuadorean jewel in your home! 

What to Expect from Your Philodendron Verrucosum

Growing Pattern

This gorgeous green plant will grow quickly in the right conditions. They love to go up so make sure you have plenty of space for them to climb. Consider adding a moss totem to guide them, too.

Look and Shape

Its heart-shaped leaves start off pale and darken as they grow. Expect the stems to reach as high as 8 to 10 inches at maturity. 

Size

Healthy Philodendrons will grow to 2 or 3 feet tall.

Philodendron Verrucosum Requirements

The Philodendron will thrive as long as it has the right conditions. Here’s what you need to know.

Light

This is an understory plant so it doesn’t enjoy direct sunlight. You can keep it a few steps back to increase its growth rate.

Pro Tip:  If you’re not sure of the light measurements, download an app – tech-savvy growers report 850 foot candles to be the best light for it.

Temperature

It might be a jungle plant, but Philodendron verrucosum likes it cooler actually! It grows best in winter in its Ecuadorean home, so keep it at 16-21 Celsius (around 60 Fahrenheit).

Humidity

This is tricky. Philodendron verrucosum likes over 70% humidity but still cooler temperatures. To increase humidity levels, you can make use of an indoor humidifier.

We also recommend a hygrometer digital thermometer, such as this one, to monitor both the humidity levels and temperature. Your best approach is to make sure you keep it well watered and also adjust the humidity settings in your home regularly. Check our watering tips below for more details.

Soil

Pot your Philodendron in a fast-draining soil mix to allow it to enjoy the water without sitting in it. Avoid sandy or dry soils, as well as muddy, wet ones.

Philodendron verrucosum forms and hybrids: Source

Philodendron Verrucosum Care Tips

Some people find their Ecuadorean Philodendron to be low-maintenance. They’re probably the people who’ve stumbled into the best conditions by a happy accident! For the rest of us, here are some important tips to care for your plant.

Watering

Your Philodendron will start to drop leaves if you don’t water it often enough. Keep it until it gets 90% dry (test the soil with your finger). Then saturate it until water starts trickling out of the bottom of the pot.

Potting & Repotting

Once your Philodendron grows from its initial state, you’ll need to allow for it to loosen its roots. The more space for roots, the taller the plant will grow. Repot accordingly.

Fertilizing

To help your jungle baby grow, you can consider fertilizer but nothing fancy for this one. You can get away with putting some plain fertilizer 6 inches away from the base, three times a year.

Careful with cheap fertilizer though: if it has heavy salts, they’ll damage the roots and might kill the plant.

Pruning

You don’t really need to bother with this one – unless you want to keep the size down. But why would you?

Propagation

To propagate your plant, cut a 6-inch stem and pinch off two or three sets of leaves so you have at least two leaf nodes bare on the stem. We like to use these cutting shears.

Philodendron verrucosum takes very well to water so you can easily propagate it that way. You can also place roots in moss and let it grow. Or you can move it straight into a new pot: a mix of well-aerated soil will do nicely.

Philodendron Verrucosum: @RootedHues

Pests & Problems

The Philodendron verrucosum makes up for its fussiness with its lack of pests. If you keep yours from getting cold and wet, you have nothing to worry about.

Check Out: Our go-to solution for pest control

Final Tip

If you have the space for it, you might be tempted to move your Philodendron verrucosum outside. Be careful you don’t position it in direct sunlight, or the leaves will burn! Try acclimating the plant by moving it outside for a few hours and then back in over a week or so. Don’t even think about moving your plant outside if you have freezing temperatures over winter!