Plant species: Philodendron tortum

Plant genus: Philodendron

Plant family: Araceae

Origin: Northern Brazil and Bolivia, Amazonian biome

Soil drainage: well-drained, we recommend a substrate mix composed of coco coir, perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss, pumice Soil pH: acidic

Fertilizers: Philodendron tortum is a species that requires a moderate level of fertilization, so we recommend using a bio fertilizer (we use the BioBizz brand for the plants we cultivate) from early March to late November.

Air humidity: it thrives best at 70% - 75% humidity, but it also performs admirably in an environment with lower humidity, down to 40%.

Temperature: 16-29 degrees Celsius

Light: full indirect sunlight

Plant height including pot: 30 cm

Pot diameter: 12cm

Philodendron tortum is a relatively rare species commercially. The morphology of its palmate leaves is appreciated, being among the few Philodendron species with such graphically appealing foliage.

This species has several advantages over other Philodendron species, making it easy to grow even for beginners in gardening. Among them are:

This unique plant has air-purifying properties, making it a perfect indoor plant. It has the ability to absorb benzene, formaldehyde, and other pollutants present in the air.

It can also be grown in moderate light conditions, resulting in a much darker coloration. As the light intensity approaches the ideal, the internode spaces will decrease, and the plant will have a more compact appearance.

It has a very good growth rate under optimal conditions, namely full indirect sunlight (east-facing windows are the best option), 60% - 70% humidity, and watering the substrate when the top two centimeters have dried out.

Attention! To check the moisture level of the substrate, inserting a finger into the pot to a depth of 2 cm is the best way to measure soil moisture. Therefore, if you feel the substrate is moist, keep the spray bottle away from it for one or two days, and if it feels dry, water it.

Attention 2! When watering, we need to consider the pot in which the plant is planted, as well as the amount of substrate and its aeration level. That is, we do not pour a liter of water into a pot with a diameter and height of 12 cm, as we will drown the plant's roots. It is best to discard the excess water from the collector pot half an hour after watering.

The plant can be mounted on a support pole wrapped in coconut fiber, in which case the aerial roots will cling to this support, resulting in a plant with a sturdier stem and increasingly larger leaves.

Good luck with caring for it! And don't forget to give us updates about your plant, using the hashtag #greenmirrors and tagging @green.mirrors in your Instagram posts! We promise to share them in stories ☺

Tags: Philodendron, Philodendron polypodioides tortum, Philodendron tortum, Araceae, rare plants, unusual plants, decorative foliage plants, trailing plants, purifying plants, indoor decorative plants