Philodendron"evansii"

[Stan]

Another plant i liked from when i was younger is Philodendron evansii.It was a staple-almost- of 1950's tract homes.Even here in Hayward i would see them with 5 foot trunks and almost the same ruffled leaves.

Now i only find the regular selloum. I miss that plant. What happened?

[DoomsDave]

Wow, no wonder you're in love!

I've got one, but it's in the ground.  Got it from Peter in Woodland HIlls, Cal.

The pic below was glommed off Rancho Soledad's website, and they're in San Diego.

[DoomsDave]

Here's their URL:

CLICK HERE FOR RANCHO SOLEDAD

[Paul S]

Hmmmm....... still not in the UK, or even Europe as far as I know.  It should be.  High easy culture: tropical look coefficient.... said to be hardy enough for some frosts, too?

[Gonzer]

I remember when every other yard had an evansii and a bomb shelter.

[Dave-Vero]

Is it unreasonable to guess that there are Philodendrons growing outdoors in southern England?

I guess the ordinary big philodendron in Fla. is P. bipinattifidum.  The things were pretty hardy in Jacksonville even during the mini-ice age of the 1980s.  

http://www.aroid.org/genera/Philodendron/philowel.htm

My yard had two impressive clumps of the big philo, which I removed because (a) they harbored sizable colonies of carpenter ants, undesirable near the house,( both patches were expanding and were getting out of hand © hurricane landed a tree on one patch, and (d) the areas, with lots of organic matter and philo roots, made good sites for palms and heliconias.

The big philos are still planted, usually right up against houses, where the owners become unhappy after about 5 years!

[Paul S]

Hi Dave

Great link....

Philodendron bipinatifidum is growing in some gardens in the UK, mine included, but never that well.  Philodendrons seem to look most natural in shade, also logic would suggest that growing under an evergreen canopy would protect the plant from radiation frosts, but experience has shown me that this probably not the best place to try them.

Our growing season is fairly short and generally not consistently hot (though sometimes, like this year, quite warm) so growing back from any winter damage needs to happen as fast as possible.  So I guess the best place to grow them should be in full sun - I've certainly seen them growing in full sun in Mediterranean countries.  Just seems wrong, somehow....

But I am wondering with x evansii if it has any hybrid vigour which might make it regrow more quickly, thus allowing it to be grown in shadier spots with overhead canopy protection?

[Eric in Orlando]

I've always wondered why they aren't in the trade in FL. Around Orlando you occaisionally see them in older neighborhoods. They grow at about the same rate as P. bipinnatifidum (selloum) and have about the same hardiness. Back about 5 or 6 years ago I saw several wholesale nurseries in south FL growing them but not currently. There is also the similar P. 'Soledad' but I don't know the parentage. Is P. x evansii not suitable for tissue culture?

[Dave-Vero]

Eric, if P. x evansii is as vigorous and hardy as P. bipinattifidum, I guess its disappearance from the trade might simply be bad luck.  Unlike at the theme parks, home landscaping seems to go in the direction of extreme uniformity.  

Paul S., there's so many philodendrons that I would have expected the Brits or R.L Riffle  to find one that likes cool, damp weather.  I can assure you that P. bipinnatifidum (can't believe I sort of guessed the right name) thrived in my yard both in full sun and in summer shade, under a deciduous tree.  It's something I never saw outdoors in Portland, Oregon (zone 8b), which I think has a slightly cooler, wetter winter than London and a drier summer (at least from July through September).

Three years ago, someone with the London Symphony commented, during their week in Daytona Beach, that a spell of Florida summer weather would be a disaster for London's fragile old buildings (he was thinking of a ruined church the orchestra had rebuilt).  Little did he know that just a couple of weeks later, London was hotter than Daytona.

[Paul S]

Dave - yes, 3 years ago we had a hot summer - beat the all time record high for the UK one day in August with 38.1C.  Shaping up for similar this year, with one day this month recording the highest July temp on record at 36.4C.  I wonder how that church is... at least my philodendron is growing.....

...... but I don't think there is such a beast as a frost tolerant AND cool growing philodendron.  Unless x evansii does it...

[Stan]

First,i was going to make the same observation on the placement of those big ruffians..always near the front door walkway,or by the front corner-ha. Beats me.

And i think it's a cross of selloum/speciosa.Thats the same as the giant Philo. at the conservatory of S.F. that is over 130 years old and hits the rooftop.10 meters or more high. So,it's a wonder it is about as hardy as selloum.The local one took the 1990 big freeze of four straight nights of -6C or about 22f. What it couldnt take was a new homeowner that three years ago chopped it down

That's another topic.What is it with new home buyers who have no thought to chopping down decades old shrubs and trees--like they know better in just DAYS of owning their new home? .. arghhh.

[Eric in Orlando]

Here is a similar hybrid, Philodendron 'Soledad'. I think it was developed by Rancho Soledad nursery but I don't know the parentage, I imagine P. bipinnatifidum is one of them;

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph.....src=ph

Here is Philodendron speciosum, the other parent of P. x evansii. It is more tender than P. bipinnatifidum or P. x evansii, foliage burns in the upper 20sF. It also has a very colorful inflorescence;

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph.....src=ph

Here is the inflorescnece of P. speciosum;

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph.....src=ph

And last, here is Philodendron corcovadense. It is like a smaller self header; larger than P. 'Xanadu' but smaller than P. bipinnatifidum and P. x evansii. It survived 20F here back in 12/89. Its hardiness seems the same as P. bipinnatifidum

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph.....src=ph

[Paul S]

Eric - that is interesting about the hardiness of P. corcovadense - I'll see if it is in Europe anywhere.  But if all else fails, being a species, it will come ok from seed - unlike x evansii.

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.  I'll bet someone, somewhere, can find a phil that make it in the UK, especially in the south.

I'll do search . . . .

dave

[DoomsDave]

Oh, bloody '*ll, couldn't find anything specific.

If you're in the UK, just try one, see how it does.  They are TOUGH blighters, and I think it'll take more than a little frost to hurt them much.

dave

[Paul S]

If you're in the UK, just try one, see how it does

Dave - therein lies the problem - if I can get my herbicidal mits on one I'll give it a go, but if they aren't available in Europe I can't!  I generally have my finger on the pulse of what is newly available etc, and have not seen either x evansii or corcovadense (or 'Soledad', come to that) offered for sale.  P. 'Xanadu' is in circulation here as a houseplant - stone dead in it's first winter - plus P. bipinnatifidum as mentioned, but not the others.  This kind of stuff is generally at the whim of the growers in Holland where we get the vast majority of our houseplants from.

[DoomsDave]

(Paul S @ Aug. 01 2006,04:23)

QUOTE

If you're in the UK, just try one, see how it does

Dave - therein lies the problem - if I can get my herbicidal mits on one I'll give it a go, but if they aren't available in Europe I can't!  I generally have my finger on the pulse of what is newly available etc, and have not seen either x evansii or corcovadense (or 'Soledad', come to that) offered for sale.  P. 'Xanadu' is in circulation here as a houseplant - stone dead in it's first winter - plus P. bipinnatifidum as mentioned, but not the others.  This kind of stuff is generally at the whim of the growers in Holland where we get the vast majority of our houseplants from.

Hmm.

What are the quarantine regs like in the UK?

Sooner of later, I'll run across someone cutting down theirs, and I could post you a log or two or three that, with love and water, will root, then can be planted outside, where the experiments begin . . .

dave

[Paul S]

What are the quarantine regs like in the UK?

Depends how much information is given on the box..... people often forget to state exactly what is in there..... it happens quite a lot.....

But that is an extremely kind offer - just imagine how much of a contribution that would make to the furtherance of our knowledge and understanding (snip).... warm feeling inside knowing (snip)... etc etc.  

[Stan]

Jeez,mail me one too!

[DoomsDave]

So, after some stalking, here's a pic of mine:

dave

[tropicalb]

It's always in the way when i'm trying to get around the back yard...but i can't bring myself to get rid of this philo...it's too pretty:

[DoomsDave]

topicalb:

Looks like a plain old Selloum, I know the Brits would scream obscenities and guzzle Guiness, but it's different than evansii.

That said, it IS a purty pic, as we say here in 'Murka . . .

dave

[Dave-Vero]

Tropicalb, If you cut that selloum, there's likely to be a shoot from somewhere around the base.  

The leaf bases provide nice nest sites for carpenter ants.

[tropicalb]

Dave from So Cal...ya...it's a plain old Selloum...doesn't quite have the "beefyness" in the leaf structure of your evansii philo posted above...

i had that thing in the other corner of my yard in the shade for 3 years...never grew at ALL....moved it to the other side of the yard and it TOOK OFF!!!

Dave-Vero....yup...it's got lotsa pups at the base...I've taken a few and potted them with great success. Haven't noticed the ants...but you can bet i'm gonna take a good look around.

[DoomsDave]

Mine's an evansii, I'm convinced, it's beefier than Winston C . . .

dave

[asj2006]

Pics of Philodendron 'evansii'

It's a spectacular hybrid.

[DoomsDave]

asj!

Nice to meet you!

Tell us a bit more about your garden, and you, if so inclined.

We're all inclined to be interested!

dave

[asj2006]

Hehe...no garden...i live in NJ, so my plants go into the house when cold weather comes....I have plants in an upstairs room and temporarily in the downstairs living room...

The aroid to the left foreground is the usual Philodendron bipinnatifidum, and to its right is P. stenolobum. On the far right, barely seen, is P. xanadu. As you can see I tend to specialize in Meconostigma aroids.

[asj2006]

Another indoor pic of younger plants...

On the foreground is Philodendron "African Mask" (a hybrid of P. goeldii and P. bipinnatifidum), and to its left is what might be P. adamantinum. You can also see P. stenolobum to the right.

[asj2006]

Leaf of a would be P. adamantinum....I like the leathery shiny look of its leaves

[asj2006]

My interest in this hybrid resulted in some research that I did trying to find its origins.

I must say, the plant has some interesting history behind it.

You can read about it here:

On the Origins of Philodendron x evansii

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Leaf of a would be P. adamantinum....I like the leathery shiny look of its leaves

I bought a very small number of liners of P. evansii 5 years or so ago. They were potted up into one gallon pots and set on the ground in an open bamboo grove. When winter set in I went to move them into my greenhouse, but they were rooted into the ground. I ripped them out except one which I decided to leave in place to check it's cold hardiness. I raked a few leaves around the pot and over it but just enough to hide the pot not a thick layer. I covered the leaves with a garbage bag to keep them dry and then set a larger upturned nursery pot over that to keep the leaves and plastic bag in place. It was minimal cover for such a tropical plant. That winter it got down to 16F. The next spring, the leaves had settled down to even less cover but when I removed the protection it was already growing. This small root bound plant was left there for the next 4 winters with no more protection than previousy described. It saw 14F and still survived well. I did not do much more than water it over summers and really tried my best to abuse it but it still sprouted back each year. Last year I finally ripped the pot from the ground and potted it up in a larger pot as it had proven it's cold hardiness in my coastal North Carolina climate. While I have not tested it against P. selloum, which is also hardy here, it does appear to be a little more cold hardy. Rare Palm Seeds sells seeds of it.

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Leaf of a would be P. adamantinum....I like the leathery shiny look of its leaves

I bought a very small number of liners of P. evansii 5 years or so ago. They were potted up into one gallon pots and set on the ground in an open bamboo grove. When winter set in I went to move them into my greenhouse, but they were rooted into the ground. I ripped them out except one which I decided to leave in place to check it's cold hardiness. I raked a few leaves around the pot and over it but just enough to hide the pot not a thick layer. I covered the leaves with a garbage bag to keep them dry and then set a larger upturned nursery pot over that to keep the leaves and plastic bag in place. It was minimal cover for such a tropical plant. That winter it got down to 16F. The next spring, the leaves had settled down to even less cover but when I removed the protection it was already growing. This small root bound plant was left there for the next 4 winters with no more protection than previousy described. It saw 14F and still survived well. I did not do much more than water it over summers and really tried my best to abuse it but it still sprouted back each year. Last year I finally ripped the pot from the ground and potted it up in a larger pot as it had proven it's cold hardiness in my coastal North Carolina climate. While I have not tested it against P. selloum, which is also hardy here, it does appear to be a little more cold hardy. Rare Palm Seeds sells seeds of it.

Does anyone know a mail order source for a single small plant of P. 'Soledad'. I have sought this one for years but no one seems to list it except the wholesaler that produces it.

[asj2006]

Last year I finally ripped the pot from the ground and potted it up in a larger pot as it had proven it's cold hardiness in my coastal North Carolina climate. While I have not tested it against P. selloum, which is also hardy here, it does appear to be a little more cold hardy. Rare Palm Seeds sells seeds of it.

Well, since one of its parents is P. bipinnatifidum, I guess that may explain its cold-hardiness. On the flip side, I've noticed it seems to be a bit more susceptible to infections and diseases.

[ErikSJI]

Bump.

[ErikSJI]

Hybrid.

[ErikSJI]

Sorry the photo above is just a typical Selloum. Here is the hybrid.

[Tropicdoc]

Erik, do you ever root cuttings of that hybrid to sell or trade?

[Alicehunter2000]

Interesting!

[mnorell]

P. 'Evansii' is very easy to identify and familiar to those of us who grew up in SoCal in the '60s and '70s. It has very little scalloping/indenting at the margin, and much larger leaf area, compared to P. selloum, plus a unique, almost 'crumpled' quality to the fabric of the leaf once it's mature (and in my experience the plant takes a while before it really shows its mature qualities...heavily delayed if the plant is frozen back year after year). It was developed by Evans and Reeves nursery in the '40s and that's why Bill Evans spec'd it all over the jungle cruise at Disneyland. I'll bet it's all over Disney World as well, since Evans did that park too. I'm sure Eric Schmidt can confirm if that's the case. I grow it at my garden up in Natchez, Mississippi, and it is just as resilient as P. selloum after Deep South freezes despite one of its parents being the very tropical P. speciosum. But as I noted above, when it gets hit by hard, hard freezes every year and has to start from the roots, it doesn't develop its adult leaf-form as it takes more than one season to do so. Frankly I don't think I see any in the pics above except doomsdave's. Many plants sold as this hybrid are something else. Dan Andersen sells the real deal...unless my memory is failing me, I'm pretty sure that's where I got mine.