Philodendron Hardiness

[Manalto]

This past winter I had to leave Mobile in January and didn't return until early May. I had shuttled plants back and forth too many times so this time I tucked those in containers up against the side of the garage under heavy cover of Sabal minor, with the 'Brasil' at the base of an oak.  As far as I know, temperatures went down into the high twenties (the brutally cold freezes that hit Texas just grazed us here on the Gulf Coast). When I returned in May, I wasn't surprised to see dead stems where the philodendron (P. hederaceum 'Brasil' and 'Congo Rojo') used to be. But, lo and behold...

The 'Congo Rojo' regrew from the roots. I was doubly pleased to see 'Brasil' do the same.

This was an experiment to see if the leaves would get larger climbing up the trunk of a live oak.

My other plain P. hederaceum that had even less protection are slowly recuperating, too.

I'd love to hear others' experience about philodendrons that survive in zone 8B.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Manalto

[aabell]

Nice recovery.  I don't have any personal experience zone pushing Philos, but I know the common bipinnatifidum is extremely hardy, possibly down to single digits F in rare cases. Although maybe not in Texas this year because it was such an extended freeze. Do people plant those in the landscaping in Mobile?

[Manalto]

Yes. P.  bipinnatifidum is available at nurseries, and not an unusual sight in the landscape but also, mercifully,  not overused, as I've seen in parts of Florida.  

Last year I caught a glimpse of a big-leafed vine scrambling up a tree not far from my house. I think it was a philodendron, but let too much time go by, forgot which street it was on, and haven't been able to find it again. This is what inspired me to try one on my tree. My understanding is that the arborescent forms tend to be hardier than the vining types.

PS - I'm thinking that 'Brasil' must be a stable form. Don't variegated plants in general often revert when subjected to heavy stress?

Edited June 30, 2021 by Manalto

[metalfan]

I have had Philodendron Jose Buono in the ground for going on 5 years. In a mild winter it doesn;t do anything negative, last winter it froze all the leaves off when we got the tail end of that Gulf Coast Arctic wave and had 2 nights around 25. But its already grown back

[Manalto]

9 hours ago, metalfan said:

I have had Philodendron Jose Buono in the ground for going on 5 years. In a mild winter it doesn;t do anything negative, last winter it froze all the leaves off when we got the tail end of that Gulf Coast Arctic wave and had 2 nights around 25. But its already grown back

Thanks, Gina. That's a nice-looking cultivar. I hope you got it before philodendron prices skyrocketed. Yikes! Looking up 'Jose Buono' led me to the story on 'Pink Princess' and the fraudulent 'Pink Congo.'

[Keys6505]

13 hours ago, Manalto said:

PS - I'm thinking that 'Brasil' must be a stable form. Don't variegated plants in general often revert when subjected to heavy stress?

I've had Brasil go all green in ground with too much sun.

My Bipinnifitidum was about 12' tall (the trunks were supported with a pole system) with a crown that spread about 8' and it was killed outright in the freeze here this year.  I'm just south of Houston.  I've done a ton of searching online and haven't come up with much in the way of hardy philos.  Anything I did find traces back to the Bipinnifitidum.  I have a few Xanadu, a "Revolution" and a Subincisum in ground to see how they'll handle a normal 9a winter.  Other than "Hope" I'm running out of named Bipinnifitidum hybrids that I can find.  I already know the Xanadu should be fine, but I had the Subincisum in ground last year and panicked and dug it up the day before the freeze and replanted in the spring.  I also have a Epipremnim Aureum and some M. Adasonii that grew back from the roots after being unprotected in the freeze, although the ground had a layer of leaves that may have helped.

 

[Xenon]

Anyone have experience with Philodendron hastatum ("silver sword") in the ground in 9a? 

Most "Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum" (P.  selloum for short) in the Houston area came back from the ground/base. Aerial trunks are all dead for the most part 

[metalfan]

13 hours ago, Manalto said:

Thanks, Gina. That's a nice-looking cultivar. I hope you got it before philodendron prices skyrocketed. Yikes! Looking up 'Jose Buono' led me to the story on 'Pink Princess' and the fraudulent 'Pink Congo.'

I've had Jose since about 2008-9. I paid $13 for it. I have that planted out, the one that is being called 'Dark Lord' but is actually a very old hybrid from the 1970's called King of Spades, Philodendron tripartitum, Thaumatophyllum Xanadu,  Monstera deliciosa both variegated and green. Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (selloum) is 100% hardy here. Many people use it for privacy screens in older neighborhoods where houses are about 15 feet apart LOL. Its not called the 'tree philodendron' for nothing

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by metalfan

[Manalto]

'Brasil' update

Will the leaves get large as it scrambles up the tree?