Hi there! Welcome to Mindful Monstera. One of my absolute favorite plants is philodendron brasil. You might also know it as the heartleaf philodendron. This plant has the prettiest heart shaped leaves which are split between a dark green and a lime green. In this blog post i’m going writing about how to care for the Philodendron Brasil. I’ve had my philodendron brasil for about 2 or so years now and oh my goodness it is thriving!! Progress photos below!! It is truly one of my favorite plants and it’s absolutely gorgeous. There is no denying that.
Now, not to brag or anything but I got my plant from Walmart for around $4. I bought two small pots and now my plant is 5x the original size! With that in mind I think I know a thing or two about how to keep this plant happy. I’m going to discuss temp requirements, light requirements, humidity requirements, fertilizer requirements, fun facts about the philodendron brasil, and the don’ts of the philodendron brasil. Let’s get reading and learn how to care for your philodendron brasil!!
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Overview of Philodendron Brasil
The philodendron brasil is native to Central America and the Caribbean. This plant is also a vining plant. In its natural habitat it can grow on trees. With that said the philodendron brasil can hang from a basket and be a beautiful trailing plant or it can be taught to climb. This plant has distinct characteristics with the heart shaped leaves that are shiny. These leaves are dark green mixed with light green. None of my leaves have the same pattern.
This plant is part of the Araceae family. You might recognize this as an Aroids. The common Aroids are the pothos plants, the zz plants, the monstera plants, and the philodendron plants.
Water and Temperature requirements
The lowest temperature for the philodendron brasil should be 60F degrees out. Now I will admit I have fallen asleep with my window open at night and it’s was 50F degrees out. My Plant is fine and has continued to grow BUT it’s not worth the risk. I ended moving my plant to a different room to prevent it from getting cold drafts. I keep my apartments at 67F sometimes 65F because I like the cold just for a frame of reference. Back to the facts. The ideal temperature range is 70-80F degrees, but like I said a little cooler might not be the worst things.
I water my plant when the soil is dry. Put your finger 2 inches in the soil. If it’s dry. Water it. Personally, I wait until the plant leaves droop just a little. My plant seems to be really sensitive to overwatering so that’s my method for not overwatering my it.
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Humidity Requirements
As I stated in the overview the philodendron brasil is native to Central America and the Caribbean. Theses places are more tropical and have higher humidity levels. The ideal humidity range is 60-80%. Most homes don’t have this level of humidity, so there are a few things you can do.
Ways to reach the humidity requirements for the Philodendron Brasil
- spray bottle.
- Mist your plant once or twice a week with room temp water.
- pebble trey
- Some people say it works some do not. but even if it doesn’t its at least aesthetic, right?
- invest in a humidifier.
- Having a humidify around for your plants is a good idea in general, especially if you don’t want to remember to mist your plants or bring them to the shower. The best and most consistent method.
- the shower method!
- You can do the shower method a couple ways.
- The first way is when you go to shower bring your plant into the bathroom and set it on the vanity. While you shower the plant gets humidity. I will leave my plant in the bathroom for 30 or so minutes post shower as well.
- The second way is a showering session for all your plants and by doing this the plant gets watered and it gets it’s much needed humidity! My big tip here is make sure the water pressure isn’t too high! and test the water temp for room temperature.
- You can do the shower method a couple ways.
this humidifier is great because it can connect to your google assistant or amazon assistant to make things easier! Click the link or photo tho Shop!
Light and Soil Requirements
This plant is known for being a low light plant. It does not need or like direct sunlight. In fact, direct sunlight can burn the leave and we don’t want that. The philodendron brasil can grow in low light settings, but the leaves might not have the striking two toned greens. The best lighting is bright indirect sunlight. For my plant, I have it positioned where it gets bright indirect sunlight for the morning part of the day because it’s in an east facing window. My plant truly loves it it there.
For the soil requirements: WELL DRAINING. This plant loves a well draining soil. Having a good well draining is important for this plant because it helps prevent root rot. I do have my plant in standard well draining potting mix. You can look for mixtures that are targeted towards the aroid plant population and those should work as well.
Fertilizer Methods for the Philodendron Brasil
I have two way in which I have fertilized my Philodendron Brasil. The first is the indoor plant food by miracle gro. I know not everyone is a fan of this and it’s not organic per se. For this method diluted one pump into 16 fluid ounces of water and mixed it in. I then water my plant with 8 fluid ounces and give the other 8 fluid ounces to another plant. I do this every 4-5 weeks in the months from April to July. If you fertilize during the winter months you can push your fertilizing session out every 6 or so weeks. I’m sometimes forgetful. I’m not the best at fertilizing in the winter months.
My second method for fertilizing my plant is adding worm castings to my plants soil. I have been adding worm castings to all my plants for about 3 years now and they love it! I add the worm castings once a year. Worm castings are a great way to add organic matter back into the soil. It’s a great way to care for the philodendron brasil.
Small leaves on the Philodendron Brasil
This can often be a variety of issues. The plant might not be receiving enough light. You might consider moving the plant to a more well light bright indirect place within your home. It could be a fertilizer issue in which the plant is lacking the nutrients it needs to reach it full potential. Humidity could be an issue as well. You might need to consider investing in a humidifier to help care for your philodendron brasil.
Air Purifying
If you care for the philodendron brasil. The philodendron will care for you. This plant can filter out carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Here’s the link to the NASA Indoor Air pollution Study to read more!!
Thus, if you are curious about air purifiers here is my recommendations.
this is a hepa filter
- filters dust, smoke, mold, and pollens
- also connects to smart devices
Toxic
Yes. Don’t let your dogs or cats eat the plant and do not let humans eat the plant. Here is a link to poison control center with more information about philodendrons being toxic.
More Plant Guides from Me
- Houseplants You Won’t Kill (Great for People Without Green Thumbs)
- The ZZ Plant: Beginner’s Guide
- The Beginner’s Guide: Monstera Deliciosa
- Marble Queen Pothos: 5 Tips
Where to Find the Philodendron Brasil
walmart, lowes, local plant shops
Don’ts of the Philodendron Brasil
- overwater
- forget to inspect for pests before you buy
- don’t let them get too cold
- don’t over pay
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