Species · genus Philodendron

Philodendron billietiae

Philodendron billietiae Croat

Reference · P. billietiae

Cultivars of P. billietiae

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under P. billietiae yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A Climbing Amazonian Aroid

Philodendron billietiae is a climbing evergreen aroid grown for its long, spear-shaped leaves and bright orange-yellow stalks. It is a relatively undemanding houseplant once its basic climbing and moisture needs are met.

Source: RHS

Native to Northern South America

This species comes from the wet tropical forests of the Guianas and northern Brazil, in Pará, where it grows as a climber through the canopy. It was first described by Croat and published in 1995.

Source: Kew

Bright Shade, Even Moisture

Grow this philodendron in an open, well-drained yet moisture-retentive mix, such as one built from lava rock or pumice, fine fir bark, and leafmould or chopped sphagnum, set in bright but diffused light. Let the surface dry slightly before watering thoroughly in the growing season, water less in winter as growth slows, and feed monthly with a liquid houseplant fertiliser from April to September, stopping over winter.

Source: RHS

Stem and Leaf Cuttings

New plants are raised from stem-tip cuttings or leaf bud cuttings.

Source: RHS

Long Leaves, Orange Stalks

Mature plants produce leathery, glossy, dark green leaves with wavy, ridged edges that can reach up to 90 centimetres long, each hanging vertically from a distinctive orange-yellow leaf stalk. Given the right conditions, mature specimens may occasionally flower, showing an orange-green spathe wrapped around a cream spadix.

Source: RHS

Watch for Scale and Mites

Keep an eye out for scale insects, glasshouse red spider mite, and mealybugs, which are the pests most likely to trouble this plant. It is otherwise generally free of disease.

Source: RHS

Repot Every Few Years

This philodendron needs no routine pruning. Repot roughly every two to three years to refresh the growing medium and give the roots room.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified
Light
admin:reviewed
Water
admin:reviewed
Humidity
ai:claude-sonnet-5
Soil
ai:claude-fable-5
Care
ai:claude-fable-5
Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 7 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

18–29 °C

Soil mix

Chunky, well-draining aroid mix of bark, perlite and coir

Propagation

Stem cuttings with a node rooted in water or moist mix

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for elongated arrow-shaped leaves

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: admin:reviewed · ai:claude-sonnet-5 · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Philodendron billietiae yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.

Sign in to add what you know →