Species · genus Philodendron · Araceae

Split Leaf Climber

Philodendron radiatum Schott

Growth habit

climber

Native range

Mexico Southeast

Philodendron radiatum — reference photo — jimmex · CC0

Cultivars of P. radiatum

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

No named cultivars catalogued under P. radiatum 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 Aroid

Philodendron radiatum is an accepted species in the arum family, Araceae, growing as a climber. It is used medicinally in parts of its native range, alongside its role as an ornamental foliage plant.

Source: Kew

From Mexico to Colombia

This species was first described by Schott and published in 1853. Its native range stretches from Mexico south through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, into northern Colombia, where it grows within the wet tropical biome.

Source: Kew

Deeply Lobed Foliage

The variety radiatum carries long petioles, from roughly 33 to 108 centimetres, supporting blades that are deeply lobed almost to the midrib, sometimes reaching over a metre long. Its inflorescences appear one to a few per leaf axil, with a spathe up to 25 centimetres long wrapped around a shorter spadix. Flowering has been recorded chiefly in February, August and September, with mature fruit seen only in February and May.

Source: Kew

Care recipe

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

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–29 °C

Soil mix

Chunky, well-draining aroid mix with bark and perlite

Propagation

Stem cuttings with a node rooted in water or mix

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araceae contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which irritate mouth and digestive tissues if chewed. 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.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Split Leaf Climber yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.