The lovely broadly heart-shaped light green leaves contrasted with the extraordinary maroon or rich-red fuzzy petioles make Philodendron nangaritense a beauty to add to your home or office today.
You will love this plant even more when a new leaf unfurls. It is deep pinkish and has reddish petioles. However, as it hardens, the leaf turns green.
Here is everything you need to know about Philodendron nangaritense, including care, prices, and places to buy it. We will also talk about Philodendron nangaritense x werneri hybrid.
Lastly, if you want to know how this aroid differs from the Philodendron Fuzzy Petiole, we have discussed it under Philodendron Fuzzy Petiole, which includes care.
About Philodendron nangaritense
Philodendron nangaritense is an unpublished plant species first collected by Dr. Thomas Croat in 2005. He couldn’t describe it as he couldn’t get enough specimens. The epithet nangaritense probably comes from Rio Nangaritza, where Dr. Croat collected the first sample.
- Scientific name: Philodendron nangaritense ined.
- Family: Araceae
- Native habitat: Ecuador
- Care level: Easy or low maintenance
- Toxicity: Mildly toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. Why? Because it has insoluble calcium oxalate.
- Propagation: Stem cutting
1. Growing habits, size, and growth rate
Philodendron nangaritense is a terrestrial creeping plant more Philodendron gloriosum, mamei, or plowmanii. However, it may have short hemiepiphytic stems.
It occurs almost exclusively in an Ecuadorian rainforest valley near Río Nangaritza, Provincia de Zamora-Chinchipe, at about 3700 feet above sea level. As you may know, Zamora-Chinchipe is one of the world’s richest biodiversity locations.
Nangaritense has a moderate growth rate and can reach up to three feet tall. However, if trained to climb, it may be a bit taller, up to 4-6 feet.
2. How to identifyPhilodendron nangaritense plant
Philodendron nangaritense has thin, fragile, nearly to broadly heart-shaped light green leaves with a slightly glossy upper side and a paler matte underside. In the wild, these leaves can grow more than 2 feet (24 inches), but we have not had a plant with such large leaves.
One striking and perhaps the most charming feature is the rich reddish or deep maroon (sometimes dark green) petiole with warty or tiny hard whitish tipped tubercles that make them fuzzy, like the Philodendron Squamiferum Poepp. They create a perfect contrast with the green leaves.
However, nangaritense will have deep pinkish leaves with reddish petioles when emerging. But as they harden, the leaves will slowly turn greenish.
Lastly, P. nangaritense has to repent creeping stems with short internodes with reddish cataphylls.
Philodendron nangaritense x werneri hybrid
The Philodendron nangaritense x werneri hybrid’s creator is unknown, and this plant doesn’t have an official name yet.
This plant borrows from both parents, i.e., it has a climbing habit like werneri and leaves with reddish petioles like nangaritense. However, unlike nangaritense, its petiole is not as fuzzy. Instead, it only has a few tiny bumps.
When new leaves emerge, they are orange/pinkish. However, as they harden, they turn green.
Lastly, this rare hybrid goes for $50 – $125, and only a few rare aroid collectors have it on sale. You have to dig deep to find it.
Caring for Philodendron nangaritense
Philodendron nangaritense grows best in a warm, humid place with a bright, indirect. Select a potting mix that drains, is airy, and is rich in organic matter, and water it when the top few inches of the potting mix feel dry. Don’t forget it needs pruning, feeding, repotting, etc.
Here is how to care for your nangaritense plant:
1. Growing conditions – temp., humidity, and light
Nangaritense will grow best in a warm (55-80°F), humid (60% or more) place with bright, indirect light. Avoid spots near heat sources/vents, including appliances that emit heat and cold drafts.
Inside your house, place this plant where direct sunlight cannot hit it, as it will burn leaves. This plant can still tolerate medium light, but you must buy grow lights if your room is dark. Otherwise, it will grow slowly and have smaller, paler new leaves.
While it loves humidity, nangaritense can tolerate normal home humidity, i.e., at least 40% or more. If yours is low, get a humidifier, make a pebble tray, mist your plant or try other ways to raise humidity.
Lastly, if you live in USDA zone 10-11, tropics or subtropics, you can grow this plant outdoors in a shaded area (50%). However, move potted plants indoors when the temperature falls below 50°F.
2. Which soil is best for nangaritense plants?
The best soil for this aroid should be well-drained, airy, and rich in organic matter – it is not fussy and can grow even in peat moss alone.
I use aroid mix (see Etsy.com). You can also buy one or make it by adding perlite, peat moss, bark chips, and compost to your potting soil. A little horticultural charcoal will only make things better.
3. How to properly water Philodendron nangaritense
To know it is watering time, I either use my soil moisture meter or my finger to test the soil. If the meter reads dry (three or less for XLUX) or my finger fills dry up the first knuckle, it is time to water.
I never follow any watering schedule as water needs vary with conditions and other things. I recommend you don’t.
When watering, I thoroughly saturate the potting mix with water until excess flows from drainage holes. Afterward, I discard any that collects in the saucer after 15 minutes.
4. Does it need fertilizer?
P. nangaritense is a moderate feeder. I feed it at least once a month with a balanced, liquid fertilizer during the growing months. If the fertilizer is dilute, like Miracle-Gro NPK 1:1:1, I apply it twice.
You don’t have to stick with balanced liquid formulas only. Slow-release or unbalanced ones, including from brands like Espoma, Joyful Dirt, J.R. Peter, Jobes’s Osmocote, etc., still work well.
5. Additional care needs
Besides the above, here are additional care needs for this plant.
- Pruning: Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased leaves/parts; in growing months, you can cut back a few stems to control growth. Use sterilized gardening scissors.
- Repotting: Repotting is after 1-2 years if you let it climb. Use a pot 2-3 inches wider than the current one. If you let it creep, you must pick the largest planter possible.
Problems and issues
Pests like aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, or scale insects are uncommon indoors. Also, we haven’t had any instances of diseases (leaf spots, southern blight, and dasheen mosaic virus).
One issue you may have is root rot, especially if you overwater your plants or grow them in poorly draining soil.
Also, wrong growing conditions, improper care, and sometimes pests or diseases may cause the following:
- Leaf discoloration: Leaves turning yellow, black, or brown, including having spots and brown tips and edges
- Plant drooping
- Leaves curling
- Defoliation
Where do I buy P. nangaritense?
- Etsy.com
- eBay
- Search on google for other nearby vendors.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. P. nangaritense is a rare plant to find in the ornamental trade. You are unlikely to find it even with specialty tropical plant stores, and none of the large-scale growers have it.
Philodendron nangaritense price ranges from $30 to $120. However, unrooted, rooted, or starter plants may cost less than $20.
It depends. Since it creeps on the ground and can climb, you can choose to give and train it on a moss pole or not. If you don’t, you must ensure it has as large a pot as possible to provide it with space for horizontal growth.