Tree Philodendron problems & how to fix them
Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum
Drooping, yellowing, brown tips, or a plant that just won’t thrive? Here are the most common Tree Philodendron problems, what usually causes them, and how to turn things around.
Common problems
Overwatering
Large pots stay wet for weeks; yellow lower leaves usually mean too much water, not too little. The soil is staying wet longer than the plant can handle, starving roots of oxygen. If caught before roots start rotting, the fix is simple - let the soil dry out and adjust the routine - and most plants bounce back within 2-3 weeks.
a yellowing lower leaf on a potted Chinese evergreen
Photo: Saurav9656 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Etiolation (insufficient light)
Low light produces long weak petioles that flop instead of standing. The plant is stretching toward light it isn't getting: long gaps between leaves, pale thin growth, and leaning. Stretched growth never compacts again, but with more light all new growth comes in full and sturdy - the plant's future is good.
etiolated seedlings stretching pale toward the light
Photo: சஞ்சீவி சிவகுமார் · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Spider mites
The broad leaf surfaces show stippling in dry heated rooms. Tiny sap-sucking mites that thrive in warm, dry air and leave fine webbing and speckled leaves. Caught early they are very treatable; most plants recover fully within 3-4 weeks of consistent treatment.
a two-spotted spider mite among its silk threads
Photo: Gilles San Martin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Rootbound
A vigorous root system will crack plastic pots and dry out fast when packed. The plant has outgrown its pot: roots circle the inside, crowd out the soil, and can no longer hold water or nutrients well. Repotting into a slightly larger pot almost always fixes it, with the plant perking up within a few weeks.
a root-bound root ball, roots circling the pot's shape
Photo: Keith Williamson · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The mistakes that most often kill it
- Overwatering a large, slow-drying pot in winter.
- Confining a naturally huge plant to a dark corner.
- Repotting into a pot several sizes too large, keeping roots wet for weeks.
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