Philodendron bipennifolium
S. Venezuela to N. & E. Brazil; wet tropical forest
First described by Schott.
Glossy green, multi-lobed leaves resembling a fiddle or horse head; upper lobes broaden and the shape becomes more complex with maturity.
Hemiepiphytic climber; foliage becomes larger and more dramatically lobed with a moss pole and bright light.
Genus from Greek 'philo' (love) + 'dendron' (tree), referring to many species' habit of climbing trees. Epithet 'bipennifolium' means 'with twice-feathered leaves', describing the lobed foliage.
Philodendron bipennifolium (Schott) is native from southern Venezuela to northern and eastern Brazil. A climbing hemiepiphyte, it is grown for its distinctive glossy, multi-lobed leaves shaped like a fiddle or a horse's head, with the lateral lobes becoming more pronounced as the plant matures on a support.
Give bright indirect light and a moss pole to bring out the mature fiddle-shaped leaves. Use an airy aroid mix, water when the top 2–3 cm dries, and keep moderate-to-high humidity. An adaptable, forgiving climber.
Airy aroid mix (40% orchid bark, 40% coco coir, 20% perlite). Repot every 18–24 months in spring; pair with a moss pole.
Monthly during growing season (spring–summer)
- Root rot from overwatering; juvenile/unlobed leaves persist without a support; spider mites in dry air; brown tips from low humidity.
- Its lobed leaves are said to resemble a fiddle or a horse's head, giving it both common names.
- Leaf shape changes with age — lobes multiply and deepen as the plant climbs.
- It's one of the parents of the popular Philodendron 'Florida' hybrid line.