Philodendron ornatum

Trinidad-Tobago through S. Tropical America; wet tropical forest

First described by Schott.

Large, glossy heart-shaped leaves; juvenile foliage silver-blotched, maturing to deep green with a faintly quilted surface and pale veins.

Robust hemiepiphytic climber; leaves enlarge with a moss pole and good light.

Genus from Greek 'philo' (love) + 'dendron' (tree), referring to many species' habit of climbing trees. Epithet 'ornatum' means 'adorned/ornate', for the decorative leaves.

Philodendron ornatum (Schott) ranges from Trinidad and Tobago through tropical South America. A robust climber, it has large, glossy green leaves that show silvery blotches in the juvenile stage and develop a quilted texture and pale veining with age. It was once treated as synonymous with P. sodiroi.

An easy, vigorous climber: bright indirect light, a moss pole, an airy mix kept lightly moist, and moderate-to-high humidity. Juvenile silver markings fade with maturity, which is normal.

• Root rot from overwatering; smaller leaves without a support; spider mites in dry air; brown tips from low humidity.

• Juvenile leaves are silver-blotched, maturing to large glossy green adult foliage.
• It was once lumped together with Philodendron sodiroi before being recognised separately.
• It's a robust, forgiving climber despite its exotic looks.