Philodendron verrucosum
Costa Rica to Peru (incl. Panama, Colombia, Ecuador); ~50–2000 m, wet tropical forest
First described by L.Mathieu ex Schott.
Large, velvety heart-shaped leaves, dark green with pale green veins above and reddish flush beneath; petioles covered in soft bristly hairs.
Hemiepiphytic climber; leaf size and velvet intensify with a moss pole and high humidity.
Genus from Greek 'philo' (love) + 'dendron' (tree), referring to many species' habit of climbing trees. Epithet 'verrucosum' means 'warty/covered in small projections', referring to the bristly, hairy petioles.
Philodendron verrucosum (L.Mathieu ex Schott) ranges from Costa Rica to Peru across a wide elevation band. It is a hemiepiphytic climber prized for velvety, iridescent leaves with pale green veins and reddish undersides, and especially for its distinctive petioles densely covered in soft hair-like bristles ('verrucose').
One of the more demanding velvet philodendrons: it wants high humidity (ideally 70%+), warm stable temperatures, and a very airy mix on a moss pole. Bright indirect light only — direct sun scorches the velvet. Keep evenly moist but never soggy; the bristly petioles and velvet leaves resent water sitting on them.
Very airy mix (50% orchid bark, 30% coco chips/coir, 20% perlite plus charcoal). Repot when roots fill the pot; pair with a moss pole from the start.
Monthly during growing season (spring–summer)
- Root rot in dense or wet mix; crispy edges and stalled growth below ~60% humidity; spider mites/thrips in dry air; sensitive to cold drafts.
- The species name 'verrucosum' refers to the warty, bristly hairs covering its petioles — a key ID feature.
- Its velvety leaves can show an almost iridescent sheen in the right light.
- It grows across an unusually wide elevation range, from lowlands to ~2000 m, making local forms quite variable.