Houseplant · Araceae
Xanadu Philodendron
Philodendron xanadu
Under bright, indirect light and steady moisture, this self-heading philodendron unfurls its deeply cut, glossy green blades into a full rounded clump.
Bright indirect
65–75°F · 18–24°C
USDA 9–11
2–5 ft · 0.6–1.5 m
Overview
The Xanadu philodendron is a compact, self-heading houseplant whose deeply lobed, glossy green leaves are its whole appeal. Each blade is carved into fingerlike segments and catches the light along its polished surface. It belongs to the arum family and descends from Philodendron bipinnatifidum, though it holds its own as a patented selection.
The plant piles those cut leaves into a low, rounded clump that rises straight from the crown, since the self-heading habit keeps the stems short and upright rather than climbing. No staking or training props it up. Older blades sit long and broad toward the outside while tighter, fresher leaves push up through the center.
At full size the clump spreads a wide 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) across, an overlapping mound of glossy green fingers. Under the right conditions the plant can lift a dark red spathe from among the leaves, the arum family's hooded flower structure. It is the leaves, though, layered and deeply cut, that carry the look.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, soil kept evenly moist but never soggy, and a warm room between 65°F and 75°F (18°C to 24°C) keep the glossy, deeply cut blades firm. Feed monthly through spring and summer, and give the spreading clump room.
Light
Under bright, indirect light the blades grow fullest and hold their deep cuts and polished sheen on a compact frame. The plant tolerates partial shade and even deep shade better than most houseplants, but in true gloom the leaves spread apart and the stems stretch leggy. Harsh midday sun scorches the glossy surface.
Water
Kept evenly moist through active growth, with only the surface drying between waterings, the leaves stay firm and glossy. Its moderate drought tolerance means a brief dry spell leaves no mark, while standing water is another matter. Overwatering is the most common reason the green blades yellow.
Soil
A rich, humus-heavy mix that holds moisture yet drains freely feeds the dense crown of roots. Texture matters little, and the plant grows in sand, loam, or clay, from acidic to slightly alkaline. A pot left waterlogged is the one thing it will not forgive.
Temperature
Indoors the plant holds best at a steady 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C), ordinary room warmth for most homes. It has no frost tolerance, so cold drafts and chilly windowsills in winter can blacken the leaf edges.
Humidity
Average household humidity keeps the foliage supple, so there is no number to chase. A little extra moisture in the air holds the leaves at their glossy best and helps keep spider mites off them, since those pests dull the surface in hot, dry rooms.
Feeding
A balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer monthly through spring and summer fuels the flush of new, tightly rolled leaves. Ease off through fall and winter as growth slows. Steady, light feeding builds firmer foliage than the occasional heavy dose.
Pruning
This is a low-maintenance plant whose self-heading crown needs little shaping. Simply cut old, yellowed, or damaged blades away at the base as they tire. Wear gloves or wash up afterward, since a severed stem beads with an irritating sap.
Repotting
Repot every 1 to 2 years, or once pale roots push through the drainage holes, growth slows, or water runs straight through the pot. Move it up to the next pot size with fresh mix in spring. The dense, wide-spreading root mass welcomes the extra room.
Size & spacing
A mature plant stands 2 to 5 feet (61 to 152 cm) tall and mounds a broad 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) across in overlapping cut leaves. Give the clump floor space and room for air to move through the layered blades rather than a crowded shelf.
Troubleshooting
Most trouble shows plainly on the plant itself, on the blades or down among the stems. Overwatering is the usual cause, with a few common houseplant pests behind it. Look closely at what has changed on the leaves below and step in early.
Green draining from the lowest leaves upward
When the glossy green fades from the lowest leaves and the yellow washes higher across the clump, the cause is almost always overwatering rather than hunger. The roots sit swamped in wet soil with no path for the water to escape. Let the surface of the mix dry before the next watering, set the plant where the pot drains freely, and lift the yellowed, softened leaves away at the base.
Fix:
- Allow soil to dry slightly before next watering
- Ensure the pot and soil drain freely
- Remove badly yellowed leaves at the base
A dull bronze stipple veiled in thin webbing
A fine pinprick stippling that dulls the leaf's gloss to a tired bronze, laced with gossamer webbing, marks spider mites, and hot, dry air is what draws them in. Tip a leaf toward the light and the undersides reveal minute specks on the move among the threads. Rinse the foliage until it runs clean, wipe each leaf by hand, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and hold the plant apart from the rest until the sheen returns.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves clean
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the affected plant
Cottony white knots or waxy brown bumps on the stems
Soft, cottony white knots tucked into the leaf joints are mealybugs, while the low, waxy brown limpet-shaped bumps clamped to the stems are scale, and both weep a sticky, glistening honeydew. Touch each insect with an alcohol-soaked swab to break it loose. Follow with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and return to the plant until no fresh specks dot the stems.
Fix:
- Dab insects with an alcohol-moistened swab
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Repeat treatments until clear
Fresh leaves curling under clustered insects
Soft-bodied aphids cluster thick along the tender, still-unfurling leaves, and slender thrips scrape the surface to a fine silvery stipple. A hard stream of water knocks the aphids loose, insecticidal soap clears the stragglers, and the most twisted, chewed growth comes away with a cut. Keep feeding light for now, since a rush of soft, pale new shoots is exactly the tissue these insects seek out.
Fix:
- Rinse off aphids with a stream of water
- Treat with insecticidal soap
- Remove heavily infested growth
Brown flecks pooling across the green blades
Discrete brown flecks, some ringed by a soft yellow halo, break the smooth green of the blades and come from fungal leaf-spot that settles on foliage left wet. Damp, close air lets the marks multiply and creep. Snip away the spotted leaves, thin the clump so air threads through it, and pour water at the soil so the blades dry quickly.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid wetting foliage when watering
Toxicity
This is a toxic plant, so handle it carefully around pets, livestock, and children. Every part carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, needle-fine and packed within the tissue, that burn the mouth and throat the instant a leaf is chewed and bring on drooling, swelling, and trouble swallowing. No part is edible, and even the clear sap can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands after pruning.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
Teeth breaking the glossy leaf tissue free sharp calcium oxalate crystals that prick a cat's mouth at the first bite. Heavy drooling, pawing at the muzzle, vomiting, and labored swallowing follow soon after.
Dogs Moderate
A crushed mouthful of leaf sets a hot burning across a dog's lips and tongue, trailed by strings of drool and retching. The sting lands fast, so most dogs drop the leaf before they can swallow much of it.
Horses Toxic
The same needle-like crystals raw and inflame the soft lining of a horse's mouth and throat, leaving it slack-jawed with drool and unwilling to feed. The tongue and lips can puff and swell after a single mouthful.
Rabbits Toxic
Those crystals rasp at a rabbit's mouth and gut with the same bite, so the foliage belongs well beyond reach of its teeth. A rabbit sore from a mouthful often refuses food, and that empty gut is its own hazard.
Livestock Toxic
Goats, sheep, and cattle that tear at the leaves meet the same scalding mouth and churning gut from the crystals. The first stinging bite usually turns them away from a second.
Birds Caution
A bird that pecks and splits the leaf can take the same crystal sting to its mouth, drooling in response. Set cages and perches well back from the plant to keep beaks off it.
People Caution
No part of this plant is food. A chewed leaf scalds the mouth and can swell the lips and tongue, and the milky sap stings skin and eyes, so rinse your hands clean after handling cut stems.
Sap can irritate skin, eyes and mucous membranes; wash hands after pruning or handling cut stems
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
How to propagate
This philodendron is easy to multiply at home, either by splitting the clumping crown or by rooting a cutting taken from the base.
DivisionEasy
Spring to summer · A few weeks to re-establish roots
Division is the simplest way to make more, and the dense, clumping, self-heading crown breaks apart into ready-rooted pieces. Ease an established plant from its pot in spring or summer and pull it into rooted sections, each trailing its own pale offsets and root threads. Given a few weeks, the divisions grip the soil and push out fresh white roots.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Spring to summer · Several weeks to root
Stem cuttings root too, a route the Missouri Botanical Garden notes alongside seed. Cut a basal piece that carries a swollen node in spring or summer, where the new roots will break from, and give it several weeks to root. Most plants for sale come from tissue culture rather than this method, but the cutting takes at home.
Myths
After its reclassification, Thaumatophyllum xanadu is the only correct name for Xanadu.
A 2018 study did move several Philodendron species into Thaumatophyllum, but the naming is not settled. Kew's Plants of the World Online still lists Philodendron xanadu as the accepted name and files Thaumatophyllum xanadu as a synonym, so the genus placement remains contested between authorities.
Xanadu is just a dwarf form of split-leaf philodendron.
It is a distinct selection in its own right, trademarked XANADU and patented as 'Winterbourn' under US plant patent PP7030. It grew from seed of Philodendron bipinnatifidum with unknown parentage, and Kew recognizes it as its own species rather than a shrunken selloum.