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Species library › Philodendron › Philodendron ensifolium
Aroids Well documented

Philodendron ensifolium

A lowland Central American and Chocó Philodendron with narrow, sword-shaped leaves (the name means sword-leaved). It climbs pressed flat against tree trunks in the understory of very wet forest, from north-eastern Costa Rica to western Colombia. Give it a hot, humid, shady setup and a moss pole or plank to climb.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Humid airBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodClimber

Where it grows wild

An appressed-climbing trunk epiphyte in the understory of moist to pluvial (rain) forest. In Panama and Costa Rica it grows in tropical and premontane wet forest, and in Colombia mainly in tropical and premontane rain forest.

About 50–350 m.

Nicaragua (south-east, probably)Costa Rica (north-east)PanamaWestern Colombia (to Valle del Cauca)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.