Philodendron 'Colombia' - 1L / 14cm / Small
$25.00Philodendron sp. ‘Colombia’ is a striking creeping philodendron prized for its thick, quilted foliage and pronounced veining that gives each leaf a textured, almost sculpted appearance. Unlike climbing varieties, this plant grows horizontally along the soil surface via a crawling rhizome-like stem, gradually spreading and forming a dramatic ground hugging display that spills over the edge of pots. Native to Colombia and traded under an informal species name, it develops broad, deep green leaves with strong structure and presence. Best suited to wide pots where it can travel and expand, this is a collector’s foliage plant that offers architectural impact without needing vertical support.
Position & Light
Prefers bright indirect light. Can tolerate medium light but growth will slow and leaf size may reduce. Avoid harsh direct afternoon sun which can scorch foliage. In New Zealand homes, position near an east facing window or in a bright north facing room set back from direct sun.
Watering
Allow the top third of the potting mix to dry before watering. Keep evenly moist during active growth but never waterlogged. Reduce watering frequency in winter when growth slows. Ensure excellent drainage to protect the creeping rhizome from rot.
Humidity
Adapts well to average indoor humidity. Higher humidity will encourage stronger leaf development and reduce edge browning but is not essential for success.
Soil
Use a chunky, well draining aroid mix containing bark, perlite and quality indoor potting media. A shallow, wide pot is preferred over a deep narrow pot to allow horizontal growth.
Feeding
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. Pause feeding during winter when growth slows.
Growth Habit
A terrestrial crawler that grows horizontally across the soil surface. New growth emerges along the creeping stem and will gradually travel beyond the original planting point. Repot into wider containers as it spreads.
Difficulty
Moderate. Best suited to growers who understand aroid watering balance and can provide bright light and well draining media.
Pet Safety
Toxic if ingested. Contains calcium oxalate crystals that may cause irritation to pets and humans.
Plant Size Guide
The plant in the photos is an example and an approximate guide only however we try to show an average sized example. Sizes, flowering state and colours change throughout the seasons and variation will occur. In summer & autumn, plants are often larger or the same size as than the example picture but around winter and spring, they can be a little smaller but still at a size similar to the example. We aim to update the pictures to reflect significant differences.
Plant Heights - because the plant's foliage must fit inside our Plant Cartons, the actual height of a plant's central trunk (meristem) will be shorter than the box it fits in.
Small Plants - 14cm wide nursery pot - 1 Litre volume - Plants fit in a 50cm tall box.
Medium Plants - 17cm wide pots either 2L hanging pot or 2.5L nursery pot - Plants fit in a 75cm tall box.
Large Plants - 25cm wide pot, 10L volume. Plants fit in a 100cm tall box.
XL Plants - Plants over 100cm tall in pot sizes specified, 25cm/10L or greater and are hand delivered within Auckland/Northland only.
Dispatch Times
Plant courier orders are processed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.
North Island orders are targeted overnight delivery, South Island orders are sent on a 2-day target but these are not a guaranteed delivery timeframe.
Add 1 extra day after a public holiday as well as for rural addresses or remote towns.
Monday - We send orders placed on previous Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Tuesday - We send Weekend orders from previous Saturday & Sunday.
Wednesday - We send orders placed from Monday & Tuesday.
XL Plants are delivered only within urban Auckland & Whangarei and this service is for non-urgent orders. This excludes satellite destinations such as Beachlands, Pukekohe, Piha, Helensville etc and Whangarei Heads. We may deliver at any time Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Thursday in Auckland and you need to have a sheltered accessible position for us to deliver to.
Plants in Transit
Each Small, Medium & Large plant is individually contained within its own protective cardboard Plant Carton which may be joined to other cartons in your order.
Plants typically take just a day or two to arrive, however they are usually fine in their cartons for 1-2 weeks, and many can go longer, so a few extra days are not usually cause for concern.
Whether it takes 1 or 7 days, let your plant recover from its journey by placing in gentle light and adding a little water and it will be back to its best within a couple of days. Let us know if there are any major issues via the contact page.
