Giant Gigas Philodendron

Giant Gigas Philodendron (Philodendron gigas) is the collector's climbing aroid, grown for deep velvety green leaves veined in silver that unfurl bronze. Given a moss pole it climbs to about 2.5m tall and 1m wide indoors, each new leaf larger than the last. It is the plant for a room that needs one piece of foliage doing all the talking.

Why you'll love it

• Velvet leaves with silver veining. The matte surface catches light differently to every glossy houseplant beside it.
• It gets bigger as it climbs. Leaf size increases with height on the pole, so a mature plant looks nothing like the one that arrived.
• Vertical, not sprawling. At 2.5m by 1m it fills height rather than floor space, which suits an apartment or a stairwell.
• Humidity is what it wants. Bathrooms, humid verandahs and rooms with a humidifier bring out the best colour.

Where it works best

Indoors as a feature. Give it a bright corner two to three metres from a window, a moss pole or timber slab, and room to grow upward. It is a single specimen, not something to group.

Pots and containers. A 250mm to 300mm pot with a stout pole is the working setup. Weight the base, because a well grown plant becomes top heavy.

Sheltered tropical and subtropical patios. Outdoors it suits frost free gardens only, under a canopy in filtered light.

Growing Giant Gigas Philodendron in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light. Direct sun burns the velvet surface permanently, and deep shade gives small leaves on long bare stems. It is frost tender, so outside the tropics and subtropics it is an indoor plant only, kept away from cold glass and unheated rooms in winter in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart.

Soil. A chunky aroid mix: bark, perlite and coco chips with a little premium potting mix. Dense mix holds water against the thick roots and rot follows.

Water and feed. Water thoroughly, drain fully, then wait until the top third of the mix is dry, usually every seven to twelve days in summer. Keep the moss pole damp for the aerial roots. Half strength liquid fertiliser fortnightly in spring and summer.

Training and pruning. Tie each new stem section to the pole so the aerial roots find it. If it outgrows the space, cut the top back to a node and root the cutting.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in trade packs: 125mm pots in packs of ten and 180mm pots in packs of six. These are juvenile plants, and juvenile leaves are much smaller and less silvered than the mature foliage you see online. The change comes with height on a pole, not time alone.

Velvet leaves mark easily, and a little transit creasing is possible. Give them a week somewhere bright and humid, then pot on and mount them on a pole. Expect the first new leaf within four to six weeks in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The wider exotic and rare plants range for collector foliage.
• Repotting a plant properly, for moving trade pack stock onto a pole.
• Companions on the same watering schedule in indoor plants.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Like all philodendrons it contains calcium oxalate crystals, toxic to cats and dogs, causing mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting if chewed. Grow it where pets cannot reach the lower leaves.

Does it really need a moss pole?

For good leaves, yes. Without something to climb it makes progressively smaller foliage on a leggy stem.

Why are my new leaves small?

Usually low light, or a plant that is not yet climbing. Move it brighter, keep the pole moist, and each leaf should step up in size.