Moonlight Philodendron

Moonlight Philodendron (Philodendron 'Moonlight') is grown for the colour of its new leaves, which unfurl a bright chartreuse and deepen to green as they age. It is a self heading hybrid, meaning it forms a tidy rosette around 60cm tall and 80cm wide rather than climbing or trailing. That compact shape and its tolerance of indoor light make it one of the easier statement plants for a shelf, a bench or a shaded courtyard.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The lime green flush is constant through the warm months, so the plant carries a room on foliage alone.
• It stays where you put it. Self heading habit means no aerial roots reaching across the wall and no stake to manage.
• Forgiving indoors. Bright indirect light and a drink when the top of the mix dries is genuinely the whole routine.
• Works outdoors in warm gardens. In frost free tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens it makes a strong border or courtyard plant in shade.

Where it works best

Indoors. This is where most will go, and it suits the job: bright indirect light near a window, an entry table, a bathroom or an office desk. Indoors your climate stops mattering, which counts for a plant this frost tender.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 300mm or wider gives it room for a few years. On a covered balcony or a shaded courtyard it holds its colour well, provided it is out of direct afternoon sun.

Borders in warm gardens. Planted 60cm apart in a shaded bed it forms a low, bold edge under palms or larger tropical foliage.

Growing Moonlight Philodendron in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the strongest chartreuse; deep shade dulls it and direct sun scorches the leaves. Outdoors it is strictly for frost free gardens, and in any district that frosts it should live in a pot that can move under cover for winter.

Soil. A good quality indoor or premium potting mix with extra perlite or bark for aeration. The pot must have a drainage hole, because philodendron roots rot in stagnant mix.

Water and feed. Water when the top few centimetres of mix feel dry, roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. Tip out the saucer afterwards. A half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer is plenty.

Grooming. No pruning is required. Remove old lower leaves at the base as they yellow, and repot every two or three years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in two sizes, 125mm pots in packs of ten and 175mm pots in packs of six. The 125mm plants are young, with a handful of leaves, and fill a decorative pot within a season. The 175mm plants are already forming a rosette and can go straight into a display pot on arrival.

Foliage plants can arrive with a bent or marked leaf after transit, which is cosmetic rather than a fault. Give yours a week in bright indirect light before the first water, and expect new leaves within a month in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Growing philodendron xanadu in Australian gardens
• Browse the indoor plant range
• Compare other plants for partial shade

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All philodendrons contain calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, causing drooling, mouth irritation and vomiting. Keep it off floor level in a home with a pet that nibbles foliage.

Why is the new growth green rather than lime?

Almost always light. The chartreuse flush needs bright indirect light to develop, so move the plant closer to a window, out of direct sun.

How often should I water it?

Roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter, judged by the mix rather than the calendar. Yellowing lower leaves usually mean too much water, not too little.