Philodendron Plants

Some of them climb, some of them stand perfectly still, and none of them need you nearly as much as you're planning to be needed.

Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA · Potted before it leaves · Pick-up 702 Queen St W · Designed in Toronto since 2004

Philodendron is a genus in the arum family (Araceae) from the tropical forests of Central and South America, where most of its plants climb tree trunks on aerial roots. Indoors, philodendrons are grown for their leaves, either as climbing and trailing vines or as upright, self-heading plants; they want bright, indirect light, warmth, and soil that stays lightly moist but never soggy.

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At Chive Plant Studio, our plant shop at 702 Queen St W in Toronto, philodendrons are the plants people buy small and ask about as if they were large. “Will it stay this size?” comes from someone holding a heartleaf that, by the time they’ve paid, has started reaching for the debit machine. It won’t; the climbers keep going for as long as there is something to climb. The other one is from a man whose roommate swears he has just paid for a pothos with a haircut. He hasn’t: a heartleaf philodendron has conspicuous stipules on its new growth and smooth, ungrooved leaf stalks, which a pothos doesn’t, according to NC State Extension.

Almost every month the order form from our growers in Florida turns up with a philodendron on it that none of us has heard of, listed like an experimental breakfast cereal, and we tick the box without a meeting. It comes off the truck, and Queen West figures out what it is. We carry philodendrons in three- to fourteen-inch pots, when we have them: vines that climb or trail, one that crawls across its pot, and an upright Selloum that lives on the floor. Our philodendrons are grown by our nursery partners and brought to Queen West.

Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. You can also pick up at 702 Queen St W. Every philodendron is potted before it leaves the shop, in its grow pot or one of our house pots, and the potting is already in the price. Read Ryan’s full philodendron care guide.

Climbing, Crawling and Upright Philodendrons

Philodendrons grow two ways. Climbing types, such as the heartleaf, cling with aerial roots and will climb a pole or trail from a shelf; non-climbing, self-heading types, such as the Selloum, grow upright from a short stem with their leaves held in a rosette, according to NC State Extension. Clemson Cooperative Extension notes that a vine’s height is set by its support and by pruning, and that the long leaf stalks of self-heading types are brittle, so they belong out of the way of foot traffic. The Gloriosum is the odd one: its stem creeps along the top of the soil instead of climbing, so it wants a wide, shallow. Choose the habit for the spot you have, not the other way round.

Philodendron Plants in Toronto

Philodendron at a glance: bright, indirect light · soil lightly moist, never soggy, and less water in winter · keep above about 18°C (65°F), away from drafts and cold glass · toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA) · every one we sell is easy · three- to fourteen-inch pots.

Philodendrons are very sensitive to cold, according to NC State Extension, which puts their ideal range at 18 to 29°C (65 to 85°F) and says to keep them out of drafts. In a Toronto apartment the cold arrives with winter, at the window glass, so pull the pot back from the window in January and keep it away from the radiator too. Water less while the days are short: NC State says to slow down on watering in winter, and Clemson notes that yellowing lower leaves can mean too little light or too much water.

Every philodendron we sell is easy. None of them is safe for pets: the ASPCA lists philodendron as toxic to cats and dogs under its Philodendron Pertusum entry (Philodendron spp.), so keep them away from pets that chew, or choose from our pet-friendly plants.

Philodendron Plants varieties we grow

Philodendron Birkin

A compact upright with dark green leaves pinstriped in white, and no two leaves alike. It grows slowly and stays shelf-sized for years, and it began as a sport of the Rojo Congo. Medium to bright indirect light keeps the stripes. Small to medium pots. Easy.

A man at the till turned his Birkin around six times to prove the stripes had been designed on purpose. Nobody designed them. No two leaves agree, and it stays that size for years.

Philodendron Selloum

An upright with large, deeply cut leaves that grows into a floor plant over the years and needs room to spread; botanists now call it Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum. Bright indirect light. Medium pots up to 14 inches. Easy.

One regular named her little Selloum after her dog. Three years later she steps around both of them on the way to the kitchen, and only one of them ever moves.

Philodendron Heartleaf

A trailing or climbing vine (P. hederaceum) with plain deep-green, heart-shaped leaves — the most forgiving philodendron in the genus. It tolerates lower light but grows slower there. Small pots and hanging. Easy.

Nobody has ever photographed a heartleaf on purpose, and yet there's one trailing off a kitchen cabinet in every apartment on this street.

Philodendron Rojo Congo

An upright hybrid with no vine and broad leaves that come up red and darken to green as they mature. Bright indirect light. Medium pots up to 10 inches. Easy.

I've been asked, holding the new red leaf up to the light, whether we dye them in the back. We don't. Give it a few weeks and it goes green without our help.

Philodendron Gloriosum

An upright hybrid with no vine and broad leaves that come up red and darken to green as they mature. Bright indirect light. Medium pots up to 10 inches. Easy.

I've been asked, holding the new red leaf up to the light, whether we dye them in the back. We don't. Give it a few weeks and it goes green without our help.

Designing ceramic pots in Toronto since 2004; running the Chive plant shop on Queen Street West since 2020. Ryan Hearst works the plant floor on Queen West and reviews the care facts on this page against the ASPCA and the Royal Horticultural Society's growing guidance. Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA, with pick-up at 702 Queen St W.

Reviewed by Ryan Hearst · Updated October 2026

Philodendron Plants Frequently Asked Questions

Is a philodendron toxic to cats?

Yes. The ASPCA lists philodendron as toxic to cats and dogs, under its Philodendron Pertusum entry (Philodendron spp.); the heartleaf has its own entry as Cordatum and the Selloum as Tree Philodendron. Chewing the leaves causes mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Keep philodendrons away from pets that chew, or choose from our pet-friendly plants.

Which philodendron is best for beginners?

The heartleaf is the best philodendron for beginners: NC State Extension says it tolerates low light and can survive long periods in very low light. The Gloriosum and the Selloum are easy too, as long as each gets bright, indirect light and the room it needs.

Is a philodendron a good indoor plant?

Yes. Clemson Cooperative Extension calls philodendrons among the most common and easy-to-grow houseplants, and says many tolerate low light and neglect. They do best in bright, indirect light, in a warm room, in soil that drains.

How big do philodendrons get indoors?

It depends on the habit: Clemson Cooperative Extension says a vine only gets as tall as its support and its pruning allow, while self-heading types can become very large and need ample space. The Selloum is our large philodendron, and NC State Extension warns it may become too large for smaller homes. A heartleaf is a vine, so its size is mostly a question of how long you let it get.

Where is the best place to put a philodendron?

Put a philodendron in bright, indirect light, out of direct sun, in a warm spot away from drafts and cold windows, according to NC State Extension. Give the big uprights a corner of their own; Clemson notes their long leaf stalks are brittle. A couple once stood in front of a Selloum at the till, and the husband asked, “Where would it go?” His wife answered, “Where the chair is,” without looking at him. It was clear the chair had been under review for some time. Read Ryan’s full philodendron care guide.

Can you pot my philodendron before it leaves?

Yes, every philodendron is potted before it leaves the shop, and the potting is included in the price shown. Choose the grow pot or one of the house pots offered with each plant and size; potting is $1 per inch of pot, already built into that one price.

What sizes of philodendron do you carry?

We carry philodendrons in three- to fourteen-inch pots. Heartleafs come in the small pots, the Gloriosum in a six-inch pot, and the Selloum, our large philodendron, in a fourteen-inch pot. Each plant’s page shows only the sizes in the shop now.

Do you deliver philodendrons in Toronto?

Yes. Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. You can also pick one up at 702 Queen St W. We don’t ship philodendrons elsewhere in Canada.

About Chive Plant Studio

Chive has been designing ceramic pots in Toronto since 2004 and running the Chive plant shop on Queen Street West since 2020. This is our philodendron page: the climbers, trailers and uprights on the floor today. For the rest of the shop, start with plants Toronto; for another easy trailer, see pothos; and for the striped one everybody asks about, go straight to the philodendron birkin.