Philodendron Verrucosum Care and Update | Rare Houseplant Feature

Here is an update on my philodendron verrucosum and details on how I care for it. I'm worried that if I take it out of the humidity bag, it will be unhappy. Let me know if you have good experience with just a humidifier :)
*I mentioned I think my mulch is pine bark (will have to double check but most times the bark type isn't listed), but it's not recommended to use pine bark since it could have too much acid in it. Orchid bark or coco coir chips would be best. I didn't want to take the chance of using mulch bark and having it be pine with high acidity so I started using GrowIt Grow!t coco coir chips instead of buying orchid bark since I think it's less expensive (I have to calculate). Pine bark could have too much acid in it and could well harm the roots.
Fertilizer:
Espoma Indoor! Liquid Plant Food, Natural & Organic amzn.to/3fQ9dI8
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus amzn.to/3c0byPQ
Check out how it looked when it was sad and almost leafless in my video here: • Semi Rare Houseplant H...
Instagram: @littleleafsf / littleleafsf

[@rachelcordoba6752]

I also noticed that when I allow them to get comfortable in the humidity bag, when I take it out, the root dries., so its useless. I try to mist the roots and a bit of the stem and it seems fine. But your temperature does factor a lot...But its so pretty - nobody wants to hurt her :)

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks for sharing! Are the roots you mention the aerial roots? I noticed the Verrucosum roots dry out even with a humidity bag hat 🧢 (open on the bottom). My Melanochrysum and Gigas have crazy long aerial roots that don’t dry out as much so they seem to be less sensitive. Lol yeah I treat mine like a princess as much as possible 🙂.

[@rachelcordoba6752]

Little Leaf SF yes, aerial roots. I spray with water a bit of seaweed fertilizer and they pop out. Also, the pole? I wrapped them myself with sphagnum moss and it seems to encourage roots in the nodes. I guess that is how they naturally do it in the wild as I see that whenever I do hikes in rainforests. Its funny, I am seeing that until another youtuber told me to try to create their natural environment. So i am doing that...

[@noemischmidt1152]

Wow, most of your plants are very rare. Gorgeous, thanks for sharing.

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks for watching! 🌱

[@kathybrintlinger9993]

Your verrucosum is so beautiful! I had received a couple different types of verrucosum in the mail from online orders. One similar to yours lost all its leaves too . Also portion of the roots had rot so after trimming I took a number of cuttings to propagate in case. I’ve gotten a couple tiny leaves but my initial leaves were your size when I got the plant. You’ve given me hope that someday I might get beautiful leaves like yours! Thanks!

[@LittleLeafSF]

So happy to hear that you successfully saved it! I’m sure it will in time as it grows a larger root system to suck up more nutrients! Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@billvillaflor6996]

Beautiful plant, I hope my cutting would look something like that in the future.

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thank you! Hope yours thrives for you 🙂.

[@valzygarsea9808]

Just got my verrucosum. Mine also came in bad conditions. It has mould on pretty much all of its leaves and all leaves feel quite mooshy. I put some cinnamon on soil and sprayed leaves with filtered water, rubbing alchool and horticultural soap to try get rid of the mould. It's drying out with fan now. Hope it bounces back soon😥

[@LittleLeafSF]

Oh no sorry to hear that. Hope you contacted the seller when you got it. If the roots are healthy and there is no root rot it’s a good sign that it may bounce back especially if it’s in very airy soil with bark/perlite etc or even only in sphagnum moss (not sure if it makes sense to keep it humid or if that would make it worse). Good luck!🍀

[@lifepaholic716]

Cool and thanks for the tips and advice. I need this because mine didn't arrive in good condition either

[@LittleLeafSF]

Hope it helps and good luck on yours! 🍀

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

Years ago I had it...did terrible as a houseplant. I probably was very busy around then and that didn't help,but still,only the very hard to keep had died on me.That was one of them.

[@LittleLeafSF]

It’s definitely can be tricky especially while acclimating to your place! I have some other plants on the rare side struggling now but I guess that’s always a gamble to expect.

[@sierra734]

The leaves are gorgeous I just had to have one it’s one small leaf and cost 95 and that’s on sale saving 117 🤐 , I don’t know if this is normal price or not , if it is I could get my $ back when I grow one leaf 🍃 lol , but I’ve ordered from this seller before and she’s good , a bit pricy I think for the size but in my care I know I can grow it , just stunning! Seems to be a fast grower at least I think so In the year you’ve had it I saw how it came to you , so I’m looking for care tips tfs 🌱👍🏼

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks! Seems like that’s around the going rate now based on what I’ve been seeing, even for small ones! I think it’s one of my top 3 favorite plants out of the very many plants I have in my collection so I think the beauty justifies the price 🙂. Hope yours grows fast for you. Thanks for watching! 💚🌱

[@sierra734]

Little Leaf SF it had 2 leaves and a new one coming because I bagged it up and only spent 2 days in the mail it’s taking off already ! The leaves are in perfect condition and are So beautiful in-many ways !

[@novelynislostinthetropics3455]

thank you so much for this i got a verrucosum and it looks like in the condition that you received it. Did you pot it right away in aroid mixture or did it grow in sphagnum moss for some time before you transplanted?

[@LittleLeafSF]

Mine came bare root and I put it in an aroid mix right away. It might have been better to grow it in sphagnum before transplanting (I'm guessing it might have been better?). I did the same with another philodendron from Ecuador (originally in sphagnum) and the leaves eventually fell off too so I would try sphagnum or water first in the future to not shock it as much (hard to say if that would have helped or if it would have declined no matter what from shipping shock (they were pretty yellow though) but it could have helped especially for my other philodendron that came in better condition). Kaylee Ellen has a video where she talks about rehabbing plants after shipping and she imports aroids a lot so I would recommend checking her video out too :) Good luck! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaCcYYF-a5mJpac

[@marygorchidsmore2058]

Nice care video, very informative. Just found your channel and immediately subbed! I have a verrucasum that new leaves are trapped in the sheath , I think its lack of humidity so am looking for ways of increasing it around my plant. How often do you take the bag off and spray?

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks for watching and for the sub! It hasn’t been as frequent as I would like to recently but at the moment about 2 times a week. Still waiting for the day I have confidence to take it completely out of the bag 🙂

[@jenn2895]

Love this plant! How much did you buy it for?

[@LittleLeafSF]

🪴 I got it for about $40 USD when it was smaller but it took a lot of searching to find it at this price since it’s usually more expensive at least in the US.

[@jenn2895]

@@LittleLeafSF Wah! Such a good price 😭 hate how the prices skyrocketed

[@LittleLeafSF]

@@jenn2895 hopefully they will slowly go down! I think a lot more people are propagating theirs or importing from Asia and selling rooted cuttings so there are more chances for better deals even if it’s a baby one. If you’re in a bigger city there may be local plant groups on Facebook where you can save on shipping. 🌱

[@Kacecool518]

This is great thank you 🤍 which type of Verrucosum is yours it's beautiful!

[@LittleLeafSF]

KC Thank you! It looks like it might be a verrucosum “shiny” “esmeraldas” or “tumbez” based on this link. facebook.com/groups/157513897683600/permalink/2682344605200504/

[@Kacecool518]

@@LittleLeafSF thank you that's really helpful 🥰

[@plantingitreal]

I just received a mini baby verrucosum today, I actually filmed a video for it. Do you know when the plant gets it’s color? I potted it in regular soil, perlite, coco coir, orchid bark and worm castings, and it had some spag moss attached to the roots. It has a pretty extensive roots on it. I’m hoping🤞

[@LittleLeafSF]

Nice that you got one! I don’t remember when it first got the red coloring but I recall the leaves had to get a little bigger/more mature to really show the distinct pattern. Sounds like a food set up! Humidity always helps too.👌🏼

[@plantingitreal]

@@LittleLeafSF Thank you, I was very excited when I found it. I have it in a cloche and my humidity reader is reading 93%.

[@jasminjn.pierre564]

This video popped up in my notifications just in time. Just got one which was stuck in the mail for about 2 weeks and it is not doing well. It has maybe one good leaf. It was growing 4 babies but if the 4 only 1 seems like it will make it. So I will try that bag idea and hopefully it will improve. :-)

[@LittleLeafSF]

Great timing 😀I think that as long as the roots are healthy (no rot) and it's given the right conditions it should bounce back. Mine was really sad for a while but it just takes some patience and TLC. Good luck!

[@jasminjn.pierre564]

Little Leaf SF thank you. I haven’t looked at the roots yet. Gave it 2 weeks to adjust and wondering if I should replant it or not... but will for sure check on the roots tomorrow.

[@LittleLeafSF]

Good point, makes sense to let it acclimate before stressing it more by repotting which may not even be needed:

[@camillelao9761]

Hi!! Your Verrucosum leaves are so pretty! Hehe. I wish mine could look like that.. Do you wet the leaves to clean it? :)

[@LittleLeafSF]

Hi Camille! Thank you! Usually I don’t need to unless it’s kind of cleaned by spraying it with a neem oil solution for spider mites 😅.

[@destinyherrera2639]

It’s so beautiful 😭😭😭

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thank you! 💚

[@lenggongsunardi5065]

Simple but nice❤️

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thank you! 🌱

[@dennisquillope2231]

It is indeed beautiful. I just received mine today and the main stem is broken from the roots. How do you propagate verrucosum Thanks

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks for watching! Did it come like that when you opened the package? If so I would first check with the seller to see if you can get a replacement or full/partial refund even if their policy says no returns. If there’s enough stem still connected to the roots it may grow if you take care of it. Make sure the soil has lots of drainage (has a good amount of medium that is airy like pearlite, you can look up videos for philodendron soil mix). For the main stem, unfortunately I have haven’t propagated this plant before so I would look up videos on how to propagate philodendrons and/or propagating in sphagnum moss (keywords like philodendron, monstera). There are other methods like in dirt in a plastic bag or water propagation. Plastic bags/makeshift greenhouses while growing definitely help especially if the plant is stressed/damaged in my experience. Good luck!

[@plantsandjackie3720]

The plant looks great compared to the first video you did. You did really well. How is your Maranta Silver Band Prayer plant doing?

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thank you! I’m glad it worked out 😌. The silver band is thriving! The baby plant’s stems when I got it were probably very compact so it’s growing out full still instead of leggy like my other maranta 🙂

[@lotteg.1311]

I just received mine but the leaves are drooping, I feel like sitting it out for a while as it might be because of the delivery, but I am quite anxious about it. It seems healthy otherwise 🙈

[@LittleLeafSF]

Happy you got one, they are so beautiful! Good call on closely monitoring it since it probably got some shipping shock. Good luck with yours and hope it thrives for you!

[@tommy988lo]

Mine was in the same condition after repotting it in aroid mix, it went downhill after....I then kept it in a greenhouse like situation, it perked up a bit, but got moulds too, what would you recommend please? I let it air around 20-30mins each day...

[@LittleLeafSF]

How do the roots look? I kept mine in the soil in high humidity and it bounced back. For my El Choco Red I ended up moving it to slightly damp sphagnum moss in a closed container and it eventually bounced back so hard to say if you should leave it in there and see what happens or maybe move it to moss. If the roots look healthy you might be okay leaving it as is? Good luck!

[@plaingal79]

Will it only thrive in a greenhouse condition??!! I hope not because I don’t have one nor do I want to have one in the house 😭😭😭

[@LittleLeafSF]

Hi! High humidity conditions will definitely help the plant grow. I don’t know the exact humidity in my room so it’s hard to say what is working now. I’ve never taken it out of the bag too so not sure how it would be without it. I will try to measure it when I make sure my hygrometer is accurate.

[@LittleLeafSF]

It's about 68 now in spring (upcoming summer) (56% outdoors for a reference) and I turn my oil diffuser on everyday.

[@Rob-ld9dp]

I am considering buying this plant. I have seen it for rather cheap in a plant store nearby (44 dollars for 2 smaller plants of about 30cm including the pot). But my humidity isn't that high, my Monstera adansonii isn't thriving because of it so I don't know if it is recommended to buy it if my humidity isn't that high yet. I am willing to buy a humidifyer if the plant really needs it, because it looks gorgeous.

[@LittleLeafSF]

That's definitely a good price at least compared to US prices! I'm guessing mine is thriving because it's in that plastic bag that I spray fairly regularly. I also have a lot of other plants around it which keeps the humidity up. I just have a small aromatherapy oil diffuser that I turn on every day and it automatically turns off after the water runs out. It's hard to say how it would do if I took off the plastic bag or took out the other factors (heaters dry out the air too if you have that on in the winter). If the plants in the store look healthy and you're willing to risk the price, it's definitely worth a try keeping the humidity up as much as possible -- It's one of the most beautiful plants I have and I have a lot. I'm babying it in the plastic bag which looks pretty ugly but I'm glad it's happy :) (you could get a cloche or a covered terrarium tank for it to keep the humidity up if you want). Not sure of your experience level, but would make sure it has all the basic needs with the humidity ex. not overwatering (drainage) or under watering, proper soil mix (if the store has a good mix, would leave it as is in the pot), amount of light, fertilize when appropriate (I used worm castings), airflow etc.

[@Rob-ld9dp]

Little Leaf SF I have an old fishtank I can try to create a terrarium for it. I can honestly just try. It’s not that expensive so if it dies on me I don’t lose much. I like to repot in spring, because I’ve noticed when I repot at the winter times it just kinda does worse after repotting than not repotting. Thank you for your reply, I will def take some notes for the plastic bag methode.

[@LittleLeafSF]

Good luck! Hope it thrives for you if you decide to get it 😀.

[@elizabethm5069]

Hi 👋 Are there any good places on the Bay Area to buy tropical (hard to find) plants?

[@LittleLeafSF]

Hi Elizabeth! Laselvas on Instagram you can preorder from a list (he usually has an exotics section) and pick them up when ready. Bay Area plants and outdoor Facebook group sometimes posts rare ones for pick up, also the website Gardeneur.

[@elizabethm5069]

Little Leaf SF Thanks 🙏

[@aquaflor957]

How long is the petiol of your mature vericusom? I'm looking for a phil.ver. insence coz it has more leaves with short enter node.

[@LittleLeafSF]

Just measured it 🙂 The petiole of the newest leaf is around 7 inches but the older one is 9 inches. Internode length ranges from 3-5 inches.

[@herbsprojects]

I don't know why my verrucosum's leaves getting yellow on the tip... 😭

[@LittleLeafSF]

It happens to mine too. Do the roots look healthy?

[@pelagia6981]

I wonder now, after I red all comments if I' ll buy one, will the leaves drop too??? I don't have too much light. South exposure but it has a porch so, no much light. I grow lots Calathea plants, but if this plant needs more light...maybe it will not recover after transport... what do you think?

[@LittleLeafSF]

It’s hard to say if leaves will drop since it depends on the shipping speed, external weather, heat pack added etc. May be safer to order in the spring depending on where it’s coming from and the temperature of where you live. Mine was stressed from shipping (I think it was cold when shipped). Mine is right against a north facing window which isn’t strong light. Southern sunlight is very strong so actually may be good that there is a porch to make the sun rays less intense. It’s hard to say if it will recover if stressed (it may even come to you in very good condition since everyone’s experience and each plant is different). If it’s expensive in your area, I would make sure you know you can care for other less expensive plants well and that you are willing to risk the cost in case it doesn’t survive. Also knowing the seller is reliable via reviews would help. Good luck on your decision! A good acclimating video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaCcYYF-a5mJpac

[@pelagia6981]

Thank you for answering. You are right that nobody can tell what can happen, since every experience is diffrent. I ordered online flowers before, but not from Ben' s jungle. Since I live in Europe, Germany is ok, so I' ll try when is warmer. Have a nice day!!!

[@aquaflor957]

Mucb better you air layer the new leaf growth..then with a good root formation....you propagate a new healthy plant .... i think that's a better idea

[@LittleLeafSF]

Makes sense, thanks! I’m still to scared to chop it, the new leaves are so pretty!

[@lenggongsunardi5065]

Nice❤️

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks! 💚🌱

[@rotty1964]

Use orchid bark instead of pine bark , pine bark could have too much acid in it and could well harm the roots .

[@LittleLeafSF]

Good call out, thanks! Will add it to the description. Will have to double check the mulch that I used to see if it was pine but used a different brand for a new batch which the company may source from different tree varieties. Hopefully it's not pine so it won't make my soil too acidic. I’m going to use coco coir chips moving forward even though it’s more expensive just in case 😅.

[@denigm5500]

♥️♥️🌺🌺

[@LittleLeafSF]

💚 Thanks for watching 🙂

[@endeend1]

🌱👍

[@LittleLeafSF]

Thanks for watching!

[@XPrincess30]

Is it just gonna be in a plastic bag forever? Lol

[@LittleLeafSF]

Lol! Good question. It will eventually outgrow it so probably not. It’s like when people leave the plastic cover on new products like TVs/phones as long as possible 🤣 (used to be guilty of that). I haven’t been spraying the bag to increase humidity lately and it looks fine so will give an update when the time comes 😬 then I can actually admire it more.

[@XPrincess30]

Little Leaf SF LOL ok question. Do you spray the top of the bag? Thats very interesting.

[@LittleLeafSF]

I take the bag off (to give the plant some air circulation and hopefully prevent mold) and spray the inside sides of the bag. They also have holes already on the bag from manufacturing which helps. It’s definitely and interesting makeshift greenhouse. Not the prettiest 🙂

[@4Desiree4]

Little Leaf SF I will comprise esthetics any day to keep my plants thriving ! She’s is beautiful 👏🏽 and indeed a success story. You grow girl !

[@LittleLeafSF]

4Desiree4 🥰 thank you!