Philodendron Bloody Mary is an evergreen cultivar plant, widely grown for its beautiful foliage. The thick and shiny leaves are fully burgundy in color in their juvenile form. On maturity, they turn dark green with prominent reddish hues and burgundy undersides. Moreover, the red stems of the plant make it look more dramatic and attractive. The foliage shoots out in all directions including downward giving a draping look to the mature plant.
Bloody Mary is easy to maintain and beautiful enough to decorate any corner of your house including hanging baskets and shelf-pots. Let us learn more about the unique Philodendron Bloody Mary plant along with its care and propagation.
Philodendron Bloody Mary Classification
The classification of the plant is as under:
Family: Araceae.
Genus: Philodendron.
Cultivar: ‘Bloody Mary’.
Genus Philodendron
It is a vast genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Araceae. They were officially introduced by C. Plumier in the 16th century. However, they were famous in folk art and medicine for ages.
Members of this genus are native to Central and Southern regions and rain forests of America. This second largest genus of the family has around 489 different species, according to the recent checklist of selective plant families.
Plant Features
Basic features of the plant including the height and growth habit are as under;
- It is a tropical and perennial plant.
- An average mature plant may reach up to a height of 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.6 meters).
- The plant follows a climbing growth pattern and is included in the climbing philodendrons.
- Just like the majority of other philodendrons, it has a fast growth rate.
- In the wild, it usually grows around a host plant. While, indoors, it loves to climb around a totem or support in the plant pot.
- A mature leave is 6 to 10cm long with a width of 3 to 5cm.
- The inflorescence comprises of small and pedal-less flowers. These flowers develop intermittently on spadices and are covered by spathes.
Toxicity
Just like other philodendrons; this plant is also toxic in nature. Ingestion may lead to irritation and ulceration in the throat and esophagus region. Make sure you keep babies and pets away from the toxic philodendrons.
Philodendron Bloody Mary Care
How to take care of my Philodendron Bloody Mary Plant?
Let us learn about the care and requirements of this low-maintenance plant.
Water Requirements
Philodendrons always prefer moist and well-drained soil. Thus, water the plant twice or thrice a week in summer and keep the soil moist. However, the frequency should be reduced in winters keeping the upper two inches of soil dry before watering again. It is better to water the soil directly instead of the foliage to avoid fungus. Additionally, excess watering may lead to plant issues like droopy leaves and root rot.
Sunlight Requirements
Philodendron bloody mary likes plenty of bright indirect sunlight. They can also do well in partial shade or low light. Long hours of direct sunlight may burn the plant. Browning of leaves will be an indication that the plant is receiving too much light. Alternatively, a leggy stem is an indication of low light exposure.
Temperature Requirements
The ideal temperature range is between 16 to 24 °C (60 to 75°F). Temperature below and above the range will result in poor growth and health issues of the plant. As these plants are not winter hardy, experts recommend transferring them to a warm place in winter.
Humidity Requirements
Philodendrons, being native to rain forests show lush foliage in humid atmospheres. However, the Bloody Mary is resistant to a range of moisture levels. If you see that the leaves are getting lumpy or yellow on dry and hot days, consider increasing the humidity. You can increase the humidity by using a humidifier, putting a water pebble tray under the pot, or misting the plant. You can add a watered pebble tray under the pot. Furthermore, you can introduce a humidifier in the room.
Soil Requirements
You can use any fine quality well-drained soil or potting mix to grow this plant. Make sure about the good drainage of the soil to avoid issues like fungus and root rot. As far as PH is concerned, it goes well with a PH range of 5.6 to 7.5.
Fertilizer Requirement
These fast-growing plant species love to be fed regularly, especially in the growing season. You can use a suitable domestic plant fertilizer mix every month in spring and season. However, the frequency of once in two months is enough in winter.
A slow-release fertilizer would be a nice option saving you from fertilizing every week.
Pinching Requirement
Pinching shows beneficial results to get a good shape and healthy foliage of this plant. If you observe that the plant is tuning lanky, this is a sign that it needs pinching.
Growth Zones
The plant belongs to USDA growth zone 10 to 12.
Propagation of The Philodendron Bloody Mary
This plant is easy to propagate. Common methods for propagation are as under;
- Seeds.
- Leaf or stem cuttings.
- Air layering.
- Stooling or Mound Layering.
Growth from seeds is a slow process and layering is more suitable for experienced growers. Stem Cuttings are a common and easy method of philodendron propagation.
The ideal time to propagate this plant is spring and early summer. Take a sharp knife to cut 5 to 6 inches stem cutting from a mature healthy plant. Now pinch at least three leaves from the lower side to get the nodes. Finally, dip the leafless side of the stem in water or moist rich soil. Make sure to plant the stem at least 3 inches deep in the soil.
Precautions
It is always better to wear gloves during gardening. However, for the propagation of toxic philodendrons, precautionary measures are very important. These measures include wearing gloves and washing hands after the process.
Timeline
We are sharing an estimated guide about the growth pattern of the plant. However, we recommend to keep observing the plant and adjust the requirements accordingly.
- Day 1: Plant a stem or leaf cutting in water or moist soil. Keep the pot in a warm place with bright indirect light exposure.
- Day 2 – Day 20: At this step, water propagation cutting does not need any special care. However, the cutting planted n soil needs mild watering every second day. Make sure to keep the soil moist. It should neither be dry nor soggy.
- Day 20 – Day 50: Keep the cutting under observation providing water as required.
- From Day 50 – Day 90: Root and shoot are emerging by now.
- Day 90 – Day 170: Baby plant is forming many new burgundy leaves. The watering frequency of soil-plant can be reduced to twice a week at this stage. The baby plants in the water can now be transferred to soil.
- Day 170 – Day 190: The plant does not need much attention by now. The leaves are turning green and strong. A beautiful Bloody Mary plant is ready to please you by now.
- Day 190 – Day 300: In winter, make sure to transfer the plant in to warm place. Twice a month will be a suitable watering frequency. Next spring, you can fertilize the plant with a suitable fertilizer.
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Summary
The unique Philodendron Bloody Mary is an evergreen cultivar plant belonging to the family of Arads(Araceae). It is a popular houseplant admired and grown for its attractive foliage. Juvenile leaves are burgundy in a color while, mature leaves are green with shades of red and burgundy undersides. The plant is a vine with reddish stems and has a drooping growth habit. It forms great hanging baskets and shelf-pots. Additionally, it is toxic in nature and unsuitable for pets and babies to be around them.
