Rhaphidophora tetrasperma Care is a hot topic among plant lovers. Coming towards the plant introduction, Rhaphidophora tetrasperma is a fast-growing climber native to the rainforests of Thailand and Malaysia. This rare exotic plant was introduced back in 1893.
It grabs the limelight and attraction due to its cute appearance. Medium height and glossy dark-green leaves with fenestrations are the key features of this plant. Moreover, its low-maintenance and vigorous growth pattern make it a hot cake for both indoor and outdoor decoration.
Interestingly, the plant is commonly confused with other plants including Monstera deliciosa, Epipremnum pinnatum, and some philodendrons. Howbeit, to your surprise, this is neither a monstera nor a philodendron. In this article, we are sharing the basic information about the Rhaphidophora plant along with all the important parts of Tetrasperma rhaphidophora Care.
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma Classification
Family: Araceae.
Genus: Rhaphidophora.
Species: R.tetrasperma.
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma Plant Features
- A common mature plant gets around 4 feet tall.
- The plant is a climber by nature. However, a young tetrosperma may do well even without support.
- The length of a mature leaf is around 6 inches.
- The leaves develop beautiful fenestrations during their growth. Importantly, young leaves may not have prominent fenestration patterns.
- This plant is associated with many common names due to its close resemblance to monsteras and philodendrons. These common names include Amydrium Gennie, Epipremnum Ginny, Mini Split-leaf philodendron, Philodendron piccolo, and mini philodendron.
- Just like the members of the cousin genus Philodendron, these plants are highly toxic. Thus, keep your kids and pets away from the tetraspora plants.
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma Care
How to take care of the R.tetrasperma plant? People commonly me some tips about Monstera tetrasperma care. And I laugh and say “it is not a monstera”. Jokes apart, you don’t need to do much effort for this low-maintenance friend. Without any further ado, let us learn about Tetrasperma rhaphidophora care.
Water Requirement
One of the most important Rhaphidophora tetrasperma care tips is to keep the soil adequately moist, especially during the growing season. Always make sure you provide adequate water and never let the soil and the roots get dry for long. A personal preference is to water right after the upper 2 inches of the soil get dry. If you want to set a schedule, you can simply water around thrice a week in summer. However, once or twice a week will be pretty enough in the winter days.
Importantly, this plant is equally sensitive to over-watering. Always follow a balanced approach and avoid overwatering. Moreover, it will lead to plant issues like fungus, root rot, and unhealthy foliage.
Sunlight Requirements
Tetrasperma is a light-loving plant. Bright, filtered light is ideal for it. You can place it in exposure to direct sunlight indoors. However, dappled sun or bright shade will do great while the plant is standing outdoors. Are you are thinking about a place to place your R.tertrasperma pot? A west-facing window (Northern Hemisphere) will be an ideal place for this mini Aroid. If you are placing it in your garden, select a well-lit shade where the green lace-leaf beauty can soak some morning sun.
This plant will never grow healthy foliage in low light. Slow growth and unhealthy foliage are small unhealthy leaves that are a possible sign of inadequate light. Thus, if you find this in your plant, adjustment of the pot should be your first action.
Temperature Requirements
The temperature requirements of the plant are similar to other aroids. The Tetrasperma rhaphidophora care includes keeping the plant 60 to 75 °F. On fierce summer days, it is better to transfer the plant to some cooler regions especially in hotter regions. If you see your tetrasperma wilting in summer, your first step should be to change the position to some cooler space.
Soil Requirements
Well-drained soil with large particles goes well with this plant. The substrate should provide good aeration, hold moisture but not remain soggy. A typical philodendron or aroid mix is pretty suitable for this plant. If you are preparing a homemade mixture, mix equal portions of potting soil with perlite, peat moss, the bark of fine, horticulture charcoal, and fine sphagnum moss.
Humidity Requirements
One of the Rhaphidophora tetrasperma care tips is to keep the humidity around 50% to 60%. This will result in lush foliage. However, the plant survives well in normal room humidity which is around 30 to 40%. If you want to increase humidity levels, try adding a humidifier or a pebble-water tray. Keeping the plant in a group with other plants also helps to increase the humidity.
Fertilizer Requirements
The Rhaphidophora plant shows a good result with fertilizer. You can use a well-balanced or high nitrogen-based fertilizer once a month in the growing season. Howbeit, the plant doesn’t need any added nutrition on colder days.
Pot Requirement
Make sure the pot has drainage holes. Any standing water at the base will result in serious issues for the plant. Root rot could be one of these issues. Adding supporting moss or a totem helps the plant develop better. Some people try making hanging baskets with these climbers. But, leaving them hanging makes the plant get unhealthy and leggy. Thus, an ideal pot for this plant should allow drainage and provide support to the plant.
Pruning Requirements
R. tetrasperma is a vigorous grower. If you find that the foliage is getting a bit ‘out of control’ you can prune a few leaves from the lower branches.
Repotting Requirements
As already stated above, vigorous growth gets bigger every passing month. You may need to transfer the plant to a bigger pot once or twice a year.
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Summary
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma is an aroid belonging to the genus Rhaphidophora. The plant is often confused with plants of other family and genus because of the similarity in appearance. The plant attracts attention due to its medium height, leaves fenestrated leaves, and low maintenance.
Tetrasperma care includes adequate water to avoid letting the soil and roots get dry. Moreover, well-drained aerated soil, frequent fertilizer, and around 50% humidity are major parts of the Rhaphidophora tetrasperma care.
