Philodendron lemon lime care is easy enough for a beginner, and the plant is gorgeous enough for even seasoned plant hobbyists! Learn everything you need to know about lemon lime philodendron, including the difference between philodendron lemon lime and neon pothos.
Philodendron lemon lime care
I wrote a long time ago about heart-leaf philodendron care, and today I’m writing about another type of heart-leaf philodendron: the philodendron lemon lime! It is wildly popular, and while it can be grown outdoors, it is almost always found in homes, offices, or shopping malls.
They are best known for their vibrant lemon-lime, highlighter-colored leaves, and they are evergreen, meaning they can liven up any room all year long. An indoor lemon lime plant will reach about a foot high until the stems begin to bend and look more like a vine.
Its lovely leaves are heart-shaped and thin. They can appear pink at first but turn neon yellow and green as they mature. Philodendron lemon lime care is straightforward, and it’s an easy plant to maintain. Read on for more 🙂
Plant origins
Philodendron lemon lime is also known as the philodendron hederaceum “lemon lime.” Philodendrons are tropical plants that hail from Central and South American rainforests. The lemon lime is a relatively new cultivar that was discovered and patented in a lab in China in 2004.
According to patent research on Google, it looks like it was discovered by a Malaysian citizen names Tai Yam. He noted an interesting mutation in the philodendron hederaceum (the green heart-leaf philodendron) and initiated a tissue culture to try to reproduce it.
The reproduction was successful, and the plant has since been reproduced through propagation. Generations of this plant have proven that the lemon-lime color derived from the original mutation is stable (aka, it won’t revert back to the original green color).
How much light does a philodendron lemon lime need?
Like most philodendrons and tropical plants, the philodendron lemon lime grows best in bright indirect light. The best place being a few feet away from a window that gets a lot of sunlight. Outside, you want somewhere with either dappled sunlight, morning sunlight only, or bright shade.
Placing your plant in direct sunlight will burn the foliage and permanently damage it. And don’t just take my work for it…I totally burnt a few of the leaves on mine! I had mine outside for the summer on my covered patio.
But one day I took it down to water it and set it down to drain. I forgot about it, and part of the plant eventually was in direct sun as the day went on. The leaves fried and I had to trim them off. I did the same thing on my heart-leaf philodendron…say day 🙁
Part of what makes the philodendron lemon lime easy to maintain is that it can grow even in low lighting, but keep an eye out for droopy leaves as this could mean it needs more exposure. Less light will also likely mean less water.
Soil needs
The philodendron lemon lime isn’t too picky about soil, and most standard indoor or houseplant potting mixes will suffice. However, the priority should always be good drainage. The soil also needs to be loose enough to allow some air to get to the roots.
I usually add an extra handful of coco coir to potting mixes to achieve this. Avoid mixes that are overly sandy (like succulent soils) because although it improves drainage, it will compress and harm its roots. For more on different soil amendments, check out my houseplant soil 101 post.
For more philodendron info, check out my philodendron birkin care post, philodendron selloum care guide, philodendron micans “velvet leaf” care guide, and silver sword philodendron care guide!
Watering your your philodendron lemon lime
Watering is important to this philodendron, especially during spring and summer. The proper way to water is by drenching the soil and letting the water drain all the way through. For my plants that aren’t outside, I like to achieve this level of deep watering by putting plants in the sink or in a tub.
You should allow the top half of the soil to dry out before watering again. Signs to look out for are brown leaves, indicating you are not watering enough, and yellow droopy leaves, indicating overwatering. The yellow color from overwatering will be much less vibrant than the intense healthy yellow color.
Temperature & humidity
The optimal temperature range for the philodendron lemon lime plant is anywhere between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That being said, it will grow just fine in any indoor environment. This plant is very sensitive to low temperatures, though, so you’ll want to move it away from cold, drafty windows during winter. Otherwise it will wilt.
Believe it or not, humidity is not a huge factor in philodendron lemon lime care. Although it’s a tropical plant, it grows well in average household humidity levels. You won’t need to make any special accommodations for this beauty. Of course added humidity doesn’t hurt, and if you’d like you can mist the plants occasionally. But that isn’t necessary.
How to propagate a philodendron lemon lime
Philodendron lemon lime is very straightforward and easy to do! It’s a lot like propagating pothos cuttings, and this plant is also a good candidate for water propagation. You’ll want to do this during its growing season, so spring or summertime.
You can also skip the water rooting step and put the cutting directly in soil. For this method, I’d recommend some sort of rooting hormone to help jumpstart root growth. Place the cutting with a node a few inches deep in moist, rich soil.
Pick a healthy stem with several leaves (aka nodes, that’s where the leaf meets the stem) and make a cut. Pop it in some water and refresh the water every week or so. Once you have some nice root growth, you can transplant the cutting to soil. Keep it moist while the water roots convert to soil roots.
Keep out of direct light, and water frequently. You should notice roots develop in 2-3 weeks, and a new stem in about 2-3 months. You can also gently tug on the cutting after a few weeks to see if roots have developed.
Philodendron lemon lime vs neon pothos
While doing your research, it can be easy to confuse certain plants because some of them look so similar! Not to mention, it gets tricky when nurseries use a variety of common names. The philodendron lemon lime and neon pothos are a pair that are commonly confused, and for good reason. They are both neon highlighter yellow-green!
The best way to tell the difference is in their leaves. A young philodendron lemon lime plant’s new leaves will appear more pink, while new neon pothos leaves are a very light yellow-green. I’ve noticed that the stems on the lemon lime plant are also a bit thinner than on the pothos plants.
They also have different textures. The lemon lime leaves are very thin and smooth, while the neon pothos leaves have more grooves and texture. Running your finger along the top of a leaf will quickly tell you whether it is a philodendron lemon lime or a pothos.
Is philodendron lemon lime toxic to pets?
Yes. Philodendrons contain calcium oxalate crystals. These can lead to gastrointestinal irritation, vomiting, nausea, drooling, and more when ingested. So it’s best to keep this one up and out of reach if your kitties are nibbly.
Pin my philodendron lemon lime care guide!
