When and How to Prune Philodendron Plants

Philodendrons are beautiful tropical plants in the Arum (Araceae) family. If you live in a tropical climate, they make amazing additions to the outdoor landscape. Their easygoing nature and large, shapely leaves bring a true tropical vibe to your garden. 

Outside of these warm climate areas, you can grow philodendrons as houseplants. They prefer bright but indirect light, as direct sun can burn their leaves. You’ll want to raise the humidity for them as well. They prefer a level between 50-60% to keep their foliage from drying out. 

Prune at the Right Time

The right time to prune is during a period of active growth. For this plant, you should aim for a time when it has put out some new growth but still has time left in the season to recover and continue to produce foliage. This typically falls in the late spring to early summer. 

This also coincides with the ideal time for re-potting and propagating. It’s a great idea to plan for all three at the same time if you are able. Re-potting and pruning at the same time consolidates stressful events. After removing extra growth, it will have more energy to focus on establishing new roots in its new container.

All this to say that, as houseplants, these are pretty darn flexible. If you have one that is outgrowing its space during another time of year, there is no harm in the occasional trim. 

For outdoor plants, spring is best as it gives the longest time for it to recover. During this time it puts out new growth that is more vulnerable to cold. Pruning in the spring will protect it from cold damage to the newer growth, which then has time to mature.

Determine Your Purpose

This is where the type of philodendron comes into play. There are different growth habits, so naturally, you will seek a different shape based on how your plant grows. For those that climb or grow upright, you’ll either want to thin it out and create a more treelike figure or reduce the height. 

For vining philodendrons, the objective is typically to make it bushier and denser. You want to encourage branching to make it fill out. If your plant has become leggy, it’s likely not getting enough light. To correct this, you’ll want to remove those portions and move your philodendron closer to a light source. 

Select and Prepare Your Tools

The most important factor when it comes to your tools is cleanliness. The type of plant you have will influence the type of tool you use. For a large upright plant with a woody stem, a pruning saw may be necessary and helpful. This is particularly true if you will be thinning out the lower, larger leaves.

For a trailing or more tender climbing philodendron, use a sharp pair of hand shears to make clean, precise cuts. Make sure to sterilize your tools before you get started. If you don’t, you risk transferring harmful pathogens or pests from the previous plant you pruned. 

If you don’t have a specific product designed for cleaning tools, you can use alcohol or bleach. Wiping them down with 70% (or less) isopropyl alcohol tends to be the easiest method. You can also mix a solution of one part bleach with nine parts water. 

Clean Up Damaged Growth

Before you worry about cutting for aesthetic purposes, focus on any dead or damaged foliage. This is something you can and should do year-round. Any leaves that are yellow or dried out should go, as well as any foliage that has insect damage. 

The purpose of removing dead and damaged tissue throughout the year is simple. It’s the same reason that we deadhead flowering plants. By removing the damaged foliage, you direct the plant’s energy away from healing that damage and toward developing and supporting new growth.

Vining Plants

Vining philodendrons, like heartleaf, thrive in hanging pots, near but not directly in bright sunlight. Some are more adaptable and can live in medium-light situations, but they may end up with leggy growth and grow more slowly. Use your hand shears for these, as they have tender stems that are easy to cut through. In some cases, you can pink the tips of stems to encourage branching in young, tender plants.

To create bushier growth, trim vines to the length where you want them to branch. You can trim at different lengths if you prefer, or trim them all fairly short if your plant needs rejuvenation. Don’t remove more than one-third of the plant at one time. 

Locate a node on the stem that you want to cut. This is usually where a leaf would grow, a small swollen area of the vine. There may be aerial roots forming from the node as well. Cut the stem at a 45-degree angle, just above the node. Set your cuttings aside if you plant to propagate. Trim to create an attractive and well-balanced form. 

Upright Plants

Upright plants tend to have larger leaves. You’ll either be pruning from the bottom to thin the foliage and create a treelike appearance or from the top to control the height. If you want to propagate, you need a portion of the stem with a node, so you’ll have to cut that from the top. 

If you’re pruning the bottom and thinning out larger, mature leaves, this is where a pruning saw will come in handy. Those thick stems often have woody petioles. A small saw will make a nice, clean cut, whereas a smaller hand tool might not cut through in one motion, which can lead to a rough cut. Clean cuts heal faster, which means the plant can apply its energy to new growth.

If your objective is a taller, more treelike appearance, remove the lower leaves as far up as you like. But try not to remove more than one-third of the plant at one time. A large, established plant will tolerate hard pruning. Cut as close as possible to the main stem or trunk, as this will give the most attractive finished product and heal best. 

If you want to control the height and have a cutting with which to propagate, decide how much height you want to remove. Again, try not to remove more than one-third of the plant at one time. Make your cut right below the node closest to the height you’ve determined you want it to be. 

Propagate or Compost

Before you discard those cuttings, consider doing something useful with them. If you’re short on time, composting is a great option. All that green growth is perfect for your compost pile. Make sure to discard any diseased foliage or that appears to have pest damage. 

If you have the time, many philodendrons are easy to propagate, and then you have another beautiful plant to share or care for. You can propagate these in water, which is quick and easy and allows you to see the root growth. 

Use a container with clean, fresh water, and remove the leaves from the bottom portion of your cuttings. This exposes the nodes, which you should submerge in the water. If your nodes already have some roots developing, this will happen quickly. Refresh the water daily. Once your cuttings have a substantial amount of root tissue, you can transplant it to the soil and care for it as you do the parent.

You can also propagate in soil. While you don’t have the advantage of seeing the root growth this way, it’s great for beefing up the parent plant if it needs it. You can poke holes in the soil between stems and insert your cuttings into the holes. Make sure there is a node in the soil so that it can root easily. 

For larger or upright types, you will have a single, more substantial cutting. Cut the leaves from the bottom nodes and either put the cutting in water with exposed nodes submerged or propagate them in the soil. Plant your cutting in moist, well-drained soil and place it in a warm spot with indirect light. 

Make sure that you choose the right location for all of these different methods. Your young philodendrons will need humidity, about 50-60%, to keep them warm. Place them in bright light, but not in direct sun. They will be more delicate and need to avoid stress while they develop those roots!