{"product_id":"imperial-green-philodendron-philodendron-imperial-green","title":"Imperial Green Philodendron - Philodendron Imperial Green","description":"\u003cp\u003eImperial Green does one job well. Its broad, glossy, leathery leaves in a clean mid green sit close together on short stout stalks, so the plant reads as one dense upright mass. It has no coloured new growth, no variegation and no unusual leaf shape. What it has is presence and tolerance. A large plant fills a floor position in a foyer, a lounge corner or a covered courtyard with very little fuss, and it puts up with the lower light and steady air conditioning of an office better than most of its relatives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFloor space and a little light\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlan for width. The leaves angle outward from the crown, so a mature plant spreads well beyond the rim of its pot, and in a narrow hallway the leaf tips get knocked, creased and split. Give it a corner or an open stretch of floor where people walk past rather than through it. Bright indirect light keeps the leaves large and the growth compact; in a darker spot it keeps going, but the new leaves come smaller on longer stalks and the plant leans toward the window, so turn the pot every few weeks. Keep it out of direct sun through glass and away from the blast of a heater or air conditioning vent. Outdoors it suits a frost free, sheltered, shaded patio or courtyard, and wind will shred it in an open bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWater, dust and the big pot problem\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBig plants in big pots are where most trouble starts. A 500mm pot of mix holds water for a long time, and in a cool room the bottom stays wet long after the surface looks dry. Roots rot, the lower leaves yellow and the plant looks thirsty, so it gets more water, which finishes it. Push a finger or a moisture meter well down before watering, water thoroughly only when the mix has dried a good way down, then let it drain fully and empty the saucer. In winter indoors that can mean every two to three weeks. Use a coarse, free draining mix with bark through it, and check that a decorative cover pot is not holding a pool of water around the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the leaves every few weeks with a soft damp cloth; on leaves this size, a film of dust visibly dulls the gloss and cuts the light the plant can use. Feed with half strength liquid fertiliser monthly in spring and summer, or a controlled release fertiliser once each spring, and nothing in winter. Move it up one pot size in spring once roots show at the drainage holes, which for most plants is every few years. Check leaf undersides and stalk bases for scale. The lowest leaves yellow and drop as the plant grows, which is normal; cut them at the stalk. Gloves for that job: the sap irritates skin, and a dog or toddler chewing a leaf gets a burning, swollen mouth from the calcium oxalate in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eImperial Green or a coloured sibling\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/imperial-red-philodendron-philodendron-imperial-red\"\u003eImperial Red Philodendron\u003c\/a\u003e is its closest match in form, with new leaves that open a deep burgundy and settle to a dark burgundy green; it needs brighter light to hold that colour and reads heavier in a room. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/philodendron-rojo-congo\"\u003ePhilodendron Rojo Congo\u003c\/a\u003e sits between the two, with green leaves on red stalks and bronze new growth. Choose Imperial Green when the space needs plain, glossy mid green rather than the dark burgundy of Imperial Red. Compare the others in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/indoor-plants\"\u003eIndoor Plants\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 3 sizes, from 300mm up to 500mm, priced from $71.95 to $389.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/when-to-plant-trees-and-shrubs-australia\"\u003ewhen to plant in Australia\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"300mm","offer_id":67671065592177,"sku":null,"price":71.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":67671065657713,"sku":null,"price":209.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":67671065690481,"sku":null,"price":389.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/imperial-green-philodendron-philodendron-imperial-green.jpg?v=1791518579","url":"https:\/\/plantdrop.com.au\/products\/imperial-green-philodendron-philodendron-imperial-green","provider":"Plant Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}