“The one who never stops reminding you it’s from Brazil.”

Philodendron Brasil

Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil'

Heart-shaped leaves with a lime-and-gold stripe down the middle, on quick vines. The more light it gets, the bolder the stripe.

Forever

3.8/5

how easy it is to care for

4.0/5

how much it stands out visually

: Dim to bright

Holds on in dim rooms; its stripe glows in brighter ones

Copes with low light for a long time, but dimness mutes the yellow-green stripe. Near a bright window, away from direct rays, the variegation comes in bolder.

In wet forests from Mexico to Brazil, it climbs tree trunks beneath the canopy (UConn Extension; Kew). Indoors, the gold shows best where daylight is strong but direct rays stay off the leaves: a north-facing sill, or an arm’s length back from an east window.

The stripe is the part that answers to light. NC State calls the variegation unstable, and the plant patent for 'Brasil' says its look varies with temperature, light intensity and feeding. Leaves that open mostly plain green are a hint to try a spot nearer the window.

Cold glass is worth minding too, since that same patent counts temperature among the things that shift its coloring, and NC State notes philodendrons in general prefer 65-85°F.

It will settle for dim light, but the gold is what brighter light buys.

: 2-3× a month

Slightly damp soil; every 7-10 days, less in winter

Keep it the way it likes it: slightly damp, never muddy. That’s about every 7-10 days in summer, 10-14 in winter.

Those little nubs along its stems are aerial roots. In the wild they cling to bark and draw on the moisture and nutrients it holds (UConn Extension). Indoors it puts up with dry air, though NC State says it prefers medium humidity and appreciates a misting.

When radiators parch the air in winter, that misting is a kind extra for a plant built to sip from damp bark, never a requirement.

Gone for a while? Two weeks is fine if it’s watered the day you leave. Any longer, ask someone to give it a soak.

: Medium

Fast vines of lime-streaked hearts that trail 4-6 feet

Heart-shaped leaves on slender vines that trail 4-6 feet. Let them spill from a hanging basket or a bookcase top, or trim them back and it holds a 1.5-3 foot space on a table.

Next to a pothos, it’s the better-⁠behaved trailer: University of Illinois Extension notes most philodendrons make shorter, less sprawling stems, though it still calls them fast-growing. Climbing in the wild, the same species can reach about 13 feet (NC State).

Indoors, its leaves run about 5 inches, the juvenile size (UConn Extension). A pole to climb is often the route to bigger ones, while a hanging vine tends to keep them small.

Against a pale wall, the heart outlines and their center stripes read from across the room, so the top of a bookcase or a run of wall hooks shows them off. New plants start from stem cuttings (NC State).

: Mildly irritating

Chewing can sting the mouths of dogs, cats, or kids

DogsMildly irritating
CatsMildly irritating
KidsMildly irritating

Brasil is a variegated heartleaf philodendron, with the same calcium oxalates: a chewed leaf may sting a pet’s or child’s mouth and bring drooling or vomiting. It usually passes on its own.

Some sources say kidney or nerve effects are possible, mostly in cats, but the usual course is a sore mouth that passes.

Every part of the plant, from roots to sap, carries calcium-oxalate crystals (NC State). A bite releases them, which is where the mouth pain and swelling come from, and sometimes a little trouble swallowing. The sap can irritate skin too, so rinse your hands after taking cuttings.

Most nibbles end there, with discomfort that fades on its own. If symptoms don’t settle or anything worries you, Poison Control can help with a child, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center can help with a pet (a fee may apply).

One thing to watch is its pace. A fast vine that hung well above the cat in spring may dangle within reach by fall, so trim the tails to stay a step ahead of a nibbler, or train them upward instead.

ASPCA: mild for dogs.
Merck Veterinary Manual: mild for dogs (rates the whole genus).
Pet Poison Helpline: mild for dogs.
ASPCA: mild for cats.
Merck Veterinary Manual: mild for cats (rates the whole genus).
Pet Poison Helpline: mild for cats.
: mild for kids.

Cats and dogs: Most of the leading sources agree.

Kids: Poison Control lists it; the effect is mouth pain from oxalate crystals.

: Dry OK

70-80°F; dry air is fine

Happiest at 70-80°F, and it shouldn’t sit below 50°F. Humidity can drop to 20% without trouble.

Temperature: 70-80°F

: Pest-resistant

Rarely bothered; peek under leaves and at new tips

Rarely bothered. If something turns up, look for mealybugs in the leaf axils and stem nodes, scale along stems and veins, and aphids on new tips. Mites and thrips stay under the leaves.

Mealybugs
Scale
Spider mites
Aphids
Banded greenhouse thrips

Not many. NC State Extension reports no serious pest or disease problems: a few sap-sucking bugs now and then, and root rot if the soil stays wet.

Mealybugs look like tufts of white cotton where the leaves meet the stem; scale looks like small brown bumps stuck to the stems and leaves. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (a fingernail lifts scale), then check again next week.

Spider mites leave fine webbing and a dusty, speckled look, mostly in warm, dry air; aphids cluster on the soft new tips. Rinse the whole plant in the shower, undersides of the leaves included. If they come back, an insecticidal soap spray is the next step.

Root rot shows as yellowing lower leaves and limp stems while the soil is still wet. Let it dry out, empty the saucer, and water less often; cut away any stems that have gone soft and root the healthy tips as a backup.

: Some

Feed 3× a year; trim and pinch in spring and summer

Feed lightly every 3-4 months, since too much browns the leaf tips. In spring and summer, trim and pinch the vines twice each for a fuller plant. Repot in spring about every 2 years.

Feed3× a year
Prune2× a year
Pinch2× a year
Clean leaves2× a year

An all-purpose potting mix that drains fast, in a pot with a drainage hole. It doesn’t need a big pot.

Repot when the roots crowd the pot, or once the soil starts drying out much faster than it used to, one pot size up, in spring or summer. A plant that has just come home can wait: UF/IFAS advises giving a newly moved philodendron about four weeks before repotting or feeding it.

Food is optional: a houseplant fertilizer at half strength a few times over spring and summer is plenty. Too much browns and curls the leaf tips.

: Suave

Green hearts with a lime-gold stripe, glossy, filling the pot

Each heart-shaped leaf has a lime-and-gold stripe down its middle, framed in green. The leaves are smooth with a gentle shine, and the quick vines crowd together until the soil disappears.

Fun fact

The Brasil began as a natural mutation found in Holambra, Brazil in 1991, and it has been grown on from cuttings ever since, so the striped vine on your shelf traces back to that find.

Designer tips

A retro trailing vine with a modern streak of lime: it brightens a bookcase, a hanging pot, or any spot that needs a little color.

Trailing from the top of a bookcase near a window

The colorLights up a navy or charcoal wall with limeThe streak down each leaf is a yellow-green, and yellow-greens look brightest against deep blue or charcoal. On a dark wall, a plant that’s half dark green suddenly reads as mostly lime.

The lineClimbs a slim pole on a desk instead of trailingGiven a small moss or coir pole, it turns from a trailer into a narrow column of striped hearts that takes a desk corner instead of a whole shelf. Tie the stems on loosely as they grow.

The sceneLeads a shelf of heartleaf vines in three greensLine a bookshelf with a Brasil, a plain heartleaf philodendron, and a neon pothos: the same heart in dark green, lime-striped, and electric lime. All three drink every 10-14 days and like the same light, so the shelf is one stop; all three are mildly irritating if a pet chews them.

Troubleshooting

The lower leaves are turning yellow

Too much water, most often, and sometimes too little light: Clemson Extension names both. If the soil is still damp, give it longer between soaks and empty the saucer; in a dim spot, move it closer to a window. Yellow leaves won’t green up again, so pull them off if you like.

Why is it droopy?

Well over a week since a drink likely means thirst, and a good soak usually helps. A pot that stays soggy is the opposite case: the roots may be starting to rot, so let it dry out and empty the saucer.

A new leaf came in plain green

That happens now and then: NC State calls the stripe unstable, and it varies from leaf to leaf. A spot nearer the window often brings bolder stripes, and if one stem keeps making plain leaves, you can cut it back to the last striped one.

See all 9

Why are the new leaves small and far apart?

It wants more light: UF/IFAS notes philodendrons keep their leaf size and color with more light, and in a dim spot new leaves come in smaller on longer bare stems. Move it closer to a window, out of the sun’s reach, and trim the bare stems back if they bother you.

My cat took a bite of a vine

Expect a sore mouth: drooling, pawing at its face, maybe some vomiting, from the calcium-oxalate crystals. It’s mildly irritating, per the ASPCA, and usually passes; if your cat keeps vomiting or has trouble swallowing, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Can it live in a room without a window?

Yes, under lights that are on most of the day: Clemson Extension says heartleaf philodendrons grow well under ordinary room light. It grows slower and sparser there, and the stripe likely fades.

Brown roots are growing out of the stems

Aerial roots, which it uses to climb. Leave them, guide them onto a moss pole, or snip them off near the stem: Iowa State Extension says cutting them doesn’t harm the plant.

Why are the new stems pink?

That’s normal. New stems and leaf stalks come in reddish pink, then turn orange and finally green as they age, per its plant patent.

Can it go outside for the summer?

Yes, in full shade: a porch or under a tree, once nights stay above 50°F. Bring it back in before fall nights drop below that, and check it for bugs before it comes inside.

Propagation

Easy, and every cutting comes true, stripes and all (its plant patent says so).

Cut a piece of stem 3 to 6 inches long, just below a leaf, and pull off the lowest leaf.
Stand it in a glass of water or push it into damp mix, and change the water often.
Roots form in 4-6 weeks; pot it up once they’re several inches long.

For a fuller plant sooner, put several rooted cuttings in one pot.