Hi! Was wondering if anyone else is growing strawberry shake philodendron. I purchased this philodendron from a seller on ebay in January, along with a philodendron giganteum. I was very surprised when they came. In a happy way. I tried researching them on plant files to get a better understanding of these plants but there was not much information there. When my plants were shipped it was very very cold. I paid for a heat pack for the box, but when the box arrived in the two days priority mail takes the plants were cold. Giganteum had 3 leaves and one on the way. Strawberry shake had 2 leaves and one on the way. I thought they were going to be fine, but withing a couple of days Giganteum lost 2 of its leaves. Now the 3rd one is gone and the one on the way has yet to come open. Strawberry shake still has its 2 leaves, but while they are starting to show their "strawberry" variegation they also seem to appear yellow to me. The one on the way on it has yet to open also. I have strawberry shake in a north facing window. Bright light but no direct sunlight. Giganteum is under (but not directly) a fluorescent light.

Can you post a photo of the strawberry shake? I'd like to see what it might be.

Also, you may find info in my article on growing Philodendon useful:

http://www.exoticrainforest.co...

Steve Lucas
www.ExoticRainforest.clm

Here is a picture I had my son take with his cell phone right after I got it. Apparently it came with 3 leaves but I lost one. Don't remember that. My computer monitor is not very good so seeing the colors is difficult for me. Looked nice and green with a little white marbeling when I got it. It still has some of the white marbeling but is also turning pink. I wish I had a cell phone so I could take a picture of it now. Maybe I am being an alarmist, but its hard to say when I have never grown this plant before. I will read your article and see if that helps. I am battling fungus gnats with all my plants. I am hoping that is not hurting it. A fellow daves garden member suggested using mosquito dunks in the water I use to water with to kill the larvae, so I have been trying that. I also have a few clear fly paper strips sitting on top of the pot to catch the adults.
Will it turn yellow if the pot is too big?

I think I have been to Siloam Springs. Well. Actually I drove through it a couple of times. My father lives in Sprindale. Have you heard of Bill Cheatham? He repairs musical instruments for the razorback band.

We're about 20 minutes west of Springdale. My wife grew up there. Sorry, haven't had the pleasure of meeting your dad.

Your plant appears to have Philodendron erubescens as a parent, likely a hybrid. The leaf vein structure is very similar and the red stem and petioles is a strong indication of that parent. You can read a bit more about it here:

http://www.exoticrainforest.co...

The leaf shape is not the same but that is only natural variation and is common in Philodendron species. Variation can be caused by natural growth the same way people are variable or as a result of the influence of a different plant as one of the parents.

Erubescent means red. er⋅u⋅bes⋅cent  /ˌɛrʊˈbɛsənt/, adjective becoming red or reddish; blushing.

Philodendron erubescence is commonly called the "blushing Philodendron".


It isn't uncommon for people to make up a name when they come across a variation or hybrid that is not a good match to the accepted form or known form of a species

Steve


Steve

Bubba, I got a strawberry (milk) shake probably late Nov, early December. It was shipped during a really cold snap. It arrived with 2 nice leaves and then dropped them within days. It did nothing visible until maybe a week ago. It has only now opened it's first leaf (smaller). I have worried about the poor thing until now, but it is already working on another leaf. Mine is in more light (when the sun bothers to come out) so I may end up having to move it when it gets bright. As long as the stem is firm, it can sprout new leaves. I notice this one is starting to show the little spots for branching off, so I'm kind of excited. I have had several plants that arrived in cold, and did nothing for a long time, or lost all leaves, so I'm getting used to it, but keep even moist to barely moist, not overly wet, and so far everything has bounced back besides Anthurium waroqueanum.... the plant you've pictured is really pretty and the green looks fine to me. So the leaves are looking more yellow now? Or the same? The mosquito dunks haven't done any damage to any of my plants, and I've been using them all winter. I'll get a pic of my recovering plant. I noticed a little leaf yellowing when I sprayed for thrips using a mixture of neem oil, Murphy's oil soap, alcohol and water. I still see thrips but fewer, and I still need to spray again. Would love any ideas :).

Okay. The trunk part (proper verbage escapes me) feels firm, but the stem part the leaves are on do not feel firm. Is this normal? I wish my son would come over. I would like to show you guys a pic of it in its current condition. I do notice that the leaves look yellow more from the back than the front.

Steve-
Thanks for the link. I will read it too!

The stem (trunk) is firm, the petiole (between trunk and leaf) is firm on my new leaf, and it is similar coloration from front or back, but this is the first leaf since it's long dormancy. Another philo I have didn't start to show it's variegation until a leaf or 2 later. The red sheath like part collapses but not the petiole.... If the petiole on your leaves are getting kind of sponge-like then the leaves may be giving it up. Don't lose hope, spring is around the corner and as long as the stem is still firm and not rotten in the soil, it can come back. Keep us posted, and watch watering, I try really hard to keep even to barely moist when the plants arrive in shock from cold damage. Some sellers can send plants in winter and some shouldn't :).

This plant came from mda1515 on ebay. I did pay for a heat pack, but the pack was cold by the time the plants arrived. They arrived within 2 to 3 days. Now, I have purchased several plants from sgabird on ebay. I do know that they are members of Daves Garden as Funny Farm Herbs. The last set of plants I bought from them came so well packed. They lined the top and bottom of the box with insulation, and put a heat pack in the middle with the plants. I have had no problem with those plants. Although my variegated rubber tree does have a few tiny spots that look like rust. Have no idea what that is.

I have been watering with the mosquito dunk water. So far I have not noticed any difference. Maybe it takes a while.

I am kinda wondering if these leaves have given up. They just look "old". I do wonder if the pot is too big. I have read philodendrons don't like a pot that is big, they like to be crowded. But this was the only pot I had when the plant came. I am going to dig around and see what I can find. Went to walmart last night. They do hav a few pots out. Maybe I will go back and see if I can find a smaller one. This pot is, I think, and 8" round. Boy! Growing plants is such a guessing game!

You guys have been a lot of help! Thanks!

I'd leave them on until they go more yellow. Mine was from mda1515. It is kind of a shame because they ship such nice plants, then some crap out within a few days. But the ones that don't are really pretty!!!!! My experience has been the same, the plants from sgabird arrive in terrific shape. In fact, the last shipment was almost too warm, lol. If your plant fails (stem rot and shriveling), let me know, and I'll try to get a start off this one. It will be a bit before it really has enough to cut. This is if I can get rid of thrips, of course. I'll not share these little buttwads .

What do thrips look like?

Julia, here are a few definitions that may help:

stem
The base, central axis and main support of a plant normally divided into nodes and internodes. The nodes often produce a leaf in the axil of which they produce roots and hold buds which may grow into shoots of various forms. The stem's roots anchor the plant either to the ground, a tree or to a rock. A stem may spread as a repent (creeping) rhizome growing across the soil. Stems may either grow above ground, underground or partially above the soil. Specialized stem forms are called a corm, tuber or bulb. Even though may writers use them the terms "corm" and "bulb" and not seen in the family Araceae. A stem is not the part of the plant that is the stalk that support a leaf. The stem does support leaves but only because it also supports the stalk known as a petiole which attachés directly to the stem.

petiole
A part of a leaf, the stalk that attaches a leaf blade to the stem. The structure of the petiole is important to the identification of a species since it may be terete (round), square, quadrangular or have other shapes as well as possess lines known as striations, single or multiple canals known as sulci (singular: sulcus) (then said to be sulcate) as well as other unique features. A petiole is often incorrectly called a “stem” by plant collectors. It is not uncommon for a petiole to be spongy in some species.

cataphyll
A bract-like modified leaf which surrounds any newly developing leaf to protect an emerging blade as it develops. A cataphyll may be unribbed as well as single or double ribbed and in some genera have important characteristics used to determine the species. Cataphylls are commonly called "sheaths" by collectors but the sheath is a different part of the plant.

petiole sheath
Winged extensions at the sides of the petiole that may envelop a newly developing leaf blade of the successive leaf.

canaliculate
A channeled or furrowed groove in the surface of a plant part such as the petiole or midrib of a leaf blade.

internode
Stem segments or sections that lie between nodes. Internode measurements are used to define or determine the species in some cases.

node
The point on the stem where leaves, cataphylls, buds and usually roots arise.

rhizome
A stem that runs either along or just beneath the surface of the soil.

Sulcus (adjective sulcate)
A furrow or groove such as the depression sometimes observed on the upper surface of a petiole commonly known as a C-shaped depression.

All these are from an article I prepared for the next issue of Aroideana which is the journal of the International Aroid Society. The issue will be out in August and every IAS member receives a copy.

Hope that helps rather than confuses.

Steve

So much information! Must digest! Would love to read your article when it comes out. I guess they don't sell that magazine on the rack at Walmart. Ha! ha! Would love to see pictures to illustrate each point. Do you have something like this on your website?

I did some switching around with my pots. I put strawberry shake in a much smaller pot. I did seem to lose some of the bottom roots when I took it out of the pot it was in, but it still had roots attached to the "base" (see. I am learning!). I am hopeful this will help. I also mixed a little bit of perlite in the potting mix to help with drainage, and I used fresh potting mix to rid the plant of the fungus gnats. I do realize that it will only be temporary 'cause I am fighting them in all pots. But I am hoping to continually change out the soil in my pots until I am rid of the darn things!

I have noticed that the petiole (ah ha! Julia learns a new language! Tee! hee! hee!) on strawberry shake is flat on the top and round on the bottom. What do you call that?

Aroideana is not available for purchase by non-IAS members until one year after publication. Every member receives a copy in the mail in August and this year will be our first to have color pages. I know that sounds unusual but the IAS is not a huge organization and we spend almost every dime we take in every year producing Aroideana and the show.

That's one reason I'm on a major push to increase the membership so we can do more color printing as well as grants to students going into aroid botany.

Every member also receives a quarterly newsletter with the next one out next month. The newsletter is always in color and is sent electronically.

If anything about my definitions is difficult just ask! I'll gladly do my best to "translate".

Steve

http://images.google.com/image...

I just googled thrips images. I have looked with a magnifying glass, or I wouldn't see them very well... I worked at a greenhouse when I was younger and some insect was biting me. I finally caught one and asked the owner, he said it was thrips but that I was nuts if I thought it was biting me. Well, that's how I figured out that they were here. I kept getting little bites. Not since I sprayed, but I'm on the hunt for them, now. I'm wondering what other means of control people have used until I get them outside (The neem kind of stinks).

Off subject but if any of you grow "Philodendron Silver Queen" (commonly sold on eBay) you might want to read this new page!

Steve


http://www.exoticrainforest.co...

Nope. Thankfully I don't have thrips!

Steve-

Could I press upon you a little further for help? I had this discussion with someone on the garden and was referred to your website for help in identifying my plants. Here's the deal. (Hope you can see the plants) The plant on the left I got from someone on the garden marketplace summer before last. When it arrived it was labelled as philodendron bippenifida, which of course I could not find on the plant files. I am wondering if she meant bippenifitum. The plant on the right I got in a plant trade. The person who sent it to me said it was a "horsehead" philodendron. If you look closely (hope you can see) you see that these two plants are not the same. The plant on the right has a more elongated and narrow leaf and the top of the leaf on the most mature leaf is square. I believe the plant on the left is the plant most commonly referred to as 'horsehead". Do you know what variety the plant on the right is?

Horse head is a common name for Philodendron bipennifolium. My guess is both are the same plant.

If you look at the photos on this page you'll see this plant goes through a wide range of changes as it grows in exact the same way a baby changes as it morphs into a three year old, then a six year old before becoming a teen ager, a young adult and finally into a 69 year old like me. These changes are called ontogeny. To make that more complicated plants go through a process of natural variation and the two combined make it tough on anyone to walk through a rain forest and figure out which species is really a different plant.

When a person goes into the forest to collect they always look for the most beautiful "forms". There may be two identical species growing side by side but they have different forms so the collector takes the one that is more striking, still they are the same species.

We change so so much as we grow even some of our best child hood friends have no idea who we are when we meet 50 years later. Plants are exactly the same.

There is one photo on the page showing a bunch of different forms on the same plant.:

http://www.exoticrainforest.co...

Once you read this page then click on the link to Natural Variation. I think you'll get the picture. By the way, this subject confuses many people because we have a tough time understanding that plants morph as they age just like people.

Let me know what you think.

Steve

I do understand that the baby leaves can look so much different than the mature leaves. On the plant to the left the bottom leaf looks much different than the baby ones at the top of the plant, except to me the bottom of the leaves look similar, the baby one being fatter and not yet elongated. But, yes, it is very hard to understand that these two plants could be the same since they look so much different. Even the baby leaves are different. It is very hard for the mind to grasp that 2 plants, growing side by side in the wild, could be the exact same plant and look completely different. This makes identifying what you buy so much harder. And can be frustrating. I will go look at your link. I am sure I will find it very enlightening.

Ooooh! I wish mine looked like the photo taken by Michael Mattlage or the photo taken by Enid Offelter!