Philodendron atabapoense

Glossy dark green on top, deep maroon underneath: the two-tone contrast on Philodendron atabapoense is most visible when light catches a mature leaf from below, and it's the main reason collectors seek this species out. Native to shaded riverine forest in the upper Orinoco region of Venezuela and Colombia, it climbs on slender internodes and active aerial roots, well suited to a moss pole or totem support. Elongated leaves and an architectural silhouette give it real presence once established on a proper climbing structure.

Native range

Southern Venezuela and adjacent Colombia

Classification

Genus

Philodendron

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Climbing hemiepiphyte

Morphology

Leaf shape

Elongated sagittateArrowhead-shaped leaves, with pointed lobes at the base pointing downwards. to hastateSpearhead-shaped leaves, with basal lobes pointing outward at right angles rather than downward.

Leaf length

30-60 cm

Leaf width

10-20 cm

Petiole colour

Dark reddish-brown

Venation

PinnateVeins or lobes arranged like a feather, branching out symmetrically on both sides of a single main central vein.

Texture

Glossy

Variegation

None

Growth habit

Climbing