Philodendron 'Imperial Red'

Imperial Red is a self-heading Philodendron cultivar grown for its new leaves, which emerge a deep burgundy-red before darkening to a glossy near-black green as they mature. Like its close relative Prince of Orange, it grows as a compact rosette from a single crown rather than climbing, making it a tidy, architectural houseplant. It is widely produced by tissue culture and sold at accessible prices across UK garden centres and online retailers, valued for its bold colour contrast and low maintenance requirements.

Native range

Horticultural cultivar, self-heading Philodendron hybrid group.

Classification

Genus

Philodendron

Family

Araceae

Type

Cultivar

Growth habit

Self-heading rosette, non-climbing

Morphology

Leaf shape

Broad ovateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base. to elongated-heart shaped

Leaf length

25-40 cm

Leaf width

15-25 cm

Petiole colour

Deep red to maroon

Venation

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

Texture

Glossy, leathery

Variegation

None (deep red new growth maturing to dark glossy green rather than variegation)

Growth habit

Compact rosette, self-heading, no climbing or trailing