PHILODENDRON 'PELE WAO'

PARENTAGE:

Philodendron 'Red Emerald' × Philodendron verrucosum

ORIGIN:

Quinton Hausermann created this select hybrid seedling through artificial pollination at E.F.G. Orchids in 2023; accepted by the IAS Aroid Cultivar Registry.

HYBRIDIZER:

Quinton Hausermann

DESCRIPTION:

A hemiepiphyte, thriving as a climbing plant that will also crawl as needed. Like Philodendron verrucosum, this cross grows best when its aerial roots have a moist surface or potting medium to root into. The leaves are broadly heart-shaped, with a smooth, velvety texture and slightly wavy margins. The undersides of the newer leaves are a soft red with bright green venation; this color eventually fades to a light green, as in Philodendron verrucosum, and has been observed to last for as long as five nodes of growth. The plant is not variegated. This select seedling has not produced an inflorescence. The registrant considers it most similar to Philodendron ‘Splendid’ but notes multiple unique characteristics. The petioles begin light red and fade to a tannish green at roughly the same rate as the color on the undersides of the leaves. The texture and structure of the entire plant are intermediate between Philodendron ‘Red Emerald’ and Philodendron verrucosum, making it tougher, more resilient, and easier to work with than Philodendron ‘Splendid’. Its humidity requirements seem lower than those of Philodendron ‘Splendid’, making it better suited to ambient environments. In the registrant’s central Florida greenhouse, it maintains its older leaves longer than Philodendron ‘Splendid’ and has a higher tolerance for colder temperatures. Its leaves are smaller, with shorter petioles, yet still grow to a larger size than those of Philodendron ‘Red Emerald’. It has a much bushier appearance, as the nodes are generally closer together than in Philodendron ‘Splendid’. The stems are much more flexible and durable, making the plant easier to transport, transplant, and propagate. The undersides of the leaves have a very vibrant and beautiful coloration that lasts much longer than on Philodendron ‘Splendid’. It is also able to grow without support longer than both Philodendron ‘Splendid’ and Philodendron verrucosum while still maintaining its size.¹

NOTES:

STATUS - Accepted by the International Aroid Society’s Aroid Cultivar Registry.

1. A hybrid cultivar of Philodendron ‘Red Emerald’ and Philodendron verrucosum.¹

2. The registry names Quinton Hausermann as hybridizer and namer. It records that the select hybrid seedling was created through artificial pollination at E.F.G. Orchids in 2023.¹

3. In the namer’s sense, Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, and the Hawaiian word wao (pronounced “wah-oh”) is known as a “wild upland forest.” The name roughly translates as “Pele of the forest” or “Volcano Goddess of the forest.”¹

4. The registrant considers it most similar to Philodendron ‘Splendid’ but calls it tougher, more resilient, and easier to work with, transport, transplant, and propagate, with lower humidity requirements, a bushier habit, longer-lasting coloration on the leaf undersides, and the ability to grow without support for longer. The registrant describes its texture and structure as intermediate between Philodendron ‘Red Emerald’ and Philodendron verrucosum, with leaves that are larger than those of Philodendron ‘Red Emerald’.¹

REFERENCES:

1. International Aroid Society Aroid Cultivar Registry: Philodendron 'Pele Wao'

Photographs submitted to the IAS Aroid Cultivar Registry by Quinton Hausermann