Thaumatophyllum xanadu
BOTANICAL SUPER POWERS
Medium to Bright Indirect
The orientation of your window defines where to put your plant so it gets medium to bright indirect sunlight. If your window faces
North, place your plant between 0 and 1 ft away from it.
East or West, put it 1 to 5 ft away.
South, place it between 1 to 10 ft away, as sunlight from the South is the strongest.
Traveller-Friendly
Traveller-friendly plants are the ones which can tolerate occasional draughts.
If you travel and sometimes are away for 1-2 weeks you should look at traveller-friendly plants. These plants are resilient and if you miss 1-2 waterings they will be fine.
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Plant story
The Thaumatophyllum xanadu is native to South America, namely Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It grows medium-sized leathery and lobed leaves on long stems of a lighter green colour. Once it gets to maturity, it has a lovely bushy look.
Place of origin
Brazil

Philodendron
This plant comes in different varieties.
Care for your Thaumatophyllum xanadu like a pro!
Check out it’s personal CARE CARD
Accessories
Houseplant starter kit
Light
MEDIUM TO BRIGHT INDIRECT
Check the direction of your window, then put your plant within the range suggested below.
Within any given range, aim to place the plant as close to the window as possible.
North:
EAST/WEST:
SOUTH:
DISLIKES

Direct sunlight
Water
LIGHT DRINKER
Check the moisture of the soil 1/week and water only when 2”+ of the topsoil is dry.
DISLIKES
Sitting in water
Air
Tropical to subtropical
Aim to provide the air conditions your plant would find in its natural habitat.
TEMPERATURE
16°-27°C60-80°F
HUMIDITY
HIGH
Mist daily
Use humidifier
Soil
HEAVY EATER
Use liquid fertilizer as indicated below from March to September.
FREQUENCY
monthly
NPK FORMULA
20-20-20
DISLIKES
Fertilizing in winter and fall months
Care for your Thaumatophyllum xanadu like a pro!
Light
Thaumatophyllum xanadu needs MEDIUM TO BRIGHT INDIRECT.
To place your plant in the perfect spot, let’s start with understanding how much light it needs and how much light your place gets. To figure this out, you need to find the direction of your window and measure how far the plant is from it. First, using the compass or map on your phone, see what direction your window faces: North, East, West, or South. Here’s what you need to remember:
- South-facing windows make for the brightest spots, then East- and West-facing, and then North-facing.
- If the window is in between two directions, use the least sunny direction as a base.
- Each window has an optimal proximity range. Here’s where to put your Thaumatophyllum xanadu, based on the direction of your window:
- within 1ft away from North window;
- within 5ft away from East or West window;
- between 1-10ft away from South window;
Within this range, the closer your plant is to the window, the more light photons it gets, and the better it thrives.
The Dislikes of Your Alocasia When It Comes To Light
Your
Thaumatophyllum xanadu doesn’t like direct sun rays. They are harsh and can sunburn the plant’s sensitive foliage.
IMAGE DIRECT SUNLIGT
Note: This is a general guideline. Each place is unique, and you know yours best. Is the window view obstructed by the trees and a highrise? Is there a sheer curtain? If so, less light is coming in. Move your plant closer!
Still not sure if your Thaumatophyllum xanadu will be thriving in the spot you picked?
Another simple way to define brightness levels is by measuring the intensity of the shadow. That’s particularly helpful if the view is somewhat obstructed and it’s hard to estimate how much light actually sneaks in. Place a sheet of paper on the spot where you’d like to grow a plant. Hold your hand about 1 foot (30cm) above the paper. Now, what do you see?
Thaumatophyllum xanadu needs Medium to Bright Indirect.
Water
Thaumatophyllum xanadu is a LIGHT DRINKER.
Check your plant regularly, but only water it when it’s thirsty.
Every plant needs a period of drying for the oxygen to get to its roots. Overwatering damages your plant by preventing that process from happening. So how can you know how much water your
Thaumatophyllum xanadu needs? The ideal watering frequency depends on the plant’s drinking habits and how fast the soil dries out in your unique indoor space, so it would be misleading to recommend a fixed schedule. To best meet your plant’s water needs, monitor it, and watch for the signs it’s thirsty.
Here’s how the how to:
Once a week before giving your plant a drink, check the moisture level in the pot by dipping your finger a couple of inches into the soil.
Light Drinkers need to be watered when 2’+ of the topsoil is dry.
Another sign your plant is thirsty is when its leaves start drooping. Even if this happens, don’t forget to check the topsoil first and make sure it’s dry before watering the plant.
The dislikes of Your Thaumatophyllum xanadu When It Comes To Water
- Your Thaumatophyllum xanadu doesn’t like it when its roots are left sitting in water. They would start to rot and that would irreversibly damage your plant.
What to do: Make sure you always discard the drenched water from the pot or saucer after watering.
Air
Thaumatophyllum xanadu comes from a Tropical to subtropical climate. Aim to provide the air conditions it would find in its natural habitat. At all times, maintain a comfortable room temperature of 60-80°F,16°-27°C.
Thaumatophyllum xanadu thrives in high humidity (40-50%). It tolerates normal humidity (30-40%), but if the humidity is low (less than 30%), you may notice the foliage getting thin and dry on the edges. You can easily rectify that by misting it daily or using a humidifier.
Soil
To provide your Thaumatophyllum xanadu with the right nutrients, fertilize it from March to September.
It’s a HEAVY eater plant. As a rule of thumb, it should be fertilized once a month.
Liquid fertilizer with NPK formula 20-20-20 (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) works best for it.
Otherwise, you can use all-purpose indoor plant fertilizer.
Never fertilize your plant during the winter or fall months. It goes through winter dormancy and its appetite naturally slows down.