Can a Philodendron Grow in Water? (How to Do It)

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Philodendrons are among the most popular houseplants. Many people love keeping these plants in their homes because they’re pretty and they’re easy to care for.

Most choose to keep philodendrons in pots. Philodendrons can be kept in pots normally or they can be used as climbing plants.

What about growing them in water, though? Is this an option with this plant?

Continue reading to learn about philodendrons and growing them in water. It’ll tell you what you have to do to make this happen.

Many Philodendrons Can Grow in Water

Before going further, it’s important to know that there are many types of philodendrons. There are so many different types that you need to look up specific information about the type of philodendron that you have.

Below, you’ll get information about common philodendrons that can be grown in water. There are, however, some philodendrons out there that cannot be grown in water.

So if you wish to grow philodendrons in water, you should make sure that the variety that you own is capable of doing so. It’s always best to learn about the specific variety that you own so you can get accurate information.

Even knowing this, you can expect the information below to be accurate for the most common and popular types of philodendrons. Philodendrons are common houseplants and many of them are capable of growing in water nicely.

How to Grow Philodendrons in Water

You can indeed grow philodendrons in water. It’s common for people to take philodendron cuttings and then place them in glass containers filled with water.

This is a very simple and fun way to propagate philodendrons. Doing this is something that you can accomplish even if you don’t have a lot of experience.

To get started, you need to take a philodendron cutting. You want to take a six-inch cutting from a mother plant.

Ideally, the cutting should contain two nodes and a few leaves. Nodes are small bumps near the spot where the leaves grow.

You should always use a clean and sterile pair of pruning shears to make these cuts. Be sure to cut the stem below a set of leaves to do things safely.

Place the cutting that you took in a glass container that’s filled with distilled water. Some people choose to put a few drops of liquid houseplant fertilizer in the water, but this isn’t necessary to get good results.

Remove the bottom leaves from the cutting before putting the plant in the glass container. Make sure that the top leaves are above the water and that all of the nodes are submerged in the water.

You’ll need to replace the water in the glass container every so often. Replace the water in the container every three days, and you’ll ensure that things will go well.

After some time has passed, you’ll notice that roots will begin forming. You should keep the philodendron in a place where it can receive bright indirect sunlight at this point.

That’s really all that there is to it. Philodendrons are simple to propagate in water, and you should try it for yourself if you think it’d be a fun experiment.

How Long Does It Take for a Philodendron to Root in Water?

Typically, it’s not going to take too long for philodendrons to root in water. If you’re doing things right and have taken a good cutting from the mother plant, you’ll see roots form in around ten days.

It might take slightly more or less time than this, depending on various factors. Ten days is the average, and you should keep an eye on the cutting while continuing to change the water often enough.

There might be some differences based on the type of philodendron that you have as well. Some people say that certain philodendrons will take two to three weeks to root in water.

So exercise some patience while continuing to look after the cutting. The roots will be easy to see in the water once they’ve formed.

How Long Can They Live in Water?

It’s fine to keep a philodendron in the water forever if you want to so long as it can grow in water. Many people grow trailing philodendrons in water permanently.

The only downside is that the plant won’t grow to be as big when kept in water. You can transfer the philodendron cutting to the soil once the roots have become big enough and strong enough, should you want to.

It’s good to know that you have the choice to keep caring for these plants in water. Many people do this simply because it’s so easy to pull off.

Philodendrons are easy to care for in the water. You just continue to change the water every so often.

Also, you’ll need to clean the glass container that you’re keeping the philodendron in. It’ll get dirty after some time has passed.

While cleaning the container, you can transfer the philodendron to another container with water. So doing this is always going to be simple.

How Does Care Differ Between Growing in Water vs. Soil?

There are many care differences to consider when growing philodendrons in water. When compared to growing these plants in soil, you’ll find that it’s quite different.

When caring for these plants in water, you need to change the water every so often. This is different from caring for plants that are kept in soil.

Plants that are grown in soil need to be watered periodically. Watering the plants too much can lead to issues with root rot that might kill the plant.

You don’t have to worry about root rot when you keep these plants in water. The philodendron will grow differently and you just need to change the water to keep it clean and safe for the plant.

It’s also notable that the plant doesn’t grow in the same way in the water. These plants are generally much smaller when grown in water than they are when grown in soil.

If you want the plant to be a hanging trailing plant, you’re going to want to keep it in soil. A water-based philodendron can be kept on a counter or a table safely, but it’s going to stay small.

The plant will trail a bit, but it just won’t grow to be huge. Philodendrons can get very big if you grow them in soil.

When to Propagate a Philodendron

The best time to take cuttings and start propagating these plants will be the early spring. During this time, the plant will be growing longer, and it’ll be easy to make good cuts that can be used for propagation.

Also, philodendrons can recover easily when you take cuts during the growing season. So doing this during the early spring works out well.

Usually, you’ll be doing this sometime during March. This can also be done a bit later if you want to.

Propagating in water is a very easy way to do things, but these plants can also be propagated in soil. The method for doing so is just slightly different.

How Do You Propagate Philodendrons in Soil?

Propagating philodendrons in soil isn’t difficult. It’s just slightly different than the method you use to do so in water.

You take cuts the same way that you would when propagating the plants in water. When you have the cutting, you’re going to dip the cut end of the cutting in a rooting hormone.

Once this is done, you want to place the plant in a small pot with soil. Use well-draining soil that works well for philodendrons.

Water the soil thoroughly and keep an eye on the cutting. Over the course of a couple of weeks, the plant should start to grow roots in the soil.

You can see if roots are growing by tugging on the cutting gently to see if it moves. If you feel a bit of resistance, that’s a sign that the roots are growing properly.

Then you just keep caring for the plant as normal. Eventually, it’ll grow, and it’ll be a full plant instead of just a cutting.

Final Thoughts

Growing philodendrons in water can be a great experience. This is a simple way to propagate the plant if you’re interested.

Many people choose to take cuttings and grow more philodendrons because they love these plants so much. You can propagate these plants in water and then move them to soil once the roots are big enough.

It’s also possible to keep the plant cuttings in soil indefinitely. So long as you care for it well, it’ll be easy to keep the plant alive and healthy in water.

When you grow them in water, you pretty much just need to change the water regularly. Sometimes you’ll need to clean the container that you’re keeping the plant in.

Otherwise, it’s pretty easy to get good results. So long as you have a philodendron variety that can be propagated this way, you’ll have a good time with it.

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