Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Care And Tips: Ultimate Guide
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Care: Philodendron Spiritus Sancti is the best choice if Monstera Obliqua or Monstera Adansonii Varegata seem rare, difficult to find, and costly.
It is located in Brazil’s state of Espirito Santo, near the town of Domingos Martins. The plant is believed to be one of a few remaining wild plants.
There are likely to be more wild plants than there are in cultivation.
Particularly now that Philodendron Spiritus Sancti was successfully tissued cultured in Thailand.
While this makes plants more affordable, we still have to keep our prices in the lower four digits.
How to Care For Philodendron Spiritus Sancti
This blog post will contain as much information as I can.
Philodendrons Spiritus Sancti Care
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti thrives in well-draining soil, which is porous and airy but not too dry. The best mix is made up of leaves, shredded and unconsolidated mosses, little soil, bark, charcoal, and some other elements. The temperature should be between 66 and 76 F (19-24 C). For natural conditions, keep the humidity around 80%. The plant only requires a small amount of fertilizer now and then.
The Spiritus Sancti’s looks
The plant is quite large, with pendent leaves that can reach a height of 29 inches. Philodendron Spiritus Sancti can be considered a hemiepiphyte.
According to the Annals of Botany, a hemiepiphyte plant lives most of its life as an Epiphyte.
Primary hemiepiphytes send roots down to the ground.
Its seeds germinate under the tree canopy, and they start their lives as an epiphyte.
Epiphytes are organisms that can live on the surfaces of other plants.
They absorb nutrients from the water, air, rainwater, and debris like fallen leaves.
Its leaves measure between 22 and 29 inches in length, with a width of between 4.5 and 4.9 inches.
The length of the petioles, which are the stalks that attach a leaf’s stem to its stem, is between 12-24 inches.
The leaf blades are usually thin and have 4 lateral veins. They also have an elongated triangular form.
The leaves look almost like the Philodendron Spiritus Santi leaves have bunny ears.
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Habitat and Geographic Location
You will find Philodendron Spiritus Santi at an elevation around 800m close to the Atlantic Ocean in northeastern Rio de Janeiro Brazil.
Philodendron SS is almost extinct and is endangered, as only a few plants remain in its natural habitat.
It is the only known location in the world where it can be found.
All remaining specimens are located on privately owned land known as the Kautsky Farm.
Although Spiritus Sancti is indeed more common in cultivation than they are in the wild, it is sad.
This Philodendron, however, is extremely rare and difficult to find.
It will likely never be sold in your local nursery or garden centre.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Care Guide
The care of the Philodendron Spiritus Santi is, according to some growers, quite simple. This is in contrast to the care for Monstera Obliqua which is a very finicky leafy friend. It needs the right level of humidity and yellows/browns.
Others believe it is easy to grow if you know how to keep its roots from rotting.
Based on my experience with Philodendron Spiritus Sancti, I have not encountered any problems.
My setup is an enclosed plastic container in a grow tent with humidity over 90% and a heating pad underneath.
I use a well-draining, airy soil made up of perlite, potting soil, chunky stones, leca, and perlite.
Let’s take a closer look at Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Care.
Soil Mixture
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti requires a light soil mixture. This can be achieved by mixing leaves, shredded Moses, little soil and orchid bark. It must be porous and well-drained.
Some growers either grow Spiritus Sancti with bare Spaghnum Moss or mixed in coco chips and/or perlite.
It must drain quickly, but it also needs to retain some moisture for the plant roots.
You are looking for air pockets that are created by a mixture of soil and clay. Root Rot is very common in the Spiritus Sancti.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Light Requirements
The Philodendron Spiritus Sancti likes bright indirect lighting.
While a few hours of direct sunlight is acceptable in the morning, most light must be indirect.
As this Philodendron directs its leaves towards the light source, make sure the light comes from above.
If you don’t want the light to come from only one side, it will result in a plant that looks strange unless you rotate its’ pot often.
This could cause stress to the plant and other problems.
It is therefore a good idea to direct the light from above towards the plant.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Watering
It is a good idea to keep your Philodendron Spiritus Succi moist at all times. You should feel it touch wet. It should not be left in water, or worse, soggy soil.
This would lead you to quickly say goodbye to your beloved pendent friend, and most likely to spend a few grand.
It is important to be consistent with watering.
Roots that are too dry or too wet can lead to them being lost before you even know it.
Temperature
A temperature of 66-76degF (19-24degC) for a Philodendron Spiritus Santee will be similar to its natural habitat.
The plant does not like extreme temperature swings.
To care for this aroid, it is important to maintain a constant temperature.
It is not often mentioned what the perfect temperature is to grow this plant.
If this is the case, it may be a good idea to verify the climate table for the area where the plant is located.
Domingo Martins, a Brazilian inhabitant of the estate Espirito Santo, is responsible in this instance. It is located at 567 feet above the ground and enjoys a tropical climate.
The average temperature is 70.7 degFahrenheit (21.5 deg Celcius). The highest temperature is 75.74 deg Fahrenheit, or 24.3 deg Celcisus. The lowest temperature is 66.02 degFahrenheit 18,9 degCelsius.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Humidity
The average humidity in its’ natural habitat is below 80%.
The plant is not a sucker for extreme humidity, and it will tolerate average humidity depending on where you live.
It doesn’t like extreme humidity changes and prefers to have the humidity at a constant level.
It seems that a humidity level of 20% is sufficient.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Fertilizer
This aroid, an epiphyte is doing well without fertilizer. In the wild, it must survive on what the wind, rain and leaves provide in terms of nutrients.
A good supply of nutrients will ensure that your plant is healthy, produces beautiful leaves, and may even increase its growth rate.
I recommend that you add little or no fertilizer depending on how much water you use for watering.
You will need to use liquid fertilizer if you are using distilled water.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Propagation
It seems difficult to propagate the Philodendron Spiritus Sancti.
It is not the actual growing of the cuttings, but rather the rooting of new ones.
Rooting takes time and cuttings that aren’t very eager to root can take a while.
Air layering is a great way to make leaves before cutting your unicorn into pieces.
It is not impossible, but it does not make it difficult. Many growers have successfully propagated it in the past with great success. Many collectors will gladly buy it from you if it is possible.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti Growth Rate
The Spiritus Sancti appears to be a vigorous and productive grower under good conditions. It can produce 1-3 new leaves per month.
The Philodendron climbs well and is best grown as an epiphyte.
You can attach it to a stick or a piece of moss by providing it with a stick. It can grow quite large with its pendent leaves, which hang down.
Potting
It should be provided with an airflow-allowing pot. Drainage is important as the excess water must drain quickly. Drainage holes at the bottom are essential.
For better airflow, many growers use plastic pots.
A transparent plastic pot is also an option. This allows you to inspect the roots frequently without disturbing the plant.
The leaves will become quite large as they are pendent. You will need to find a way to allow them to hang in the air.
You can either provide a podium, or you can hang the Spiritus Sancti in a basket.
If you have ever acquired or are currently caring for a Philodendron Spiritus Sainti, I would love to learn from you.
We are grateful and wish you all the best with your Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions about Spiritus Sancti
Where can I purchase a Philodendron Spiritus Sancti from?
The Spiritus Sancti, as we have said, is a rare Philodendron species. It is difficult to find.
NSE Tropics are one of the US nurseries that may have this species.
You will most likely see “out-of-stock” as there are only a few plants each year.
There are nurseries in Thailand, the Philippines and the United States that may have the Philodendron Spiritus Sancti for you if you don’t live in the USA.
Apart from flying, the best way to contact such is to screen social media (Facebook and Instagram) and look for Spiritus Sancti-related posts and images.
There is always the option of buying from an aroid collector, or houseplant enthusiast.
Apart from the price tag, it will be difficult to find someone who has it (propagation seems to pose a challenge) that is willing to buy.
Some specimens were also sold via eBay auction-style.
You will need to have the most money to acquire a plant. This is because you will be competing with other potential plant collectors who would love to add the #1 unicorn into their collection.
The most recent eBay winning bid for a Spiritus Sancti was close to USD 6000.
Sometimes, the IAS-International Aroid Society sells specimens at their annual auctions. These auctions are usually held on the third weekend in September.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami hosted the last auction in 2020.
UPDATE: Philodendron Spiritus SANCTI has been tissue cultured successfully in Thailand.
This is helping to bring down prices.
Prices in Thailand have been around $1000 per plant, according to my research.
When the plantlets reach the US or Europe, the prices will at least double.
What is the cost of a Philodendron Spiritus Sancti?
Recent price increases have been astronomical and follow the trend of plant prices such as the Monstera Obliqua or the Monstera Adansonii Variegata.
The more demand and supply, the more expensive the plants will be. The perfect blend is possible when you add in the possibility of inducing envy via Social Media like Instagram and Facebook by posting photos and auctioning on eBay for plants that have sold at a high price.
How we see the price action
Pre 2019 $1000 for a Spiritus Sancti
2019 – Around $1000 – $1500
2020 –After the recent eBay Auction, a grown Spiritus Sancti was sold for nearly $6000 A Spiritus Sancti with 3-4 leaves is priced at $3000
2022 – $1000, $2500 Tissue Cultured Plants. (TC)
Will the price of a Philodendron Spiritus Sancti ever drop?
It will eventually. We are not talking about months, but years. As Spiritus Sancti demand increases, it is more likely that the price of Spiritus Sancti will remain stable or rise.
As more people learn about this rare aroid, the hobby is growing in popularity. This is the “unicorn” houseplant #1.
Do I need to buy Philodendron Spiritus Sancti seed online?
Avoid purchasing seeds online (with some exceptions, such as herb seeds or cacti seeds).
There is a high chance of being scammed. You will be scammed 100% and not Philodendron Spiritus Sante seeds.
Is it difficult to care?
It is interesting to note that Spiritus Sancti is often described as easy to care for.
This is different from Monstera Obliqua, which requires constant high humidity. It is constantly suffering from a nutrient deficiency.
You can even be a drama queen.
The Philodendron Spiritus Sancti, apart from being susceptible to root rot, is quite easy to maintain.
After you have prepared a good substrate mix, choose a pot that allows for a lot of airflows. You can place the plant wherever it will get sunlight, but not too bright.
We heard that at least.
The Spiritus Sancti, like most aroids, especially Philodendron loves humidity. Root rot can be caused by root rot if roots are not kept moist enough.
It is safe to say that Spiritus Sancti when compared to other rare aroids is relatively easy to care for.
Is Philodendron spiritus Sancti the same as Philodendron Santa Leonpoldina?
The Philodendron Spiritus Sancti, although it may be the same in all cases, is not the same thing as the Philodendron Santa Leopoldina. This is a common name that could be used for any plant with a long pendant leaf.
Santa Leopoldina is a term that refers to several species. It is a good idea to use common sense.
A plant that is $30 in price and called Santa Leopoldina will not be genuine Spiritus Sancti. It’s that simple.
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