Philodendron Aerial Roots

Philodendrons come in two major styles. There is the vining type that grows leaves along a stringy vine and there is the self-heading type that has a thicker main stem and the leave grow pretty compactly one on top of the other. An example of a vining philodendron is the Philodendron Brasil and an example of a self-heading is the Philodendron Birkin. Both types of Philodendrons get aerial roots. Many plant owners wonder why their philodendron is growing aerial roots. I'll address why philodendrons grow aerial roots, and what you can do with aerial roots as well.

Why Do Philodendrons Grow Aerial Roots?

Sometimes people worry about aerial roots. They fear it's a sign that the plant is not getting enough water. For philodendrons, that is not the case. The philodendron is a vining/climbing plant and they grow aerial roots in order to stabilize themselves. So if you see your philodendron growing aerial roots, it's just looking for something to grab onto.

What Do Philodendron Aerial Roots Look Like?

Aerial roots look about the same on both the vining and self-heading philodendrons. Although the vining type of philodendron often has smaller nub-like aerial roots, and the self-heading aerial roots can grow a bit longer. If the root catches hold of something it will grow more. I once had a vining philodendron in a window and didn't realize it was growing a very long aerial root in the window track, which was very hard to remove. As you can see below, there is one long aerial root and a few shorter ones below on this Philodendron Prince of Orange, which is a self-heading philodendron.

What To Do With Philodendron Aerial Roots?

The good news is, just because there are aerial roots present, doesn't mean that you have to do anything about them. We already covered that it's not a sign that your plant needs more water. Although, if you want to be sure you can always use a soil moisture meter to check.

Give Them Something to Climb

Aerial roots are looking for something to grab onto, so naturally, giving it something to climb is your first option. Philodendron aerial roots like to grab onto something. Ideally, they like something they can wrap around or jam themselves into. Moss poles are very popular for climbing plants and they're a great substrate for aerial roots to dig into. Aerial roots can also grow around and grab onto a trellis. I would only recommend a trellis for the vining type of philodendron, not the self-heading.

Cut Aerial Roots Off

Some people don't like the look of aerial roots. I'm here to tell you it's completely okay to cut them off. Most vining philodendron aerial roots will be so small they wouldn't be very noticeable, but the self-heading philodendrons can grow longer aerial roots. If you don't like the look, just trim it back to the stem using a sharp sterile knife or scissors. Make sure to keep the wound free of moisture and debris for a few days, but otherwise, it's pretty harmless to remove aerial roots.

Use Aerial Roots to Propagate

Maybe the most fun option is to use the aerial root as a jumping-off point for propagation. Aerial roots can easily be turned into real roots by putting them in water or soil. You can do that while they're still on the plant by placing the aerial root into a cup of water or into a pot of soil. Once the roots begin to grow you can cut the newly rooted plant away from the original. Or you can start by making the cutting first. To do so you should cut the philodendron just below the aerial root and then place that cutting into soil or water. In either case, roots should show within a week or two. The reality is Philodendrons are extremely easy to propagate even without aerial roots, so don't wait for aerial roots if you want to propagate your philodendron.

I hope you learned what you need to about philodendron aerial roots. If you have lingering questions ask them in the Comments section.