Philodendron species, and especially hybrid forms, are known to be highly variable and not every leaf of every specimen will always appear the same.  This link explains in greater detail the scientific principals of natural variation and morphogenesis.  Click here.

Pilodendron xanadu has a very "murky" history.  Numerous websites claim this species was discovered in the the rain forests of Australia.  Scientifically, that is not possible.  Other information on the internet states it is a man-made hybrid and still others suggest it to be a cultivar created from Philodendron bipinnadifidum.  Some websites actually refer to it as "mini" Philodendron selloum.  Philodendron selloum is a common name (no longer used scientifically) for Philodendron bipinnadifidum.  The two Philodendron are related as members of the same Philodendron section (Meconostigma), but they are not the same species nor is one a hybrid of the other.  Examination of the spathe and spadix by a botanical scientist quickly disproves that assumption. 

My friends Julius Boos and Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden are two of the authors of the scientific description of Philodendron xanadu.  I am therefore confident it is a good species (almost certainly originating in Brazil), especially since it is listed on the botanical databases of the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) http://www.ipni.org/index.html and  TROPICOS, a service of the Missouri Botanical Garden http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html   Of interest, TROPICOS lists the origin as "unknown", likely due to the conflicting information (or misinformation) found on multiple sources.

Julius studied a specimen of Philodendron xanadu in Florida (P. xanadu is not native to Florida) and was joined by noted aroid botanists Dr. Croat and botanical author Dr. Simon Mayo, an expert on Brazilian Philodendron species associated with the Royal Botanic Garden Kew in London.  Julius is a well known aroid researcher and both Dr. Croat and Dr. Mayo are among the world's leading aroid experts.  The three collaborated in describing the species scientifically.  As a species, Philodendron xanadu was originally published in the International Aroid Society journal Aroideana, volume 25,  in 2002.  At the very top of the scientific description of the species you can find this heading, "A New Species of Brazilian Philodendron subgenus Meconostigma (Aracae)."  Why is the use of the word "Brazilian" interesting or important?  Read on.

This page on Philodendron xanadu has been on the net for almost two years and in that period I too once said incorrectly Philodendron xanadu was from Australia.   I'm now revising this page to reflect the current findings of these three aroid experts.   Even the Australian government does not consider this Philodendron species to be from their country.  If you check the Australian National Botanic Gardens website, Australian Plant Names Index, you will not find this species listed.  That, despite the fact it is a recognized scientific name.  Certainly, the Australian government would know if P. xanadu was truly an Australian plant species.   http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/databases/apni-search-full.html

With Julius' help, I completely updated this page in mid-June, 2007.  Virtually all information on the internet regarding Philodendron xanadu does track back to plant nurseries in Australia.  However, the species does not exist naturally in that country.  The majority of websites that write about the species tend to say incorrectly it is a hybrid.  I tended to accept that notion until Julius pointed out what he and his noted botanist associates had learned.  Although you can find the scientific name on both TROPICOS and IPNI (the International Plant Names Index), little detailed information is yet available on the majority of scientific sites. 

Purportedly, according to information posted on the internet, Philodendron xanadu was discovered in Western Australia in 1983. That is scientifically impossible since the genus Philodendron is a strictly neotropical genus occurring from Mexico, the West Indies and southward through most of South America including Colombia, Ecuador, the Guiana Shield,  and Brazil, primarily east of the Andes, as far south as northern Argentina.  Any speculation Philodendron xanadu occurs naturally in Australia would therefore be both inaccurate and impossible.  The only way it could have been "found" in Australia is if someone planted a specimen.  And planting any specimen in a non-native country does not make it native! 

Despite common belief, Philodendron xanadu is not widespread in the rain forests of Australia.  No scientist has reported finding this species wild in Australia.  The plant has been produced heavily in the United States in tissue culture but the original specimen was imported from a nursery in Australia.  That is likely the source of the confusion.  The original attempts at tissue culture resulted in failure and some labs turned down production of the species.  The original U.S. patent request for Philodendron 'Xanadu' is quite vague on the subject of the plant's true origin.  That text claims the original specimen came from a seed found in a collection of seed from Philodendron selloum (now known to science as Philodendron bipinnadifidum).  There is no mention of how or where the seed was obtained.  There is no claim in the patent request the plant is native to Australia.  As a result, it is unclear as to why so many websites claim the plant originated within the rain forests of Australia.  Still, that appears to be the common assumption since you can easily find it repeated on site after site.  After repeated tissue culture attempts, the production of the species as a cloned specimen has become highly successful and millions of plants have been produced and sold.  Growers in Australia also report it is commonly sold and grown in that country.

As is noted at the top of this page, Philodendron xanadu has been sold under the name Philodendron 'Winterbourn' along with other common names.  I had been led originally to believe by one internet posting that was a trade name used by an Australian tissue culture nursery.  In actuality, that name is the last name of the couple who originally exported the species into the United States.  For many years the species has been in culture in Australia as a specimen plant and was only reproduced by tissue culture (cloned).  How it arrived in Australia is now a matter for speculation since it is not naturally found in Australia and the plant's patent application does not clarify that information.

A terrestrial species, Philodendron xanadu has a very tropical appearance due to it's multi-lobed blades.  P. xanadu is used as a landscape plant in some tropical climates such as South Florida.  Many growers report great success with the species.  A strictly tropical species requiring warmth and humidity to survive, the lobed foliage of Philodendron xanadu can grow to 1.6 meters (5 feet) in width and 1 meter (3 feet) in height.  With relatively small subcoriacious (less than leathery) blades, the leaves can grow to 30cm (12 inches) in length and is both compact and dense once fully established.  A member of Philodendron section Meconostigma, the species is therefore considered a self header and not a climber.  Photos of mature Philodendron xanadu specimens show a clumping upright growth form.  The plant gets "fat" and taller with age and grows widest near the ground.  It is however slow to become established! 

Until recently, Philodendron xanadu has been exclusively cultured in a lab as a tissue cultured specimen.  For many years, the importer possessed a U.S. patent and copyright to sell the plant as Philodendron 'Xanadu'.  However, scientifically, it is almost certainly a Brazilian species which may invalidate the patent.  There is some speculation on the web the patent is no longer valid and other growers are beginning to cultivate the species.  The spathe of Philodendron xanadu is dark violet-purple.  The differences in the spathes of Philodendron xanadu and Philodendron bipinnadifidum indicates to botanical scientists this is positively a species and is not a cultivar.

Some texts indicate Philodendron xanadu will tolerate full to partial sun and the plant is said to be drought tolerant.  It can supposedly last a week or more without water.  Like the majority of our Philodendron species, P. xanadu is planted in fast draining soil mixed with peat, humus, sand and Perlite™ for good drainage. 

The large specimen (top right) was a gift from my friend Julius Boos.  That specimen easily stands close to one meter (3 feet) tall.  My thanks to Julius for his input and editing of this description.  But, If nothing else, remember: Philodendron xanadu is not native to Australia!  This is a Brazilian species.

Pollinate your own Aroids!
 As it occurs in nature and by any horticulturist

Looking for a specimen?  Contact Natural Selections Exotics at www.NSExotics.com