Philodendron squamiferum is known to be an epiphytic vine and grows well up into the jungle trees.  The species was popular as a house plant in the 1950's but after the 1960's  lost its popularity and was not commonly available in cultivation until 2005 when it was reintroduced as a tissue culture (cloned) plant. 

Dutch naturalist Joep Moonen, who resides and works in the rain forest of French Guiana, made these observations regarding Philodendron squamiferum , "This species is one of the prettier Philodendron of the Guianas.  In Suriname it is rare, here in French Guiana it is not common but less rare then in Suriname.  We have them growing here along our Botanic Trail both naturally as well as 'planted' on tree trunks. We have them in flower a few times a year. The species likes to grow in the shade with some sunlight, perhaps an hour filtered sun per day.  The most amazing feature, the 'hairs'. are red in many plants and green in some.  I have never seen a connection between the light level and the color of the 'hairs'.  The adult leaves are about 25 cm, so you can call it a medium size species.  The leaves remain smaller than Philodendron pedatum.  " In a separate email, Joep noted from personal observation, "P. squamiferum also grows in Guyana (formerly British) and Amapà State in northern Brazil."

Philodendron squamiferum, like all Philodendron species, morphs as it grows.  The juvenile plants look nothing like the sub adult plants which look little like the adult forms.   The ontogeny of aroid species (morphogenesis) is common and in addition all aroid species are variable.  Simply, not every leaf of every specimen of the same species will look alike.  For an explanation of morphogenesis and natural variation within aroid and other plant species, click this link.

The spathe of P. squamiferum is burgundy with white on the upper portion.  The interior of the spathe is white.  In the rain forest, it is not uncommon for nature to have "assigned" the task of pollination to species such as Philodendron squamiferum to a single species of insect.  In French Guiana botanists have observed the inflorescence of Philodendron squamiferum were often frequented by a scarab beetle known to science as Cyclocephala simulatrix and occasionally by Cyclocephala tylifera.  According to personal conversations with aroid botanist Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis it is not uncommon to observe a species of scarab beetle entering the spathe and spadix of an aroid in to pollinate the species.  Typically, the pollination cycle of these beetles last approximately two days according to researchers.  The beetle is apparently drawn to the spadix in to gain food available only during the period the spadix is at anthesis (ready to be pollinated).  Additionally, the pheromone may be a trigger to cause the beetle to find a mate and produce offspring.  Apparently, in addition to the normal pheromones produced to attract an insect pollinator, the inflorescence of Philodendron squamiferum also has a very slight temperature increase when at anthesis and this temperature change also  serves to attract the beetles.  This slight warming actually appears to be the major attractant to both the arrival and departure of the beetles.