philodendron selloum

I am at my sons in Orange Texas while he is in California. I am fronm NY. My problem is that his Philadendron Selloum Elephant Plant which looked great until we were hit with about 4 days of around 20 degree temperatures which resulted in the plants being frozen. I cut back the leaves & stems leaving stems around 1 foot long more or less. All but one of the stems were either brown & shrivled up or shrivled up with liquid oozing from them & the leaves on them were brown & shrivled. The stem that I did not cut was still green but the leaf on that stem does not look that great but it did not turn brown.

My question is what can I do to get it growing again?

William B. Freeman, 9228 Nobles rd, Orange, Tx 77630

This message was edited Feb 9, 2010 8:46 AM

Hi!

I'm not an authority on the subject, but the same thing happened to mine because Ieft them outside. I don't think they like the cold much. I brought the one that still had green on it inside, trimmed it and put in a bright sunny window and it's starting to come back little by little.

Funny side note: My Granddaddy's name was William Freeman.

Traci
Austin, TX

Hi Traci,

This plant is more like a tree with the trunk of itr being between 4 & 5 inches in diameter which makes it impossible to move any where. I am putting a picture of the plant, #1 which showes it before Freezing (It was beautifful), #2 which showes it after freezing (which is the Picture I posted), #3 is after I cut it back hoping that I have done the right thing. I am hoping that when Spring gets here the temperatures raise & sunshine happens that it will show new growth. I hope to get some suggestions.

My son & wife also cut off part of the plant with about 2' of the trunk before they went to California & I assume they could not bear to just throw out so they just put it on the ground . It had one sprout with long beautiful green leaves which also got hit with the frost. I am wondering if I just buried the cut off trunk in the ground, cut back the leaves with their stems if it would most likely start to grow?

My Grandaddy was apparently born in 1848 in England. His name was John Wesley Way which he changed to Freeman. My hobby is genealogy.

Bill Freeman

William,
I feel your pain with the 4 days of 20 degree temp. We had 16 days here on the coast of SC and that made a new record for us. Philadendrons are pretty durable plants but you are right they can't take the 20 degree temps. I would cut it all back and cover it with 4-6 inches of pinestraw or whatever mulch you have and see if it won't come back in the spring. That looks like a good size pot you have so maby the roots are still OK.
i would think that you might do more damage by dividing or repotting.
Good luck

BSD & anyone else,
The plant is much to large to be in a pot. It has an extensive root system & appears to have one root that goes under ground about 12' to tree then runs up the tree clinging to the tree trunk at least 12'. Could this be a way of the plant getting nourishment from the tree? I don't expect to see any new growth until the spring growing season is here

Don't give up. I am in North Louisiana and I thought I lost my wandering jew to the cold winter (got snow 3 times this yr) and about a week ago I noticed it emerging from the ground and was so pleased.