I noticed these red spikes on Philodendron Moonlight (or is it Moonglow) a few days ago. They are different from the spike for a new leaf.
Is my philodendron going to bloom?
Yes, indeed, those are emerging inflorescences!
Thank you LariAnn, what should I expect?
Keep watching them and when they are ready, they will open to reveal the spadix inside. When first opened, they are receptive to pollen (pistillate area at the base of the spadix(, usually in the evening. The next evening, they will produce pollen, then will close and fade.
The female flowers are way near the bottom, while the upper part of the spadix is where the male flowers are. The pollen will come out of the male area. You can try saving the pollen but it is moist pollen so I don't think it will keep too long. Pollen usually comes out in the evening of the second day the bloom is open. If the other bloom opens within a few days of this one, you would then add a little water to the pollen to make a paste, then smear it on the female flowers near the base of the spadix. If it works, the female area will swell up and form berries with little seeds within. It takes about two months for ripening.
Thanks LariAnn. I think the second bloom is more than a few days away based on the length of time it took for the first one. How do you collect the pollen?
I use a small vial and an artist brush to coax the pollen into the vial. You won't get a whole lot of pollen so you don't need a large container. The pollen will come out in small stringy blobs and there may also be some very sticky drops on the spadix along with the pollen. Avoid those sticky drops as they will gum up your brush and the pollen. Presumably, insects walk the spadix, get stickied up and then the pollen adheres to them. As they roam around another bloom that is receptive to pollen, they leave some on the female flowers as they stroll around.
Well I missed my widow of opportunity, the bloom has closed. Any chance that nature could have done it for me?
In my experience growing Philos in the U.S.A., very little to none chance! The pollinators are not found here.
