Mature size & growth rate

How big does Philodendron El Choco Red (Philodendron rubrijuvenile 'El Choco Red') get?

Also called El Choco Red, El Choco Red Philodendron, Philodendron El Choco.

More about philodendron el choco red

About Philodendron El Choco Red

Philodendron rubrijuvenile 'El Choco Red' · also called El Choco Red, El Choco Red Philodendron · tropical

Philodendron El Choco Red is a climbing tropical aroid from Colombia, prized for velvety green leaves with deep wine-red undersides on juvenile growth. It wants bright indirect light, a chunky aroid mix kept lightly moist, high humidity, and a moss pole. It is toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA.

Mature size: Indoors typically reaches about 3 ft (0.9 m) tall unsupported; with a moss pole it can climb to around 8 ft (250 cm) tall and roughly 3 ft (100 cm) wide over time, with leaves enlarging as it matures.

Watch for — Small new leaves / no growth: Signals weak roots or no climbing support. Give it a moss pole for aerial roots to grip, plus warmth, humidity, and growing-season feeding.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Philodendron El Choco Red does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims. Indoors and in a pot, expect typically reaches about 3 ft (0.9 m) tall unsupported. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — with a moss pole it can climb to around 8 ft (250 cm) tall and roughly 3 ft (100 cm) wide over time, with leaves enlarging as it matures. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Growth rate and years to mature

Philodendron El Choco Red is a fast grower. Realistically, expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed monthly during the spring and summer growing season with a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted to half strength. pause feeding in autumn and winter when growth slows. flush the pot with plain water occasionally to prevent fertiliser salt buildup, which can burn the roots.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the philodendron el choco red repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast philodendron el choco red grows.

How to keep philodendron el choco red smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For philodendron el choco red specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — philodendron el choco red takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut.
Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser.
The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants.
Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Decide the length you want. Pick the point each vine of philodendron el choco red should stop — you can be aggressive; it regrows readily.
Cut just above a node. Snip about 0.5 cm above a leaf node so the stem branches there instead of dying back.
Root the cuttings. Drop the trimmed pieces in water or mix — they root in 2-4 weeks and can fill the same pot for a bushier look.
Repeat as it runs. Re-trim whenever it overshoots; regular light pruning keeps it both smaller and fuller.

How to grow philodendron el choco red bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for philodendron el choco red the accelerators are:

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth.
Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing.
Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The philodendron el choco red light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When philodendron el choco red outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for philodendron el choco red:

Vines pooling on the floor or wrapping past where you want them — purely a trimming cue, not a repot one.
Bare, leggy stems with leaves only at the tips (usually a light problem, not a size one).
A tangled mass that has outrun its support and needs cutting back and re-training.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the philodendron el choco red repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the philodendron el choco red propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Philodendron El Choco Red size — frequently asked questions

How big does philodendron el choco red get?

Philodendron El Choco Red reaches typically reaches about 3 ft (0.9 m) tall unsupported when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (with a moss pole it can climb to around 8 ft (250 cm) tall and roughly 3 ft (100 cm) wide over time, with leaves enlarging as it matures.). Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Is philodendron el choco red slow or fast growing?

Philodendron El Choco Red is a fast grower. Expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Philodendron El Choco Red does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims.

How long does philodendron el choco red take to reach full size?

Roughly one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep philodendron el choco red smaller?

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — philodendron el choco red takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut. Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser. The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants. Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

How can I make philodendron el choco red grow bigger or faster?

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth. Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing. Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.