Crawlers vs. Climbers: How to pot each correctly

Potting a Philodendron incorrectly is one of the fastest ways to stall its growth, snap its stems, or rot its main stem. While most people assume all Philodendrons want a standard round pot and a moss pole, the genus is divided into two distinct mechanical growth habits: vertical climbers and horizontal crawlers. If your plant is aggressively leaning sideways, pushing against the rim of its pot, or refusing to latch onto a vertical pole, you aren’t dealing with a sick plant—you are likely trying to force a ground-dwelling crawler to climb, or failing to anchor a climber in the right container geometry.

Quick Answer

Climbers grow vertically and need a standard round pot with the stem positioned near the center to accommodate a moss pole or plank at its back. Crawlers grow horizontally across the soil surface and require a long, shallow rectangular planter, with the rear of the stem placed flat against one narrow end so it has runway to creep forward.

How to Tell Which One You Have

Before you buy a pot or mix substrate, you need to read the anatomy of the stem. Philodendrons tell you how they want to grow based on their internodal spacing (the distance between leaf nodes) and how their roots emerge.

1. The Climbers (Epiphytes and Hemiepiphytes)

Climbers are built to scale tree trunks in search of canopy light.

• Stem structure: They have noticeable spacing between nodes that elongates if the plant is searching for support or light. The stem is flexible when young and grows vertically or trails downward if left unsupported in a hanging basket.
• Root placement: Adventitious aerial roots emerge all around the node or specifically along the “back” of the stem, designed to clasp bark and absorb ambient moisture.
• Common examples: Philodendron hederaceum (Heartleaf, Brasil, Micans), Philodendron melanochrysum, Philodendron verrucosum, Philodendron pink princess, and Philodendron billietiae.

2. The Crawlers (Terrestrial Rhizomatous Types)

Crawlers are forest-floor specialists. Their main stem is actually a thick, woody, modified rhizome that travels horizontally over leaf litter.

• Stem structure: Very thick, rigid, and barrel-like with tight, stacked nodes. New leaves emerge from the front growing tip (apex), while petsioles grow straight up toward the light from the top of the horizontal stem.
• Root placement: Roots emerge strictly from the underside (belly) of the stem and drive straight down into the soil to anchor the heavy foliage. They do not produce clasping aerial roots meant for vertical bark.
• Common examples: Philodendron gloriosum, Philodendron pastazanum, Philodendron mamei, Philodendron plowmanii, and Philodendron Dean McDowell.

Note on Self-Headers: A third category—like Philodendron birkin, Prince of Orange, or Jungle Boogie—grows upright in a tight rosette without a true climbing vine or fast-creeping rhizome. If your plant has stacked leaves radiating from a central upright core, check our guide on Self-Heading Mechanics: How to support non-vining types instead of using crawler or climber setups.

Potting a Crawler Correctly

When you put a crawler like a Gloriosum in a standard round nursery pot, the growing tip hits the plastic rim within a few leaves. Once it hits the wall, the rhizome either stalls, tries to dive downward into the soil, or vaults over the edge—leaving its new roots dangling in dry air where they desiccate and abort. Without new root contact in soil, the subsequent leaves will shrink.

Step-by-Step Crawler Setup

1. Choose a rectangular trough: Skip round pots. Use a long, shallow rectangular planter (often called a window box or crawler trough) with plenty of drainage holes. Crawlers have wide, shallow root systems in nature; deep pots hold excess wet soil at the bottom that the roots never reach, inviting rot.
2. Park the “butt” against the back wall: Identify the oldest end of the rhizome (the rear) and the active growth point (the front). Place the rear of the rhizome right up against one of the narrow ends of the rectangular pot. This gives the front growth point the maximum amount of horizontal “runway” to travel across the soil over the next year.
3. Keep the rhizome on top of the substrate: This is the critical rule for crawlers. Fill the pot with a chunky mix, tuck the existing root ball down into the substrate, and rest the thick horizontal stem flat on the surface like a log on the forest floor. Only the roots go underground.
4. Anchor unstable stems: If the top-heavy leaves make the plant wobble before the roots establish, pin the rhizome lightly to the soil surface using wide U-shaped landscape staples, bent coated wire, or prop a heavy stone against the side of the stem until it roots itself down.

For a deeper look at specific terrestrial species, see Philodendron Gloriosum Care: Substrate and Potting Layout for Crawling Rhizomes and Philodendron Pastazanum Care: Managing Large-Scale Crawlers and Rhizome Rot.

Potting a Climber Correctly

Climbers potted without vertical planning end up lopsided. If you pot a climber dead-center in a container and try to shove a moss pole in later, you will either pierce the root ball or force the pole in at an awkward angle at the edge of the pot.

Step-by-Step Climber Setup

1. Select a standard round pot: Choose a pot that is only 1 to 2 inches wider than the current root ball. If you are using a heavy D-shaped moss pole or cedar plank, pick a slightly heavier outer cachepot to prevent the top-heavy setup from tipping over.
2. Position the support first: Place your moss pole or wood plank against the back inside wall of the empty pot (or just slightly off-center toward the back) and add a base layer of substrate to hold it upright. If you need help building your vertical structure, follow The Moss Pole Blueprint: How to attach and extend.
3. Find the “back” of the vine: Every climbing Philodendron has a front and a back. Leaves emerge and face forward toward the light; aerial roots emerge from the back of the nodes. Place the back of the stem flush against the front face of your moss pole.
4. Plant at the base of the pole: Backfill your chunky substrate around the roots. Secure the stem—never the petioles (leaf stalks)—to the pole using soft plant velcro or twine.

Substrate Adjustments: Beneath the Surface

Both crawlers and climbers are aroids that suffocate in dense, muddy potting soil. Regardless of pot shape, use a well-aerated mix containing orchid bark, perlite or pumice, and coco coir or peat. You can build this easily using The Aroid Mix Masterclass: Why “Chunky” beats “Potting Soil.”

However, you can tweak the top layer based on the growth style:

• For Crawlers: Adding a thin top-dressing of damp sphagnum moss or fine coco chips right in front of the growing tip encourages new belly roots to emerge and dive into the main mix faster. Keep this moss away from the top of the rhizome so it doesn’t stay soggy.
• For Climbers: Keep the substrate in the pot fast-draining, especially if you water a vertical moss pole from the top. Water draining out of a moss pole goes straight into the pot below, which can easily over-saturate the lower roots if the potting mix holds too much water.

What Not to Do

• Never bury a crawler’s rhizome: Covering the horizontal stem of a Gloriosum, Mamei, or Plowmanii with soil is the number one cause of fatal stem rot. The stem epidermis is adapted for air flow, not wet soil contact.
• Never force a crawler up a pole: Tying a true crawler vertically to a moss pole goes against its vascular architecture. The petioles will twist awkwardly, the heavy stem will pull away from the pole, and the plant will eventually snap under its own weight.
• Do not tie petioles on climbers: When securing a climber to a stake, only wrap tape around the main stem (internode). Tying the leaf stalks restricts movement and will cause the plant to abort that leaf or stunt the next one emerging from the sheath.

When Potting Mistakes Turn Serious

If you realize your crawler has been buried under soil or your climber is sitting in a massive, waterlogged trough, check for rot immediately.

In crawlers, rhizome rot shows up as a darkened, mushy section along the horizontal log, often accompanied by healthy-looking leaves suddenly collapsing at the base or yellowing rapidly. If the rhizome gives way when gently squeezed like an overripe peach, unpot the plant, slice away the rotted section with a sterile blade until you see clean white or green tissue, let it callous for several hours, and repot on top of fresh, dry-ish substrate.

In climbers, if the top leaves are shrinking despite being on a pole, check whether the aerial roots are actually penetrating the pole. If the pole stays bone dry and the pot is root-bound, you will end up with Small Leaf Syndrome: Identifying light and nutrient deficiencies.

Bottom line: Match the container to the plant’s natural direction of travel. Give climbers a round pot and a vertical backboard; give crawlers a shallow rectangular runway and keep their thick stems resting high and dry on top of the soil.