Where the site conditions and care combine to form a perfect overall package for a philodendron, it gives its gardener one or more flowers. If the pollen is transferred from the female to the male flowers by manual pollination, an elongated, green fruit develops. Find out here whether you can eat them.
The fruits of the philodendron are not edible, but those of the monstera are (photo)
Consuming philodendron fruit is risky
Anyone who sniffs the flower of a philodendron should lose their appetite for the fruit that will follow later. Popular species, such as Philodendron bipinnatifidum, heat the closed flowers up to 38 degrees Celsius. As a result, they give off a carrion-like stench that is supposed to attract pollinators in the wild. Other reasons speak against eating the fruit:
- The flesh under the peel contains large amounts of toxic oxalic acid
- Calcium oxalate needle crystals cause the lining of the mouth and throat to swell
- Pungent substances cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
If your fruiting tree friend is out of the reach of children and uninformed adults, the cucumber-like fruits with their exotic appearance will at least increase the ornamental value of the plant for many weeks.
Pseudo-philodendron produces edible fruit
In addition to Philodendron, botanists list another genus within the family of the arum family, which at first glance looks confusingly similar to the tree friend. Monstera are therefore often offered commercially under the name Philodendron. This poses a potential risk, because you can eat the window leaf fruit:
- Monstera deliciosa produces edible fruits
- The flesh is banana-soft and tastes like pineapple
Due to its edible fruits, the Monstera deliciosa is also known as the delicious window leaf. However, you can only eat these fruits when they are fully ripe. Only when the green, hard shell can be removed does the pulp offer carefree enjoyment. All other plant parts of a Monstera are just as poisonous as the leaves, flowers and fruits on the tree friend.
tips
Whenever you cut plant parts on your tree friend, please put on gloves and long-sleeved clothing. Contact with the toxic milky juice can trigger immediate allergic reactions. As a research team from the University of Zurich discovered during skin prick tests, the toxins cause itching, swelling and, in the worst case, an allergy.