Bad news is that the growth will more than likely continue from the terminal ends of the two largest ones,but the good news is that the little divisions at the base will continue growing and eventually fill the void for you.

All in all the phil will recover. Next spring/summer it should grow like crazy,but as you know,..winter is upon us,and seeing as you are in zone 8,I imagine it was going to shed it's leaves 'til spring/summer anyway.

Good luck and keep smiling!

This little setback isn't the end of the world. :)

you can easily see... the scars from where all older leaves were removed during its life ... it looks like they just took the next batch ... but for one or two ... which i suspect were the browning ones ...

you cant change the genetic predisposition of the plant.. thru hopes and wishes... it is.. what it is ...

keep in mind.. ALL evergreen plants.. shed leaves.. and it is always the oldest ...

the stubs they left will eventually drop off ...

your project for next year ... is to figure out... what to plant around it ... to hide the trunk.. if you wish ...

convert the common name to latin... after getting a full latin name.. and look to google images.. to see the future of your plant ... i suspect.. it has a name beyond just philodendron.. there are probably hundreds of variation on the theme ...

if you cut it down to about 6 inches... you will rejuvenate it back into the bush you want .... that would be up to you ...

good luck with the new house and garden

ken

Thank you so much, asleep_in_the_garden and Ken! your positive and informative feedback is much appreciated! I will try to take better / more vigilant care of good ole' Phil from now on.

Ken, when you said "cut it down to about 6 inches", did you mean the entire plant? i don't think i can do that... But will consider planting around it and also hoping for regrowth next spring too :-)

Thank you both very much!

Tina

Gardenmir, your Philodendron bipinnatifidum (for Ken) is very likely to send up shoots from the base, just as it already has. Just wait and see what it does this spring. Don't cut it to the ground just yet.

Called tree philodendron or cut leaf philodendron, it's a favorite houseplant and landscape addition in tropical/semi-tropical climates.

I hope that you expressed your unhappiness to the 'landscrapers'. :-(

agreed ... i see that new shoots were also chopped...

those will releaf ... and as they mature.. you can RENOVATE the plant.. by removing the large parts ... as the smaller mature ... in essence... making the bush you want ...

pruning a plant is part of gardening .... it is rare.. that it will kill a plant ...

so.. i would suggest.. give the new shoots a year or two ... then take out one tall part ... observe for a year ... then decide if you want to take the other to create your dream plant ...

there arent many such tropical plants in MI .. lol ... but i would bet a buck.. that a little googling will tell you how to propagate what you cut off ...

i think there is a tropical plant forum.. never know where you will find new friends to enable you ....

good luck

ken

These plants regrow amazingly fast after they are trimmed. I would definintely not trim off the old stumps: they are a great food resevoir for the plant. I would not be surprised if, at the middle of next summer, you already have a nice full plant again.
Renais

So sorry that happened! It's still gorgeous! The aerial roots are a cool feature of this plant to be admired, definitely doing that in regard to your plant!

Is it possible that this is all new growth since spring? Possibly added to the yard this year? Don't know where in Z8 you are, but it's hard to imagine any part of it above ground surviving after last winter if you are east of the Miss. river.

There is inconsistency among sources, but most indicate this is a Z9 plant. Many sources specifically say it needs protection in Z9.

(Hopefully I'll just get admonishing anecdotes, and assurances that I could put mine in the ground, and that yours is also fine.)

You all are wonderful! Thank you so much for reassuring messages and hopeful/helpful information - I am definitely feeling uplifted and optimistic on Phil's behalf :-) Thank you! I am in Houston area (recently moved from NJ) - hoping that warm humid climate will do their magic in spring, but will also continue to research about how to propagate and take care of the plant going forward. Frankly, I am new to gardening/landscaping and have so much to learn! I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for every single response here! You guys are the best!

(side note: i don't blame the "landscapers" - i totally blame myself for not watching - those guys were not plant experts, they mostly cut grass and trim... I AM looking for a good professional landscaper to help me out while I learn. And, again, thank you all for the great advice and feedback!)

Purple, I'm unfamiliar with the Houston climate, but I can tell you that this particular philodendron is surprisingly cold tolerant....surprising to me, at least. They were planted here and there in Hilton Head where they did well even in sub-freezing temperatures, except for the occasional extremes.

I 'think' that Houston is warmer than Hilton Head.

Rhizo, TY. I've seen one in Geneva, AL, and in Destin, but none close enough to watch regularly. They've never looked like the giant, always-evergreen FL plants to me though, as if they get zapped to the ground during the harsher winters. IDK if Houston got the deep freeze that came to the SE last winter. It was harsh enough to kill some established landscape plants in this area, and zap some otherwise evergreens to the ground.

Do these plants stay evergreen during harsh winters on HH, or just grow back from the roots? If this plant can survive there, that gives me confidence to find a ground spot for one of mine next spring. Best way to find out! I would be fine with not evergreen, as long as it grows back. I know drainage is an important part of the equation... ;)

Best of luck with your new house & yard, Greenmir!