Rhaphidophora Tenuis Engl. Green
Rhaphidophora Tenuis is native to northwest Borneo, specifically Sarawak and Brunei, and was long assumed to be a form of the more widespread Rhaphidophora korthalsii until botanist Peter C. Boyce resurrected it as its own species in 2006 following fieldwork in Sarawak. It's a climbing hemiepiphyte that shows a genuinely striking growth transformation: juvenile leaves are narrow, ascending, and non-overlapping (unlike the overlapping "shingling" leaves of its korthalsii relatives), while mature leaves become large, palm-like, and deeply split.
Note: as a freshly imported bare-root plant, this specimen typically arrives with just a few leaves — the photo shows a more mature, fuller specimen for reference.
Care tip: This species starts slow but speeds up dramatically once established — give it a pole to climb, since mature, deeply split leaves only develop with vertical support.
Give it bright indirect light, an airy, well-draining aroid mix, and water once the top third of the soil has dried — this species dislikes sitting in soggy substrate. It tolerates average household humidity reasonably well but does best above 50%, and can grow up to 16 feet in the wild, though it stays more manageable, typically 4–6 feet, as a houseplant.
A genuine botanical rediscovery story — resurrected from synonymy less than 20 years ago — this species offers real taxonomic interest alongside its dramatic juvenile-to-mature leaf transformation.
Care & Specifications
| Difficulty |
Easy to Intermediate |
| Light |
Bright, indirect light |
| Humidity |
50%+ preferred; tolerates average household humidity |
| Watering |
Water when top third of soil is dry; avoid soggy mix |
| Temperature |
70–80°F (21–27°C); tolerates 55–85°F range |
| Soil |
Airy, well-draining aroid mix; provide a pole to climb |
| Fertilizer |
Balanced fertilizer monthly during active growth |
| Origin |
Sarawak and Brunei, northwest Borneo |
