Cercestis mirabilis

A species from the tropical forests of West and Central Africa, cultivated for its extraordinary foliar patterning. It produces sagittate to hastate leaves with an intricate, feather-like network of silvery venation overlaid across the broad lamina — one of the most visually complex leaf patterns in the Araceae family.

• Light: Bright indirect light with 50–70% shade cloth; avoid direct sun, which fades the silvery patterning and scorches the leaf surface.
• Temperature: 64–82°F (18–28°C); an intermediate-warm grower that thrives with stable warmth and good air circulation.
• Humidity: 60–85%; high humidity supports full leaf development and maintains the sharpness of the foliar patterning.
• Watering: Water thoroughly when the top inch of substrate dries out; ensure excellent drainage and avoid prolonged saturation at the root zone.
• Growth Habit: A climbing, hemiepiphytic aroid that produces stems with prominent internodes and attaches to supports via aerial roots. As the plant matures, leaves increase in size and the silvery patterning becomes progressively more elaborate, making it a rewarding long-term specimen.

Additional Notes

Best grown in a well-draining aroid mix of bark, perlite, and sphagnum, with a moss pole or support structure to encourage climbing growth. Shipped bare root, well-established.