Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. is native to the forests of southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. 

In the wild, it grows on the shaded forest floor, sometimes climbing trees for support before eventually producing a large trunk-like base, or starting as an epiphyte before sending roots down to the ground.

Widely cultivated as a houseplant in cooler climates and in tropical gardens, it is prized for its large, glossy and deeply incised leaves. 

In Brazil, it is used in traditional medicine for anaesthetic and anti-inflammatory purposes, and its tough roots are harvested locally to make cord.

It is one of over 600 species in the genus Philodendron, which is highly diverse across South and Central America.