Who would not like a plant with prominent pink variegation on green leaves? A shout out for the fairytale plant, the Pink Princess Philodendron. This compact trailing perennial belongs to Central and South America. The deep green, shiny thick leaves with bright pink and white variegations make it look nothing lesser than its name.
This unique peep is perfect for indoor decoration. Moreover, you can grow it outdoors to beautify your garden in temperate climates. Make decorative hanging baskets or pots, the attractive foliage is enough to decorate any corner of your lodging. Sounds cool? Let us learn more about this stunning showpiece, the Philodendron erubescens Pink Princess.
Pink Princess Philodendron Classification
Family: Araceae.
Genus: Philodendron.
Hybrid: Pink Princess.
Parentage
This plant is actually a hybrid with the famous Philodendron Erubescens as one of the parents.
For your curiosity, Erubescens has plane arrow-shaped leaves in purple or burgundy shade. It has a number of hybrids including the Red-leaf Philodendron and the Red-Emerald Philodendron.
Genus Philodendron
Philodendron is a vast genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Araceae. About 489 members of this American native genus are proud parts of the second-largest genus of the family.
C. Plumier was the official introducer of the genus, back in the 16th century. However, these plants were famous in folk, art and medicine in different cultures since ages.
The name Philodendron means tree lover or tree hugger. This refers to the climbing or trailing nature of the majority of these plants.
Features of the Pink Princess Philodendron Plant
Height and Spread
The height and spread of this vigorous grower are variable according to the growing place and environment. Outdoors, this plant can grow more than 25 feet tall. However, the height of the indoor ones usually remains under 5 feet.
Leaves
- The arrow-shaped leaves of the plant get around 5 to 7 inches on maturity.
- The undersides may be copper or brown in color. Moreover, you can also see greenish or purplish blotches on these lower sides.
Flowers
The plant produces un-showy flowers in the warm season. These are typical philodendron flowers with spadix and spathe. The spathe is modified into a big leaf covering the spadix with numerous tiny flowers attached. However, this bloom is rare, especially in indoor peeps.
Toxicity
Philodendrons have high levels of calcium oxalate crystals in the foliage. This makes them toxic for us and pets. So, keep kids and pets away from mingling with these pinkies.
Dormancy
Just like the majority of its siblings, this Pink Princess gets dormant in winter. Even the indoor growers are not resistant to dormancy.
So, don’t panic when the plant slows down or shows stunted growth on cool days. People usually do the mistake of ‘over-caring’ at this stage. In reality, you have to relax! Just keep the plant in a warm place and water about once in two weeks. Wait for the cold to go and the plant will get ‘alive’ again in the spring.
Pink Princess Philodendron Vs. Pink Congo Philodendron
There is another famous Philodendron that shows close resemblance to the Pink Princess. This plant has a combination of full green leaves and full pink ones. Unlike the Pink Philodendron, you will not see any variegation in the foliage.
This Pink Congo Philodendron can’t retain the Pink in the foliage. It is just a matter of 5 to 6 months and the plant will start growing all green leaves. The care and all other requirements of both of the plants are quite similar.
Pink Princess Philodendron Care
This pink-leafed plant is not a hard peep to grow. This low-maintenance plant needs bright indirect light and watering after the upper layer gets dry.
Water Requirements
Just water it according to the common soak and dry method. Be generous in watering the soil until the drainage holes start flushing out water. Then let the upper 2 inches of the soil get dry and water right after. If the plant is new with you and you haven’t understood the schedule, you can check manually.
Take a little soil from the upper layer and squeeze it to feel the moisture. Water when you feel it to be about 90% to just fully dry. The ideal condition for watering is that the upper soil should be about 90% dry remaining partially moist beneath.
In summer, watering it about once or twice a week is enough. While on colder days, once in two weeks is enough to keep the plant happy. It is important to mention here that the soil should be moist but never soggy.
Be aware of over-watering. It can lead to serious issues like droopy foliage, fungus, and root rot.
Sunlight Requirements
Bright to medium indirect light is ideal to keep the Pink Philodendron healthy. If you are growing it outdoors, select a well-lit shady place. On the other hand, a place near the west or southeast is enough to provide sufficient light. These delicate peeps can’t withstand direct sunlight.
Temperature Requirements
The ideal temperature range for the majority of Philodendrons ranges from 16 to 24 °C. This Princess is generally ‘OK’ in a room where you personally feel comfortable with the temperature. Any temperature below 10 °C can freeze the foliage. So, don’t forget to transfer them to some warmer spot before the winter.
Humidity Requirements
Tropical plants generally love humidity. The plant needs to stay at a moisture level of about 50%. On dry days, you need to maintain the moisture by frequent misting. In spring and summer, you can even mist daily. But make sure the plant is placed in a well-ventilated place. Moreover, the foliage should not remain wet for long in order to avoid fungus and pest attacks.
You can also add a pebble-water tray under the pot or introduce a room humidifier in the surroundings.
Soil Requirements
The plant needs rich and well-drained soil which provides plenty of aeration. Sphagnum-peat moss with a little perlite is an ideal option.
Fertilizer Requirements
Use a low dose of houseplant fertilizer once a month in spring and summer. You can also use a diluted slow-release fertilizer about thrice a year. The nutritional requirement of the dormant plant decreases on the cold days. So, no need to fertilize after the autumn.
Important, over-fertilizing is always harmful to the plant. It can burn the roots. So, be careful about the appropriate quantity and frequency of fertilizer.
Repotting Requirements
Philodendrons usually like to stay root-bound. So, a medium-sized plant with drainage holes the base goes well with this plant. Once planted in a suitable pot, you don’t need to repot for about two years.
Pruning Requirements
Remove the older and unhealthy leaves. This sheer act is pretty helpful to enhance the health and life of the plant. Yellow leaves and/or spindly-looking new foliage are perfect signs that the plant needs to be pruned. Well, you can’t just take a knife and start cutting the plant at any time. Should you?
The ideal time to prune the plant is spring and fall and not the growing or dormant season. However, you can cut about 2 to 3 unhealthy leaves at any time. This will help you to conserve the energy of the plant.
Make sure you don’t cut below the leaf node. This is the point where the leaf develops from the stem.
Grooming Requirements
Clean the leaves with mild misting and soft cloth about once a week. A clean and dust-free plant will ensure a healthy and pest-free plant.
Pink Princess Philodendron Propagation
Philodendrons are generally easy to propagate. Stem-cuttings and division of a healthy plant are common methods used.
Spring and the first half of the summer are ideal time for propagation.
Propagation by Stem Cutting
- Take a sharp knife or shears and cut 5 to 7 inches of the stem. Cut about half an inch below the aerial rood (node). Moreover, try to get at least 2 nodes in the cutting.
- Dip the lower end of the stem in growth hormone and shed off the excess.
- Now, plant the cutting about 3 inches deeper in the moist growing mixture.
- Select a warm and well-ventilated spot with indirect light of medium intensity.
Propagation in Water
- These plants grow pretty well in water.
- Just take a jar and fill it with tap water. Let is stay for a night and allow the chlorine to settle down.
- Dip the cuttings about 3 to 4 inches, fully immersing the nodes under the water.
- Change the water every week to avoid mucking.
Timeline
We usually share an estimated growth pattern to help you understand the growth pattern.
Day 1 to Day 30:
- Use a spray bottle to keep the soil moist for the cutting. Make sure you don’t over-water at this stage or the cutting will rot out in the soil. Cuttings in water don’t need any special care other than changing the water weekly.
- The baby root will develop in a period of about 3 to 4 weeks.
Day 30 onwards:
- Keep the setup in suitable conditions and shoot development will be visible after the 1st month.
- The initial 3 months require mild watering. After that period, simply follow the Pink Princess Philodendron Care, as explained in the previous section.
- You can plant the water propagated plantlets to the soil after two to three weeks. In addition, you can even let them grow in water and enjoy their beauty in water jars.
Propagation by Division
This is a quick method to get new plants from a single plant. But you need a healthy and well-grown peep to be divided into plantlets.
- Water the soil and loosen it with the help of a tool. Very gently, take the plant out of the soil without damaging the roots.
- Divide the roots into two to three groups keeping at least two shoots with each.
- Now, plant the parent in its previous pot and new ones in freshly soiled containers.
- Water the new peeps and keep the soil moist for the initial week. In the second week, you can carry out the regular Care as explained in the previous section.
Caution
These toxic peeps need to be handled carefully. Don’t forget to wear gloves and wash off the tools properly.
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Problems of the Pink Princess Philodendron Plant
Droopy leaves and browning of edges are commonly seen in these plants.
- Inadequate or over-watering are the possible causes of lifeless and droopy leaves. Observe your watering schedule and adjust accordingly.
- Browning of leaf edges is usually due to a dry atmosphere. Try misting to enhance the moisture of the plant. If it doesn’t show results, try isolating the brown leaves using a polythene bag in a tent-like manner. If it does not work for a week, you finally need to cut the affected leaves. Make sure you provide the plant with suitable humidity to avoid drying.
Summary
The Pink Princess Philodendron is an aroid hybrid, popular for its variegated foliage. The thick arrow-shaped leaves show beautiful variegation of dark-green, bright pink, and white. This mystic plant makes an excellent choice for hanging baskets and growing pots. The Pink Philodendron grows well in a well-lit shady place outdoors in a temperate climate. However, they are ideal to beautify your lodgings by indoor plantation.
This low-maintenance plant needs medium to bright indirect light and watering after the upper soil is about to dry. Last but not the least; this beautiful variegated peep is highly toxic in nature. Be careful while handling and don’t let kids and pets mingle with the Philodendron erubescens Pink Princess.
