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I already wrote about philodendrons in general, but this a special type of this species with a unique look.
Taking care of this plant is easy, but keep reading to find out exactly how to water it, feed it, and keep it healthy and beautiful.
What is Pink Princess Philodendron
Pink princess philodendron is a species of a vining evergreen plant that can grow up to 23 inches in length, but this native Columbian plant is a slow grower.
The interesting part is the variegation.
It grows these interesting pink or dark green leaves that can either be speckled or full-colored and so are the stems.
However, the leaves that are completely pink lack chlorophyll, meaning that they can’t produce food for the plant with the process of photosynthesis.
So, you have to be careful with them.
The leaves can grow to be up to 9 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Also, this ornamental plant is toxic to both humans and animals, especially cats and dogs, so be careful with where you keep it and how you treat it.
Here are a couple of more lovely Philodendrons for you:
How to Grow Pink Princess Philodendron
Unfortunately, growing this plant from seeds likely won’t get you the hot pink result.
The pink is caused by a mutation and it’s hard to replicate the parent plant from just a seed.
That’s why most of these are made with the process of propagation by cuttings, making it a bit harder to come by.
It sells out fast and it’s a bit more expensive than others, but it’s worth it.
First, get your plant out of the packaging and let it breathe.
However, if you got your plant in the mail don’t repot it immediately.
Chances are that it’s stressed out from the trip, and it might even have some yellow leaves to prove it.
In that case, leave your plant alone for about a month to let it adjust.
The pot should be deep enough to comfortably fir the roots, but not too deep or too wide because that can make the soil dry slower.
Pick a pot with drainage holes in the bottom, to help prevent excess water accumulation and root rot.
When it comes to picking the right soil, this plant thrives in soil that has high organic matter and is well-draining.
You can also use a soilless potting mix with added perlite or opt for sphagnum peat moss, or choose one of the best soils for indoor plants.
Whichever one you choose make sure that the soil isn’t too packed down.
How to Care for Pink Princess Philodendron
This plant is easy to take care of, there just some basic rules that you need to follow.
As mentioned above, this plant is a vining plant by nature, to it would be best if you gave it something to grow up against, like a ladder or a stake.
But all in all, taking care of this plant is just about proper light, enough watering, picking the right soil and a right-sized pot, and regular fertilization and pruning.
Also, this plant enjoys a humid climate, so keep it away from air vents or AC, or any other source of dry air.
This is why regular misting is an important step for taking care of Pink Princess.
On the other hand, it still needs good air circulation.
When it comes to temperature, this plant likes a normal climate with 65 – 78oF during the day and 60oF at night.
Watering Pink Princess Philodendron
This plant just loves water, which is why you should always keep the soil moist, but never soggy.
But when should you water your Pink Princess Philodendron?
First, you should water your plant more during the active growth period.
That is usually during spring and summer, so your plant will need more water during that time.
The best way to check if your plant needs watering is to insert your finger into the top layer of the soil, up to the first knuckle.
If you notice that the top layer is dry, it’s time to water the plant.
Add water directly to the soil and keep watering until it starts draining out through the bottom holes into the container under the pot.
Wait a minute until all the excess water drips out and then empty the container.
This is important because too much water in the soil can cause problems such as root rot.
Check the soil regularly and never let it dry out totally.
Both underwatering and overwatering can cause damage to the plant, but it can easily be fixed by changing the watering schedule.
What’s interesting about this plant is that it can also live in water.
If you opt for this, put your plant with exposed roots in a jar with some lukewarm rainwater and leave it be.
Change or add water from time to time, whenever you notice that the roots aren’t completely submerged, just make sure that it’s not too cold or too hot because that can shock the plant.
Proper Lighting for Pink Princess Philodendron
Just like other species of philodendron, the pink princess needs to grow in bright but indirect light.
Put your plant near an east or west-facing window, so that I can get indirect light most of the day, but some bright light in the morning or the evening.
While it’s true that too much direct sunlight can cause harm to the plant, moderate amounts are needed to make the color of the plant even more vibrant.
The plant’s special variegation is what makes it so unique, but the plant can revert to being all green if it doesn’t get the right care and the right amount of light during the day.
On the other side, even though a lot of light will help the leaves turn pink, too much light will dry them out and make them turn yellow.
If you don’t get a lot of light in your home, try some of the plants that can grow without light.
Fertilizing Pink Princess Philodendron
Once again, it’s important to do this step during the active growth period, as the dormant period isn’t that great for fertilizing.
It’s important to use a fertilizer that’s rich with macro-nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium.
Plants that lack one of these two elements in their food will show slower growth and smaller leaf size, and the biggest telltale sign of this deficiency are the pale new leaves.
This plant has naturally dark green leaves, so dark that they’re almost black, so if you notice any pale ones try to investigate further.
Use this houseplant fertilizer by adding it to water as instructed on the packaging, and watering your plant thoroughly once every month.
You can also opt for some slow-release fertilizer that you can put in the soil every six to eight weeks, or according to instructions.
Picking the right fertilizer for your plant is important, but using too much fertilizer will do more harm than good.
Also, if you do everything else right and your plant seems healthy, there’s no need to use fertilizer.
Pink Princess Philodendron Pruning
As mentioned before, pruning is a crucial process in taking care of this plant.
Sure, the pink leaves are beautiful and they’re the reason why you got this plant, but letting your plant become completely pink will be the end of it.
Pink leaves, even though they’re gorgeous, don’t have any chlorophyll in them, meaning that they can’t produce food.
On the other hand, letting your plant become completely green will make it lose its attractiveness.
This is why it’s important to keep the balance between the number of pink and green leaves.
And you’re going to do that by pruning.
A more thorough pruning should be done only at the beginning of the active growth period, but you can get rid of any leaves that are causing trouble anytime during the year.
First, get the right tools.
You’ll need some small, sharp gardening shears, and some gloves.
Remember, this plant is toxic, so wearing gloves and sterilizing your tools after you’re done with them is a must.
Prune any leaves that are dying or diseased, and then get to balance the colors.
To do this just prune the plant back to the next leaf that has balanced variegation.
It’s important to always cut it above the leaf node because that’ where the new and balanced growth will appear from.
Pink Princess Philodendron Propagation
Propagating this plant is the only sure way to get a new plant that has the same variegation.
Just like any other philodendron propagation, it can be done either through cuttings or division.
Of course, this process should be done during the active growth period, when the plant is developing.
If you don’t like slow-growing plants, there are some fast ones that you can choose from.
1. Propagation by cuttings
Prepare all the tools that you would need for pruning, which would be gloves and shears, but also a jar of lukewarm water.
Select a stem that’s healthy and big, and gut it about 6 inches from the end, or ¼ of an inch below the node, and cut a couple more stems for better results.
Next, put them into jars filled with lukewarm water, and make sure that the nodes are completely drenched.
Put the jars in a room where they will get a lot of bright indirect light, and wait for a couple of weeks for the roots to develop.
Change the water from time to time, and add new water if the nodes aren’t submerged.
Once you notice the roots, put your plant in a small pot with some well-draining soil and let it grow.
2. Propagation by division
This is faster but messier.
First, water your plant until the earth is completely moist, and then loosen up the soil a bit.
Pull the plant out of the pot and start dividing the roots, either in half or in thirds.
Once you’re done, put the rest of the plant back in the original pot, and put the other divisions in new soil.
Let them grow for a few weeks, and take care of them as you would with a mature plant.
Repotting Pink Princess Philodendron
Repotting this plant is an easy task since it’s not prone to stress, and there’s no need to do it often.
As said before, this plant isn’t such a vigorous grower, which means that it won’t outgrow the pot as fast.
But once you notice that the roots take up more than ¾ of the space in the pot, it’s time for a new one.
A new pot shouldn’t be too big, because that could lead to problems with the soil drying.
Instead, pick a pot that’s up to 2 inches wider in diameter.
Next, get your gloves, carefully extract the plant from the pot and clean the roots of any excess soil.
Put the plant in the new pot and cover it with soil, but don’t pack it down too hard.
Water your plant immediately because the new soil is dry, and take care of it as you did before.
Repeat every couple of years.
Pink Princess Philodendron Problems and Solutions
Fortunately, all of the problems that this plant could have are easily fixable.
1. Leaves turning brown
The leaves of this plant, both pink and green, can start turning brown for several reasons that are easy to take care of.
The first thing that you need to do is prune away any dying leaves because they’re sucking the energy out.
Too much direct sun
Too much direct sun can scorch the plant and lead to it losing moisture.
Is your plant sat near a window that gets too much direct light during the day?
Just change the placement of the plant.
Dry air
Do you live in a dry climate? Do you use artificial heating and is your plant positioned near the source of it?
Put your plant somewhere else and use a humidifier or mist it often.
Underwatering
Dry leaves and dry soil are the signs of underwatering, but this is easily fixed by checking the soil more often and watering your plant accordingly.
Overwatering
If the soil is soggy and the roots are wet or rotten, prune away both the dead leaves and the roots and repot the plant.
Make sure that you only water it when needed.
Pot too big
Picking the right sized pot is a crucial step because the size of the pot affects the plants need for water.
2. Leaves curling under
As with the problem above, the first step is to prune the problematic leaves, but there are a couple of reasons why this is happening, and they’re similar.
This could happen either from overwatering, bad lighting, or a pot that’s too big. Look for the solutions to these problems above.
Leggy plant
If your plant seems to be limp and lifeless, it’s probably because it isn’t getting enough light.
Move it to the place that gets a lot of bright indirect light.
Pests
Fortunately, this plant isn’t prone to house pests, but it can still get aphids or mealybugs.
Mealybugs can be easily get rid of by wiping the leaves with cotton pads dipped in rubbing alcohol.
You can also get rid of pests or prevent them by showering the plant from time to time and applying insecticidal soap, or neem oil.
Related Questions
1. Is Philodendron Erubescens poisonous?
This plant is toxic to both humans and animals. This is why it’s important to use gloves when handling it, and also why you should keep it away from your pets.
2. Will my Pink Princess bloom?
While this plant is a flowering plant, it rarely blooms. Even if it develops a flower, you will likely not see it because it will be hidden by the foliage.
3. Can I keep my Pink Princess Philodendron outside?
This plant can suffer burns from too much direct sunlight, so if you want to put it on your window or your balcony make sure that it’s well shaded.
4. Can my Pink Princess plant be completely pink?
Well, in theory, yes. You can do this by slowly pruning any stems that grow green leaves, but this isn’t a good idea. Even though they look pretty, pink leaves don’t have chlorophyll and can’t produce food for the plant, which will make the plant die.
