Pink Princess and other blushing philodendrons

Pink Princess and other blushing philodendrons

1. 01

   What a Pink Princess philodendron is

   NC State lists Pink Princess as a cultivar of Philodendron erubescens with an upright, vining habit and heart-shaped, dark purplish-green leaves with pink variegation. The RHS describes glossy deep green leaves splashed with cream and pink, on thick stems that are bright red when young.

   It climbs with clinging stems, so give it a moss pole or stake. The RHS gives it an eventual height of 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5 ft).

2. 02

   Pink Princess philodendron care

   Light: bright, indirect light. NC State advises avoiding direct sunlight, and midday sun can scorch the leaves. A spot 1 to 2 m (3 to 6 ft) back from an east or west window works.

   Water: when the top 4 cm (2 in) of mix feels dry, as for any blushing philodendron. Let the pot drain and never leave it standing in water. In winter it needs water less often.

   Warmth: keep it indoors all year. The RHS rates it as needing heated protection.

   Pests: the RHS names scale insects and glasshouse red spider mite. Check the undersides of the leaves when you water.

3. 03

   How to keep a Pink Princess pink

   Light is the main lever. The RHS says a permanent loss of variegation usually means too little light, so move a Pink Princess that is fading toward the window, still out of direct sun.

   If a shoot comes out all green, it has reverted. Green growth is more vigorous and can take over, so the RHS advises cutting reverted shoots back to growth with variegation. Wear gloves before you cut, because the sap can irritate skin, then cut just above a leaf that still shows pink.

   A leaf with little or no green has less chlorophyll to feed itself. The RHS notes that all-white or pale shoots on variegated plants are very weak, so a plant with mostly pink leaves needs more green leaves to stay strong.

4. 04

   White Princess, Red Emerald and other blushing philodendrons

   White Princess has green leaves splashed with white instead of pink (NC State). Red Emerald is a climber with deep red leaf stalks, lime green new leaves and deep green mature leaves. Green Emerald is a vining form with glossy deep green leaves that are reddish purple underneath.

   Prince of Orange is not a form of Philodendron erubescens but a related hybrid of several species, P. erubescens among them (US plant patent PP6797). It is a compact, bushy, non-vining plant whose leaves open orange, turn copper and end deep green. Tangerine is a hybrid too, of Philodendron ‘Moonlight’ and Prince of Orange, with orange to bronze leaves.

   To tell Pink Princess from White Princess, look at the color of the variegation: pink on dark purplish green for Pink Princess, white on green for White Princess. Care is the same for all of them.

5. 05

   Pet safety

   Pink Princess and the other blushing philodendrons are toxic to cats and dogs. The leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and stomach if chewed, and the sap can irritate skin.

Common questions