Plant of the Month August: Pink Princess Philodendron

Plant of the Month for August: Pink Princess Philodendron (Philodendron Erubescens)

Just in time to celebrate Costa Rica’s Mother’s Day, we have chosen the very beautiful and feminine Pink Princess Philodendron as our plant of the month. We are very excited about offering this plant this month and once you take a look at this stunning plant, you will see exactly why!!

This philodendron is well sought after because of it’s rare black-leaves with bright pink variegation. The young leaves are often a dark olive-green colour with white variegation. They eventually mature into a deep black with bright pink striations and spots.  The pink princess is a rather slow growing vine philodendron that can be staked to help it climb or allow it to hang over. The leaves can grow to 23cm long by 17 cm wide.

The Pink Princess Philodendron does best in bright filtered or indirect light. It can however, thrive in partially shaded locations and indoors.

The Red Princess philodendron is a tropical plant and prefers a moist environment. Ensure the soil around the plant is kept moist. Avoid overwatering or allowing it to dry out completely. This can cause additional stress to the plant.

Make sure to keep the leaves clean.

Fertilize your pink princess once per month with a well-balanced liquid organic fertilizer.

While the Pink Princess Philodendron is quite resilient, the most common damaging pests are insects and fungal problems. Some common fungal problems that can arise are dasheen mosaic virus, scale, root rot, and fungal and bacterial leaf spots. You can use a natural fungicide in case this occurs. Make sure you are not overwatering. Insects may include mealy bugs, scale insects, and spider mites. These are best removed by cleaning the leaves gently with rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth. Monitor the plant regularly, keeping it clean for preventative measures. A mixture of liquid dish soap and water sprayed onto the leaves also is affective at getting rid of insects.

Ingestion of any part of the Red Princess philodendron may cause severe discomfort. Avoid contact with sap as it may cause skin irritation.

Not safe for pets.