Pink Princess Philodendron

How to care for Pink Princess Philodendron

Light

Pink Princess Philodendron requires bright, indirect light to maintain its variegation. Direct sun, particularly from a south-facing window in summer, can scorch the leaves, while insufficient light causes the plant to produce predominantly dark green leaves with little or no pink. An east- or west-facing windowsill, or a position set back from a south-facing window with sheer curtains, generally produces the best balance of growth and variegation. Supplemental grow lights can be used successfully in darker rooms, keeping the light source 20-30 cm from the foliage on a 12-14 hour cycle.

Watering

Water thoroughly, allowing excess to drain freely from the pot, then wait until the top 3-5 cm of the potting mix has dried before watering again. Overwatering is the most common cause of decline; the plant is more tolerant of slight underwatering than of consistently wet conditions. Reduce watering frequency in autumn and winter when growth slows. Always use room-temperature water, and if your tap water is heavily chlorinated, allowing it to sit overnight or using filtered water is advisable.

Soil and potting

A loose, well-aerated aroid mix is essential to prevent root rot. A suitable mix can be made by combining standard peat-free houseplant compost with perlite, orchid bark, and a small amount of horticultural charcoal in roughly equal parts. The goal is a substrate that retains adequate moisture for root uptake but drains quickly and does not compact. Avoid dense, peat-heavy composts, which retain water excessively and restrict airflow around the roots.

Feeding

Feed with a balanced, water-soluble fertiliser (such as a 20-20-20 or similar NPK ratio) diluted to half strength every two to four weeks during the growing season from spring through early autumn. Avoid feeding in winter when the plant is not actively growing, as unused fertiliser salts can accumulate and damage roots. Some growers apply a lower-nitrogen fertiliser periodically to encourage leaf variegation, though evidence for this is largely anecdotal; consistent bright light is the more reliable factor.

Humidity and temperature

As a tropical rainforest plant, P. erubescens prefers humidity levels of 50% or higher. In typical UK homes, ambient humidity often falls below this, especially in winter when central heating is running. A humidifier placed nearby is the most effective solution; grouping plants together or placing the pot on a tray of moist pebbles can offer a modest benefit. The plant performs best between 18-29°C and should be kept away from cold draughts, open windows in winter, and heat sources such as radiators, which dry the air and can damage foliage.

Repotting

Repot every one to two years, or when roots begin to emerge from the drainage holes or circle visibly at the soil surface. Choose a pot only one size larger (2-3 cm wider in diameter) than the current one, as excessively large pots hold surplus moisture and increase the risk of root rot. Terracotta pots aid aeration and drying of the substrate. Spring is the ideal time to repot, allowing the plant to establish before the main growing season. Handle the roots gently and avoid disturbing them more than necessary.

Pruning

Pruning is used to manage size, encourage branching, and remove any fully reverted (entirely green or entirely pink) stems. Use clean, sharp scissors or secateurs sterilised with isopropyl alcohol before use. Cutting just above a node encourages new growth from that point. Stems that have reverted to all-green growth should be removed promptly, as they grow more vigorously than variegated stems and can come to dominate the plant. Fully pink (achlorophyllous) stems should also be removed as they are unable to photosynthesise and will eventually die back.

Is Pink Princess Philodendron toxic?

Common problems

How to propagate

Stem cutting in water or moist substrate

Cut a stem section bearing at least one node and one leaf, using sterilised secateurs. Place the node in a jar of clean water or insert it into moist perlite or sphagnum moss, keeping it warm and in bright indirect light until roots of 2-3 cm develop, then pot into aroid mix.

Air layering

On an established stem, make a shallow upward-angled cut just below a node, pack the wound with moist sphagnum moss, and wrap tightly in clear polythene film sealed at both ends. Once visible roots have filled the moss ball (typically four to eight weeks), sever the stem below the root mass and pot it up.

Where Pink Princess Philodendron comes from

Native to Colombia.

Story and origins

The genus name Philodendron derives from the Greek words 'philos' meaning loving and 'dendron' meaning tree, referring to the climbing habit of many species in the genus, which grow up and around trees in their native habitats. The species epithet erubescens comes from the Latin 'erubescere', meaning to blush or become red, alluding to the reddish colouration of the new leaf sheaths, stems, and undersides of young leaves, which is a characteristic of the species even in non-variegated forms.

Philodendron erubescens was formally described by the botanist Karl Koch and Augustin Pyramus de Candolle's son Alphonse de Candolle in the mid-nineteenth century, based on specimens collected from Colombia. The species was cultivated as an ornamental foliage plant in European glasshouses during the Victorian era, prized for its rich coloured stems and large glossy leaves. The 'Pink Princess' selection, characterised by pink chimeric variegation, is believed to have originated in tissue culture or selective breeding programmes in Florida, United States, in the 1970s, and it rose to extraordinary international prominence during the houseplant boom of the early 2020s, becoming one of the most sought-after and heavily counterfeited houseplants in the market.

Varieties to know

Pink Princess (select clone)

The most widely traded form, selected for high contrast between dark burgundy-green and bright pink variegation; the 'Pink Princess' name is a trade descriptor rather than a formal cultivar name.

Philodendron erubescens 'White Princess'

A white-variegated counterpart that produces cream or white patches rather than pink; sometimes sold as a distinct plant but belongs to the same species complex.

Philodendron erubescens 'White Knight'

Features white variegation similar to White Princess but with distinctly dark brownish-purple stems, helping to distinguish it from White Princess.

Philodendron erubescens 'Royal Queen'

A non-variegated cultivar selected for deep, near-black burgundy foliage; grown for dramatic foliage colour rather than variegation.

Fun facts

• The pink colouration in Pink Princess Philodendron is caused by sectors of cells that have completely lost chloroplast function, meaning those areas cannot photosynthesise at all.
• Philodendron erubescens is a naturally climbing species that uses aerial roots to attach to tree trunks in its native Colombian rainforest habitat, and it can reach several metres in length in the wild.
• The instability of the Pink Princess variegation means that two cuttings taken from the same plant can produce offspring with markedly different variegation patterns, making it impossible to guarantee the appearance of propagated plants.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pink Princess Philodendron prices in the United Kingdom and United States reached several hundred pounds per plant due to supply shortages and surging demand for houseplants.
• Philodendrons as a genus are one of the largest in the family Araceae, with over 500 recognised species, most originating in the Neotropical region.

Pink Princess Philodendron FAQ