Philodendron Pink Princess
Dark green, almost black leaves splashed with bubblegum pink. The most famous of the collector philodendrons, and one where the variegation depends on light and luck. Easy to grow, harder to keep pink.
Pink Princess is the plant that started the collector boom, and it is still the one people ask for by name. The pink is a chimeric variegation, like the Monstera Albo, which means it shifts from leaf to leaf: one leaf half pink, the next mostly dark green, occasionally one entirely pink that will not last.
The plant itself is an easy climbing philodendron. Managing the pink is the craft.
Light
Bright indirect light. Right at an east window or a few feet from a south one. Too little light and the new leaves come in green; too much direct sun and the pink sections scorch. A grow light in winter helps keep the pink coming.
Water
Water when the top two inches are dry, about weekly in summer and every two weeks in winter. It is more forgiving than the monsteras but pink tissue still rots more easily than green.
Soil and potting
A chunky aroid mix with bark and perlite. A moss pole encourages larger leaves. Repot every eighteen months.
Feeding
A half-strength balanced feed monthly in spring and summer.
Propagation
Node cuttings in sphagnum or water. Choose nodes with pink striping on the stem; an all-green stem gives a green plant.
In a hot, dry home
Wants humidity around fifty percent, so group it and keep it away from vents, with a humidifier in summer. Pink edges crisp first in dry air.
Philodendron Pink Princess varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Burgundy Princess
The same plant with no pink; deep burgundy-black leaves. Often a reverted Pink Princess.
- Princess Marble
Pink Princess with marbled rather than blocky variegation.
Problems and fixes
New leaves coming in green
Likely cause: Reverting, usually from low light
Fix: Cut back to the last leaf with good pink and increase light.
Brown patches on pink sections
Likely cause: Sun scorch or low humidity
Fix: Move out of direct light; raise humidity.
A fully pink leaf
Likely cause: Variegation overshooting
Fix: Enjoy it, but expect it to brown; cut back to a balanced node if the next leaf is also all pink.
Philodendron Pink Princess questions
How do I keep my Pink Princess pink?
Bright indirect light, and cut back to the last well-variegated node if new leaves come in green. The variegation is chimeric and needs managing.
Is Pink Princess toxic to pets?
Yes. Like all philodendrons it contains calcium oxalate crystals.
Why is Pink Princess expensive?
It is propagated by cuttings and the variegation is unpredictable, so well-variegated plants take time and selection to produce.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Philodendron Birkin
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Water
- Weekly
- Pets
- Toxic
Heartleaf Philodendron
- Light
- Low to bright indirect
- Water
- Weekly
- Pets
- Toxic
