Jun 6

"Exploring the Hottest Plant Trends of 2024: A Comprehensive Blog Series"

Series 1 Pink Princess Philodendron

I decided to start a series to discuss some of those plants for which we are all searching the stores and the internet. What makes them so hard to find, and why do we all want them so badly? Is it because it is just a fad for the year, or is it the plant industry deciding for us, or is it because of their beauty?

The first beauty that I would like to start with is one that a few years ago used to be so hard to find. Only a few growers were growing this tropical beauty and when you could get your hands on a cutting, you would pay anywhere from $100 - $2000, and pray it would not die. Nowadays things are different, I don’t know if it is because the growers have found a way to mass-grow the plant or if they have just caught up to the demand. Either way, the demand is still there and the plants are flying off the shelves like crazy.

PHILODENDRON PINK PRINCESS

The pink princess is considered a unique and rare variegated houseplant. It will thrive in a bright indoor environment. The brighter the lighting the more variation you will have. With the deep green heart-shaped leaves with bright pink variegation, the Pink Princess is a one-of-a-kind stunner. It will quite often get confused with Philodendron Pink Congo, but the variations in this plant happen with chemicals that are injected into the leaves, so the pinkness does not last.

HOW DO YOU CARE FOR YOUR PINK PRINCESS

To make sure that you will get the most beautiful leaf variegation there are a few important things to considerations to take into account:

LIGHT

Light is probably the most crucial element and will determine how much variegation you will get in your leaves. Place your PP in bright INDIRECT light as you don’t want to put it in direct light it will burn those beautiful leaves. I am a huge fan of grow lights, they are extremely beneficial when you don’t have sufficient light. After all, you don’t want to lose your pink variegations.

Between waterings, make sure to let your soil dry out, then water the soil thoroughly. I would say if the soil is about 25% - 50% dry, it is time to water. Try not to let your PP sit in any standing water as it will attract pests.

FERTILIZER

Your PP will benefit from a quality monthly fertilizer feeding, especially during its growing season which is spring and summer. During the fall and winter, you can cut back to every other month.

I am a huge fan of the PP, and I know you will be too. I have 2, one I have had since it was a start and it is slowly growing, and the other I just recently purchased. I am trying to get the pink variegations to come out, so I am putting them under my grow lights🤞. I will keep you posted on their progress and I hope you will share if you have any PP’s. I would love to see your pictures and if you have any tips on what you are doing to get yours to grow or if you have any issues. Maybe together we can find some great tips to get our PPs to flourish.