Philodendron Pink Princess Complete Care Guide

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Philodendron Pink Princess is one of the most sought out plants for houseplant enthusiasts.

It’s a beautiful plant that produces incredible foliage, but has specific plant care needs.

Here are the main things to know to care for Philodendron Pink Princess.

Water. Once the soil is partly dry or dry when you stick your index finger two inches deep into the soil, it’s time for a good drink.
Light. Place Philodendron Pink Princess in a spot getting bright indirect sunlight. This could be near a south, east, or west facing window. You can also place this plant under T5 Barinna grow lights like I do.
Fertilizer. Regularly feed your Pink Princess with a high quality fertilizer. You can choose to go natural or synthetic. If using a synthetic fertilizer, make sure to dilute the recipe in half. Fertilize during the active growing season which is typically March-October.
Humidity. Philodendron Pink Princess need high humidity in the 60%+ range. This plant can slowly acclimate to regular household humidity, but it’s easier to keep it in high humidity.

Here’s what to know so Philodendron Pink Princess thrives in your home.

Light

Philodendron Pink Princess need strong, bright indirect sunlight daily.

This plant can handle some direct sunlight but not too much. If you don’t give this plant enough sunlight, PPP will start to revert and those beautiful pink leaves may turn brown.

The best spot for this plant would be near a south, east, or west facing window.

If placing near a south facing window, make sure the window has a sheer curtain between the sunlight and the plant. South facing is the strongest, hottest sunlight of the day so it’s important to place a barrier between the light and the plant.

I have my plant sitting under T5 Barrina plant grow lights and my PPP is thriving. This is another great option for those of you that don’t get bright sunlight in your home.

Water

It’s important to water your Philodendron Pink Princess on a regular schedule and not to miss a watering.

Using your index finger, stick the finger in about two inches deep. If the soil is dry, it’s time to water your plant. Philodendron Pink Princess soil should be partly dry before giving another drink.

You can also use a moisture meter to get a better idea on when to water your plant. If the meter reads closer to the dry side, then it’s time to give your plant a good drink.

Soil

Philodendron Pink Princess thrive in well-draining soil.

This kind of soil helps the roots get oxygen and air flow that it needs. Well-draining, chunky soil is a must especially for people who tend to be overwaterers.

If you like to make your own soil mixture, an easy well-draining soil recipe calls for 50% coco coir, 25% orchid bark, and 25% perlite.

You can also buy houseplant soil that is already mixed and ready for you. A popular brand that I use is Fox Farm Ocean Forest organic potting soil.

Leca

I have my P. Pink Princess growing in leca. I find it to be the easiest substrate for Philodendron Pink Princess and I get active new growth with this method.

I fill a container with 1/3 leca, place my Pink Princess in and fill the rest of the container with leca. I fill the reservoir 1/3 the way through with water mixed with fertilizer.

I use a fertilizer specifically for leca called Soilless and Leca Fertilizer from Earth Medicine.

Temperature

Philodendron Pink Princess live in temperatures between 55°F and 85°F. These plants like to stay on the warmer side.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing your houseplants is important because it keeps the plants thriving and happy in your home. Out in the elements in nature, your plant naturally gets the fertilizer and nutrients it needs, but this isn’t the case in your home.

There are many different types of fertilizer to choose from and you can go the all natural route or synthetic route. If using a synthetic fertilizer, you need to dilute the recipe in half because synthetic fertilizer is strong and can damage your plant.

I personally use Blue Butterfly and mix it into my plants drinking water. I fertilize every watering because it keeps things simple for me and keeps my plants happy.

Humidity

Philodendron Pink Princess need high humidity in order to thrive in your home.

The bare minimum humidity should be 50% but you’ll notice your plant much happier in the 70%+ range.

I have my Philodendron Pink Princess in a greenhouse that sits between 50%-80% humidity.

Here are my best tips for increasing humidity:

Place your plant on a pebble tray of water
Place a humidifier near your houseplants and run it daily
Group high humidity plants together which will create a microclimate of humidity
Use an IKEA cabinet as a DIY greenhouse cabinet

Propagation

The easiest way to propagate Philodendron Pink Princess is by cutting a stem with at least one node.

With clean sheers, make a cutting below a node and submerge the node under water.

Place this cutting in a spot getting some decent sunlight. In about three weeks you should notice roots growing.

Once the roots are at least three inches long, you can transfer the cutting into your preferred substrate. Like I mentioned earlier, I prefer growing Philodendron Pink Princess in leca.

Philodendron Pink Princess Common Questions

Is Philodendron Pink Princess rare?

Philodendron Pink Princess is a rare plant but it’s not nearly as rare as it once was. You couldn’t find this plant anywhere and if you did, you had to pay hundreds of dollars for a small plant.

Now, things are much different and the plant has gone down in price. I’ve even seen this plant at grocery stores in the midwest (I know, this is crazy!).

How much is a Philodendron Pink Princess?

A Philodendron Pink Princess ranges in price depending on the size of the plant and the variegation on the foliage.

For example, if you find a 4 inch pot of Philodendron Pink Princess with bright pink leaves and incredible variegation, it will be much more expensive than the same size Pink Princess with almost no variegation at all.

I bought a 6 leaf small to medium sized Pink Princess for around $40 in the beginning of 2022.

Is Philodendron Pink Princess hard to care for?

Philodendron Pink Princess takes a little more care than most Philodendrons. This plant needs high humidity otherwise it will stop growing, get crispy leaves, and the foliage will drop.

You may get lucky and buy a plant that has been acclimated to regular household humidity, but I find that is rare. It seems like larger more established plants are more resilient to low humidity, but that’s not the case for all plants.

This plant needs bright light or else you may start to see less variegation. This is why you often see these plants under plant grow lights or in south facing windows.

How do you care for Philodendron Pink Princess?

To properly care for Philodendron Pink Princess, here are the key things to know:

Place your plant in bright indirect sunlight (near a south facing window) or under plant grow lights
Make sure to regularly water your plant when the top two inches of soil are dry
Regularly fertilize your plant in the active growing season
Make sure your plant is in well-draining soil or in leca
Humidity needs to be in the 60%+ range for this plant

Is Philodendron Pink Princess a fast grower?

In my experience, Philodendron Pink Princess is an incredibly fast grower if put in the best conditions.

For example, I have my plant sitting in a greenhouse cabinet getting between 50%-80% humidity on a daily basis. My plant is sitting under strong T5 Barrina plant grow lights and is in some of the best conditions possible. This is why I see new growth on my Pink Princess all the time.

If you want your Philodendorn Pink Princess to grow as quickly as possible, you need to give the plant the best growing conditions.

I have never seen a Philodendron Pink Princess growing outside.

If you live in a tropical area, you may be lucky enough to grow this plant outside but for the majority of us, we like to grow this plant inside because we control the elements.

Most Philodendrons do not like full sun, however Philodendron Pink Princess can handle a little bit of direct sunlight but not too much.

I would say any more than one hour of direct sunlight would be too much for this plant. If you don’t give this plant enough bright indirect sunlight, the plant will produce brown leaves instead of producing beautiful pink variegation that it’s known for.

How big do Philodendron Pink Princess get?

Philodendron Pink Princess can get up to four feet tall. I’ve seen a PPP this big in person and it’s gorgeous, but takes quite awhile for a plant to get this large.

How do I make my Philodendron Pink Princess bigger?

In order to make your P. Pink Princess bigger, you need to give this plant the best growing conditions.

That means giving your plant bright indirect sunlight for at least six hours during the day, maybe even some direct sunlight, high humidity in the 60%+ range, and regular fertilization during the active growing season.

This is a great question that many people think about.

Once I got my hands on a Pink Princess for a decent price, I was ecstatic, but now that I’ve had it for a few months, I’m pretty much over it.

The most important thing you can do to make your Philodendron Pink Princess produce more pink variegation is by giving it more sunlight.

This plant can handle some direct sunlight which shows how important light is for this plant. If you don’t give your plant enough light, it may start producing brown leaves with no pink variegation at all.

Does Philodendron Pink Princess climb?

Philodendron Pink Princess climb and can get quite tall in the house.

Use a support pole or trellis to encourage your plant to grow taller. When the plant grows taller, you may notice the leaves get larger and become more established.

How do you propagate Philodendron Pink Princess?

Propagating Philodendron Pink Princess is easy.

All you need to do is the following:

Grab clean sheers and cut below a node on the stem of your plan
Submerge the node under plain water (no need to add fertilizer or anything special to the water)
In about three weeks you’ll see roots on the cutting
Once the roots are about three inches long, you can transfer the cutting to your choice of substrate

Is the Philodendron Pink Princess toxic to pets?

Yes, this plant is toxic to pets. You can get more information on toxic and pet-friendly plants at ASPCA here.

Prevent pests

Philodendrons are known to be some of the hardiest plants out there and many of these plants rarely suffer from pest pressures.

Pests are annoying because they damage foliage and suck the life out of the plant. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of pest preventative.

To prevent pests, here’s what you can do:

Use a natural or synthetic pest killer to prevent pests
Check your plants once a week for pests
Make sure not to overwater your plants (overwatering can lead to fungus gnats)
Quarantine new plants for a week or two before putting them with the rest of your plants
Regularly clean your plants foliage with a mixture of water and a drop of dish soap

I’ve never had any pest pressures with my Pink Princess and haven’t heard from any other people that they’ve had problems, so you most likely won’t either.

Azamax is a natural pest killer. Mix 1 to 2 oz. per gallon of water depending on pest levels. Spray at an interval of 7-10 days.

Common issues

Brown tips: If your Philodendron Pink Princess has brown tips, this may be because of too much direct sunlight, fertilizer burn, or overwatering. Make sure to dilute fertilizer recipes in half if you’re using a synthetic fertilizer.

Curly leaves: If your Philodendron Pink Princess has curly tips, this may be a sign that your plant isn’t getting enough humidity. Increase humidity around your plant by placing it near a humidifier or in a greenhouse cabinet.

Yellowing leaves: If your Philodendron Pink Princess has yellowing leaves, this may be a sign that you’re either underwatering or overwatering your plant. Use a moisture meter to get a better idea of how moist your plants soil is.

Key Points To Remember

Philodendron Pink Princess was once one of the most expensive plants for houseplant enthusiasts, but luckily the price has gone down in price.

Make sure you place this plant in bright indirect sunlight or under plant grow lights. This plant needs high humidity in the 60%+ range unless the plant has been acclimated to regular household humidity. Regularly fertilize your Philodendron Pink Princess so that it gets the nutrients it needs to thrive in your home.