How to Care for Philodendron White Princess. Complete Guide!

One variety of Philodendrons, the Philodendron White Princess, has exceptionally beautiful green and white foliage. This beautiful plant should be kept indoors, where it may benefit from brilliant indirect light and avoid the harsh rays of sunlight. It’s perfect for people who are green-thumb novices because it needs so little care. Keeping the Philodendron White Princess in a humid environment will ensure that it continues to thrive and look full and plump.

The Philodendron White Princess is highly sought after by greenhouses due to its stunning foliage. Although its origin is a mystery, this hybrid has swiftly become one of the most sought-after philodendrons.

When fully grown, the plant’s glossy green leaves with white patterning provide a breathtaking sight. There’s a chance you might even spot a blush of pink now and then!

Because of its sluggish plant and relatively small mature size, the White Princess Philodendron is another great option for cramped indoor areas. Something beautiful and good for the environment has the innate power to help rid the air of harmful contaminants.

The leaves of the White Princess are, without a doubt, the plant’s most eye-catching feature. The 20-centimeter-long leaves have an oval form that narrows toward a point. Every glossy green leaf is covered in sparkling white dots, creating a stunning visual effect. On occasion, you may also notice some pink patches.

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The stems are an equally bright hue to the foliage. Bright green in color, with a pink petiole border and, occasionally, white stripes. The leaves originate in structures called cataphylls, which are found at the very tip of each stem. The cataphylls, as colorful as the plant’s stems and leaves, feature a candy-cane-inspired pattern in pink, white, and green.

When mature, the Philodendron White Princess can grow to a height of three feet and a size of one to two feet. Its growth rate is so slow that reaching full size could take ten years or more. You can speed up the plant’s growth by creating an environment with ideal temperature, humidity, and indirect light. Never give your plants more than a soil of water at a time, and don’t forget to fertilize them regularly.

In contrast to its common misconception, the Philodendron White Princess is not a vining plant but rather a plant that produces flowers with distinct heads. Its compact form does not necessitate frequent trimming. Its upward expansion can be supported in no way by a stake.

Care for Philodendron White Princess

Although she matures slowly, the White Princess is a slow-plant indoor that requires little attention. These are the components that are necessary for the success of your Philodendron White Princess.

Light

The delicate white variations in your White Princess will pop under bright, indirect light. Your plant may be experiencing leaf yellowing due to too much exposure to light. However, the opposite can occur if insufficient light leads to the limbs becoming thin and gangly. Without any exposure to light, your White Princess could fall unwell or die. When you see the White Princess’s leaves are turning yellow or its foliage looks unhealthy, relocate it to a spot where the light conditions are ideal.

Soil

Philodendron White Princess needs an aerated and free-draining medium to prevent the soil from being too saturated with water. Soil with a pH between 5.5-7, or slightly acidic to neutral, is ideal for the White Princess plant.

In addition to having nutrient-rich components, the ideal soil blend would also be very light and airy. If the White Princess Philodendron under your care retains too much water, the plant’s roots may rot. The plant will surely perish as a result of this. Start with potting soil or compost, then layer on peat, sphagnum moss, and perlite. The White Princess plant will thrive in this optimal soil created by your efforts. Add some pine bark or vermiculite to the soil if it becomes compacted too rapidly.

Watering

It’s crucial to keep a routine for watering plants. The soil should be damp but not drenched throughout the hot summer months. To ensure the soil is moist enough, stick your finger into the top five centimeters of the potting mix before watering the plant. You should wait for it to dry completely before touching it again if it still feels damp. Fumigation and root rot are problems that can arise from watering plants too much. You should water the plant once a week, but only until you notice water draining from the bottom of the pot. Regular watering should be reduced in the winter when the plant is dormant.

Drainage is essential for the development of every plant. Be sure that the bottom of the pot or planter is pierced with enough holes so that any standing water may drain away from the plant’s roots and out of the pot.

Temperature

Optimal temperatures for the White Princess are between 180 and 230 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too high or too low outside of this range, your plant’s health may suffer.

Humidity

The Philodendron White Princess is a delicate plant that requires a relatively humid environment; it will not survive in low humidity for long. In case the lack of humidity in your house gives your White Princess an emaciated appearance, you need not worry. There are several potential answers to this problem.

You can see the Philodendron White Princess regain its power after a short trip to the restroom. There is more moisture in the air in this part of your house than in other parts. Using a spray bottle to mist your plant lightly is also possible. You may do wonders by spraying the enclosure twice a week to raise the humidity level for your Philodendron White Princess. You should mist your plant every ten days over the winter to ensure it has enough moisture. Choose the fine mist mode for a more delicate spray.

To increase the humidity in your home, you may also want to create a pebble tray to set the White Princess on. The evaporation of the water in the tray creates a microclimate that is beneficial to the plant. Your White Princess will get the ideal amount of moisture for her development from this.

Fertilizer

The White Princess Philodendron will need consistent watering and feeding to ensure it develops healthy, attractive leaves. White Princess responds best to a liquid fertilizer that may be diluted with water and then applied to the soil around the plant.

Fertilizer should not be applied while the soil is dry since it could fertilize away instead of being absorbed. Instead, apply the fertilizer to the Philodendron White Princess plant after watering has stopped to ensure that it is uniformly dispersed throughout the soil.

A 10-10-10 fertilizer ratio works nicely for the Philodendron White Princess. Fertilize your plant once or twice a month during its growing season (spring and summer). Reduce your appointment frequency to every two months during the fall and winter.

Potting and Repotting

Prepare to repot your Philodendron White Princess every 12-18 months as it matures and expands in size. You’ll know it’s time to repot your White Princess when the new leaves’ size decreases or roots protrude through the drainage holes.

The new pot size should be carefully considered; plants will suffer if the pot is too large. The diameter should grow by no more than a few inches at most.

Plant this White Princess in fresh soil every time you repot it, and give the root ball plenty of room to grow. It’s important to gently remove the roots and compact the soil before watering the plants. The White Princess Philodendron may now be evaluated for the possibility of being split into two or more separate plants.

Pruning

Every couple of months, remove Philodendron White Princess by pruning any diseased, damaged, or dead leaves. It grows slowly and naturally forms a neat shape, so you won’t have to prune it as much as you would other, more unruly, vining tropical plants.

It’s imperative to use razor-sharp shears or knives while trimming the White Princess plant. It’s a good idea to sterilize your plants ahead of time with alcohol or flame so that diseases don’t move from one to the next. When you want to remove a leaf, just cut it off at the stem and remove it in the waste or compost bin.

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Propagation for Philodendron White Princess

To propagate the White Princess, stem cutting is one option. In addition to stem cutting, this plant can be propagated by air layering because it forms aerial roots. Depending on the size of your White Princess mother plant, you can choose between taking an upper cutting or a side cutting.

White Princess Propagation by Stem Cutting

In the following paragraphs, you’ll propagate detailed instructions for stem-cutting your White Princess Philodendron.

• Determine where on the stem you want to make your cut, then proceed. Make sure there is a node at the end of any plant portion you intend to cut off, as this is where new roots will develop. We suggest you draw at least two nodes, a few aerial roots, and a leaf.
• Use sterilized, sharpened blades or pruning shears to cut down the middle of the stem. As a result, there will be nodes in the resulting cutting. Take caution not to cut the node in the process.
• Indefinite cuttings can be taken similarly; the total number of cuttings taken is proportional to the number of plants you intend to propagate.
• The next step is to cover the stems’ exposed ends with a cap. Antifungal powder or cinnamon can be applied to the stem ends of the stems of both the parent plant and the new cutting to prevent fungal growth. Alternately, soaking the stem end in candle wax will prevent it from decaying.

Once you have your cuttings, you may choose various mediums or substrates to begin the propagation process. So that you have the best chance of success, if you take more than one cutting, you should use diverse mediums for the propagation process.

White Princess Propagation by Water

As the most popular and effective means of propagation, this medium needs little introduction. If the cutting contains no more than a few areal roots at its base, you should grow new plants from it in water.

• Start by filling a clean glass jar or another container suitable for plant propagation with distilled water.
• Ensure the node and the aerial roots of the cutting you just extracted are completely buried in the water in the jar.
• The nodes will produce new roots in around two to three weeks.
• Your cutting is ready to be planted when its roots have expanded to a depth of one inch, at which point you can use any standard potting soil or peat moss.
• Keep in mind that the roots may need up to three months to develop adequately when employing the water propagation method.

Stem cuttings White Princess Propagation in Sphagnum Moss

Sphagnum moss is the best medium to use when cutting cuttings from a stem because it promotes root development and propagation.

• Moist sphagnum moss and place it halfway in a clean, low-sided pot. Selecting a plant pot fitted with a humidity dome, even when the cutting is just a few inches tall, has been proven to be a highly effective technique for plants that thrive in high humidity levels.
• When planting the cutting, ensure the sphagnum moss is damp and completely covers the node.
• Then, place the pot in a warm, bright spot and cover it with a humidity dome to maintain a high degree of humidity.
• Remember to keep the moss moist but not drenched to prevent rot and fungal growth.
• The White Princess cutting will start to root out and grow new leaves in just a few short weeks.
• When re-potting your cutting, you can use any good aroid potting mix and a pot of your choosing.

LECA-based White Princess Propagation

Many plant parents today use LECA substrate while growing Philodendron cuttings to prevent root rot. The propagation process can begin as soon as the cutting is placed in the LECA medium.

• Fill the bottom three-quarters of a clear plastic bottle with LECA.
• Place the cutting in the LECA and maintain a high-humidity climate and strong indirect sunlight.
• The LECA medium pot can be used in an automatic watering planter, or the moisture level can be monitored and adjusted manually.
• Now that you know the nodes are getting roots, you can repot the cutting into a larger pot filled with a potting mix specifically for aroids.

Air Layering Method White Princess Propagation

The Philodendron White Princess is ideally suited for the air-layering method of propagation because of the aerial roots. This method takes a cutting from the mother plant by first deciding on a certain node on the stem. Moist sphagnum moss will cover the node, and a plastic covering will be set on top.

Alternately, sphagnum moss can be covered with air-layering pods. The air layering technique has validated the usefulness of their input. You can air-layer as many nodes as you like at once, depending on how many cuttings you need to make.

Within a few weeks, you should notice the first signs of root development at the sphagnum-moss-covered node. A node on a stem that has recently developed roots can be removed by cutting it off with a clean, sharp pair of blades or scissors once enough roots have formed. If the cutting has sufficient roots, it can be immediately transplanted into a well-draining potting mix designed for aroids. The good news is this.

Toxicity

There is evidence that the Philodendron White Princess, like all Araceae Philodendrons, contains calcium oxalate, which is toxic to pets and humans. If a child ingests this chemical, they may experience symptoms like a swollen tongue and mouth and difficulty breathing. Further, the White Princess Philodendron can cause vomiting, excessive salivation, and tongue or mouth swelling if a pet ingests the plant’s leaves.

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Common Problems

Pests

It’s not just you, but a wide range of bugs that seems to have a thing for the Philodendron White Princess in your home. On the other hand, White Princess philodendrons often have manageable pest pests.

Tiny brown or yellow spots on leaves are caused by spider mites, while the tiny green bugs known as aphids tend to cluster on the underside of the leaves. Using neem oil or pesticide soap is the most effective way to eliminate these bugs.

Adult fungus gnats resemble tiny mosquitoes and emerge from the soil as whitish larvae. This soil should have diatomaceous earth dusted on top, and the surface kept dry. It’s common to find scale insects clinging to a plant’s stems or leaves. In addition to the typical green hues, they can also be black, gray, or brown. Neem oil is effective in calming them down.

What seems like little cotton balls are on the leaves undersides and along the stems’ sides. A cotton ball doused in rubbing alcohol was used to execute them.

Diseases

Overwatering can cause various plant diseases, including those that attack Philodendron White Princess. Usually, the problem can be remedied by modifying watering practices and removing the infected parts of the plant.

If the leaves of your White Princess plant develop watery spots that dry out and turn brown or black with yellow edges, you likely have bacterial leaf spots. The reason for this is the abundance of moisture.

You should remove any infected leaves and quarantine your Philodendron White Princess until the ailment has passed. Put down the can and read up on how to apply fungicide to the leaves instead of spraying.

The presence of blackened and spongy roots and the darkening of the plant’s leaves are diagnostic of root rot. You should remove the infected soil and plant it in a new, well-draining medium.

Brown Leaf Tips – Not enough humidity in the air will cause the White Princes’ tips to turning brown. Also, it causes the White Princess plant’s leaf tips to turn a brownish tint. The salts and minerals could also cause the browning of the leaf tips in the city’s tap water. Use pure water if you want your White Princess to look her best. A side effect of using too much fertilizer is that the leaf tips may turn brown or crispy.

Bacterial Spots on Leaves – The presence of high humidity in the air or prolonged contact between water droplets and the leaves of the White Princess plant might lead to the development of bacterial leaf spots. Infected plant leaves may have yellow, black, or dark brown spots caused by bacteria. The mist should be stopped, and any infected leaves should be removed. A humidifier could be used to increase the relative humidity in the room.

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FAQS

What’s causing the yellowing and drooping of the leaves on my White Princess Philodendron?

The leaves will droop if the plant is not watered adequately or there is too much time between waterings. Soil that is consistently moist for long periods of time can also induce drooping. In addition to adjusting your watering schedule, you should repot the plant into a more suitable air, perhaps one with larger chunks and more open places. And if the plant’s leaves are drooping, it could be because bugs have made a home in the roots. Spray her with pesticides to give your White Princess a restful night’s sleep.

Does pink appear on all White Princess Philodendrons?

Some White Princess varieties do not display the characteristic pink variegation seen in others. Varieties of Philodendron ‘White Princess’ feature green, pointed, and slender leaves that are white and pink in variegation. They can also make leaves that are half pink and half white, like a pink Princess.

How may the White Princess’ variegation be improved?

The Philodendron White Princess requires 6-8 hours of intense indirect sunlight daily for excellent variegation. Without adequate illumination, they can revert to their original form. You may use grow lights to give your plant the light it needs to flourish, even if there aren’t any sunny spots nearby.

How can White Princess Philodendron grow more quickly?

You can encourage your White Princess to produce larger leaves by mounting it on a moss pole, letting its aerial roots adhere to the pole, and more efficiently collecting nutrients. As a result, your plant will mature more rapidly. Another way to encourage growth in the plant’s leaves is to nourish it with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

My White Princess Philodendron seems to be getting leggy; why?

The White Princess needs a lot of light to thrive; if it were to be maintained in a dark room, the plant would never achieve its maximum height potential.

Is the White Princess Philodendron rare?

Although the Philodendron ‘White Princess’ is in high demand because of its rarity and uniqueness, it is not a very rare tropical plant. In 2021, plant lovers had difficulty getting their hands on White Princess because of its high demand. White Princess, on the other hand, can be purchased from neighborhood stores because it is cultivated in abundance. On the other hand, the plant’s white and green variegated leaves and the white and red streaks running along the petioles won it high praise from plant collectors.