Blushing Philodendron: A Brilliant Care Hack

Blushing Philodendron is an excellent climber with a beautiful wine-red tinted blush that fades away with an ignorant care routine.

Overview of Blushing Philodendron

Blushing or red leaf Philodendron is a tropical flowering species belonging to Araceae. 

They hail their exotic foliage from rainforests of Central and Southern America.

Philodendron Blushing: Best Care Hacks

Let us dive in for an in-depth care routine to bring out their best.

1. Sunlight & Temperature

The Blushing Philodendron prefers to stay in a well-lit room with a warmth of about 60-85°F.

If you live within USDA zones 10-12, you can place them outdoors in a shady garden.

Do not keep them close to the windows as exposure to cold drafts and temperatures below 50°F result in leggy, sparse or no foliage growth.

In such peril, use artificial grow light that provides heat and light to keep them warm and happy.

Meanwhile, Blushing Philodendron withstands temperatures up to 100°F. 

But do not let it rise beyond that, as it will dehydrate the plant from rapid transpiration.

2. Watering & Humidity 

Blushing Philodendron is a drought-tolerant tropical plant that prefers humidity over 50%.

As Red Leaf is susceptible to overwatering, you must ensure the top inch of soil is dry before watering and avoid overhead watering.

Root rot, yellow leaves, molds, and foul smell coming from the soil are signs of overwatering.

It also attracts pests and fungal problems like excess humidity invites.

Thus, saucer watering with pebbles is the best way to keep the plant hydrated in optimal humidity.

3. Soil & Fertilization

Red Leaf grows efficiently when you provide ideal soil with balanced nutrients.

Blushing Philodendron prefers a rich, aroid mixture featuring well drainage with pH 5.8 to 7.5.

And being heavy feeders, they need monthly 20-20-20 liquid fertilizers fertilization after dilution.

But beware of overfertilization in winter as dormancy hits them hard. So, fertilize them only once in 2-3 months in winter.

Generally, salt build-ups, root burn, brown curling leaf tips and drooping leaves are signs of excess fertilizer.

Whereas stunted, sparse growth, and fading, yellow leaf color are signs of under-fertilization and compact soil.

You can prepare an ideal soil mix for your plant using peat moss, perlite and sphagnum moss. Otherwise, you can choose African violet, Orchid mix or succulent soil mix.

4. Potting & Repotting

Blushing Philodendron is a tolerant plant that stays humble in a terracotta pot for almost a year.

Terracotta or ceramic pots with drain holes effectively avoids overwatering issues.

So, ensure to use such pots at least 2 inches wider than the plant’s root ball. You also need to consider a bigger pot every time of repotting than the previous one.

Other telltale signs of the pot-bound plant are droopy, yellow leaves with no new growth.

To encourage vigorous growth, repot your Blushing Philodendron in early spring or summer.

You will need to thoroughly water your plant a day before repotting and use a fresh potting mix to repot.

5. Occasional Pruning

Although it is uncommon for Philodendrons to attract pests, mealy bugs, spider mites, and aphids trouble them occasionally.

Besides that, Blushing Philodendron isn’t impervious to bacterial blight, a highly contagious fungal disease.

Dark spots on leaves that spread like wildfire up to the petioles are the major sign of bacterial blight.

Here, the only way to control them is via pruning off infected leaves and repot them using a fresh mix.

Wet leaves and petioles from overhead watering often trigger bacterial blight.

You can apply neem oil and cleanse the leaves with soapy water to prevent pests and fungal diseases.

Meanwhile, if you are cutting healthy stems to keep plants in shape, use them for propagation. 

Blushing Philodendron: All About Growth Rate

The Blushing Philodendron (Philodendron erubescens) is a flowering perennial with a climbing growth habit.

They are known for a moderately faster growth rate with vines that can spread up to 18 inches.

It proliferates during summer and spring but remains dormant during the winter.

Their leaves are heart-shaped with the slightest red hue in the juvenile stage. However, as the plant matures (~5 years), the leaves color turns dark green.

In addition to its exotic foliage, stems also look red to purple.

After maturation, the plant blooms with red spathes of approximately 15 cm in length with no fragrance in spring or summer. 

Each plant can bear two to three flowering spathes that last for two days.

Toxicity of Blushing Philodendron

The Blushing Philodendron does not pose any threat until you or your pets take a bite out of it.

Blushing Philodendron contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals all over their body parts.

Accidental ingestion can cause minor symptoms like mouth and bowel tract swelling, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Similarly, pets may lose appetite, hyper salivate, vomit, and paw frequently due to a burning sensation in the mouth.

Consumption of Blushing Philodendron in large portions can cause upper airway swelling, making breathing difficult for them.

Here are a few hotlines to seek medical help for Philodendron Poisoning.

• Animal Poison Control Center, ASPCA : (888) 426-4435
• Poison Control : (800) 222-1222

Propagation Method for Blushing Philodendron

Blushing Philodendron plant can be propagated via stem cuttings, offset division and air layering.

Although they produce flowers that eventually can give seeds, propagation via seeds is not commonly practiced.

Furthermore, no one has claimed to have successfully propagated the plant from seeds.

So, many opt for stem cutting as it is a simple yet efficient method.

Before you jump into propagation steps, ensure you have rooting hormones, shears, fresh potting mix, and suitable pots.

1. The Stem Cutting Method

Find yourself a healthy stem with at least two leaf nodes and cut it, leaving it 3-7 inches long. 

• Partially deep the cut stem in a jar filled with water and rooting hormone.
• Regularly replace the water and place the jar in a bright shade.
• Look out for new root growths, which can take 1-2 months.
• Transplant the stems once they have inch-long root growths to a pot with fresh soil mix.
• And proceed to provide them with regular Blushing Philodendron care.

Similarly, you can directly plant the cut stems into moist, fresh soil without dipping them in water.

To do so, leave out pair of leaves above the soil. And ensure to place the pot in a humid room with 68° to 80°F temperature.

Propagated stems are most likely to develop roots within 20 to 25 days. You can transplant them to bigger pots after they can handle transplantation.

2. Offset Division

Once the offsets around the plant grow up to 4-5 inches tall, you can use them to propagate your plant.

For optimal growth and successful propagation, aim to divide offsets in the early spring.

• Carefully take out the offsets that have grown aerial or firm ground roots.
• Transplant individual offsets in the pot filled with fresh soil mix.
• Maintain a distance of at least 20 cm between every planted offset.
• Give them a little push of nitrogen for vigorous growth.
• Place them in a bright but indirectly lit room and follow regular plant care.

3. Air layering

Among all propagation methods, it is a tad bit more advanced. If you are unsure of air layering, proceed with stem cutting.

• Find a healthy and disease-free whitish node.
• Wrap the node with a damp cloth or misted sphagnum moss.
• Use the cling wrap over to ensure optimal humidity.
• Poke some holes to ensure proper air circulation.
• Wait a few days for new root growths from the node.
• Carefully cut off the stem with roots and plant them in nutrient-rich soil.

Where to buy Blushing Philodendron?

Unlike the expensive Pink Princess, a perfect doppelganger, the price of Blushing Philodendrons is low and easy to find.

Here are a few online vendors with Blushing Philodendron for sale.

Pink Princess Vs. Blushing Philodendron

Although Pink Princess Philodendron is also popular with the name Blushing Philodendron, they are different.

Pink Princess is a mutation form of Blushing Philodendron with bright pink variegation in its leaves.