Pink Princess Philodendron problems & how to fix them
Philodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess'
Drooping, yellowing, brown tips, or a plant that just won’t thrive? Here are the most common Pink Princess Philodendron problems, what usually causes them, and how to turn things around.
Common problems
Root rot
Expensive and rot-prone — a chunky airy mix and restraint with the watering can are non-negotiable. A fungal or bacterial infection of the roots, almost always triggered by soil staying wet too long. Caught early, most plants recover within a few weeks after repotting; if most roots are already mushy, recovery is uncertain.
Phytophthora root rot on a dug-up root ball
Photo: Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Crispy tips (low humidity)
Pink leaf sections crisp and brown first in dry air or after missed waterings. Brown, dry leaf tips caused by air that is too dry for the plant, common in heated or air-conditioned rooms. Existing crispy tips never turn green again, but with higher humidity new growth should come in clean within a few weeks.
Thrips
Thrips scar the soft new growth and love hiding in the dark foliage. Tiny slender insects that rasp leaf surfaces and suck the sap, leaving silvery patches and deformed new growth. They are among the harder houseplant pests to clear, but persistent weekly treatment usually brings a plant back over 4-6 weeks.
thrips scarring and bronzing on a hydrangea leaf
Photo: m.borden · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sunburn
Direct sun scorches the chlorophyll-free pink patches almost immediately. Leaf tissue scorched by more direct sun than the plant was acclimated to, often after moving it to a brighter spot or outdoors. Burned patches are permanent, but the plant itself usually recovers fully once moved - new growth comes in healthy.
a sunburnt rubber plant leaf, bleached and browned where the sun hit
Photo: Secretlondon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The mistakes that most often kill it
- Overwatering a plant kept in insufficient light.
- Chasing all-pink leaves — they cannot photosynthesize and drag the plant down.
- Letting thrips ruin every new leaf on a slow-growing, costly plant.
Not sure what’s wrong?
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