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Basic Witch
The Most Photogenic Philodendrons in 2020, Ranked by Price Range (Part 3)
2020-11-26
Well, well, well. If this isn't the last part of our Philodendron ranking. In here, you will only find the most stunning and yet most pricy philodendrons.
The star Philodendron for today's article: a Philodendron "Pink Princess". Photo credit to Trinity Shi/Cube House Jungle
For the more affordable Philodendrons, please refer to the first two parts of the list:
The Philodendron "White Wizard" and "White Knight" are both a form of white variegated Philodendrons. The only difference between the two is their stems. "White Knight" has variegated dark purplish and white stems, while the "White Wizard" has green stems. Usually, the "Wizard" also grows faster and has more giant matured leaves.
Both plants are not as rare as their price suggests. They are expensive due to their high demand.
These vining Philodendrons are slow climbers. But because they are hybrids, they can grow several feet high with proper support.
The Philodendron "Ring of Fire" is another Philodendron hybrid. It features long and narrow leaves, with rippled "flaming" edges, hence the dramatic name, "Ring of Fire." Like the "Prince of Orange" and "Florida Ghost"" in the previous two articles, the "Ring of Fire" new leaves emerge from a central trunk on individual stems. These stems can each grow to two feet long.
The most exciting aspect of the "Ring of Fire" is its randomly variegated foliage. The leaves have random orange, red, yellow, green, and cream or bright white variegation. The flickering effect, on top of the flaming ripply edges, gives the plant its name.
Compared to other Philodendrons, the "Ring of Fire" is relatively slow-growing. Part of owning this plant's appeal and excitement is to wait for the new leave to unfurl and see its color.
Tissue culture in nurseries is making the supply as abundant as possible. However, the "Ring of Fire" is still expensive due to its increasing demand.
Another hybrid Philodendron in the mix!. The "Jose Buono" has large paddle-shaped leaves emerging from the plant's center on thick, succulent-like stems. The foliage is usually dark green with neon splashes, and sometimes, with full and chunky sections of lime green.
If allowed outdoor, the "Jose Buono" can grow quite large: it can reach as tall as ten feet. It becomes a little tamer indoors but still gets almost half the outdoor size.
Almost like the reversed "Ring of Fire," the "Jose Buono" leaves slowly die out in glowing yellow color, mixed with green splashes.
The "Jose Buono" is quite sturdy as it only needs primary Philodendron care. Despite its increasing availability, the demand is still very high, resulting in its expensive price tag.
Arguably, the Philodendron "Pink Princess" is very well at the 2020 Philodendron craze center.
Being a blushing Erubescens (meaning "red" in Latin), the "Pink Princess" has noticeable magenta stems. What is more striking is its pink variegated foliage. The pink color can vary in intensity from pink-tinted cream to hot, bright pink.
Sometimes, the variegation expresses itself as pink splashes. And sometimes, with the right condition, the variegation takes the form of an Instagram famous half-moon leaf.
Underneath the variegation, the dark green to deep burgundy foliage is just as unique and stunning.
Being a vining Philodendron, the "Pink Princess" can either climb or cascade from a hanging basket with leaves that grow up to 8 inches long.
Suggested by its name, the "Pink Princess" is a slow grower. It is also, in general, fussier than most Philodendrons.
With a relatively stronger aversion to cold, the "PPP" needs bright indirect sunlight to maintain its pink variegation, a genetic defect.
However, it is really easy to propagation a "Pink Princess." And this is why the plant is no longer a rarity. But its price is still very high due to the hype built up by social media and its high demand.
In the foreseeable future, the "Pink Princess" will likely become more and more available as many more propagations are being made to satisfy the market's demand. And when the hype is over, the "PPP" might finally "revert" to what it's worth: a modest and regular price.
One fun fact about the Pink Congo/Pink Princess drama:
the Pink Congo is a regular, green philodendron chemically treated to produce temporary pink coloration. It is usually sold for cheap for events like weddings. However, riding the high of the ""Pink Princess"" and other pink variegated plants mania, some unscrupulous sellers have charged high prices without informing customers of these plants.
Much like the "Florida Ghost," the "Florida Beauty" is a hybrid form that produces frosted white new leaves. These new leaves will then grow to be mottled milky green and later fade to jade green. However, when in a hot climate, the new leaves may emerge as pale green.
The "Florida Beauty" was a hybrid of Philodendron Pedatum and Philodendron Squamiferum produced in Florida by Robert McColley from his breeding program in the 1950's.
The variegated form, Florida Beauty, and the Florida Ghost are sports of that hybrid.
A sport is a plant that shows a morphological difference from the original plant due to genetic mutation.
Compared to "Florida Ghost," the "Beauty" is a very rare, hard-to-locate true variegated cultivar, justifying its even higher price.
16. Philodendron "Strawberry Shake" $500 - $1000
Photo credit to @Bellesgreenfriends
"Strawberry Shake" is a variegated hybrid Philodendron, with large blotches of light yellow on its foliage. Like the "Pink Princess," its new leaves emerge as dark maroon and with age fade to dark green.
The yellow variegation runs through the maroon to green leaves, and the clash of colors causes orange and pinks spots on the foliage.
Like other Philodendrons, the "Strawberry Shake" is a climber and should be given some form of support. Its variegation, like the Pink Princess, is a genetic defect that might revert without proper maintenance.
Whew! Finally, we have the complete list of the 16 most photogenic Philodendron plants of 2020. Which one is your favorite? Leave your comment below!
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