If we talk about sport mutations, Philodendron is one of the most diverse plant genera on the planet. This genus never stops the jaws from dropping down.
From the gorgeous cream and silver group to this stunning royal family, the Philodendrons are just fascinating.
Today we are going to witness Philodendron White Princess vs White Knight. I’ll also explain how these two plants are different from the White Wizard.
Before we go into that, as always, let’s talk about the general characteristics of Philodendrons.
Philodendrons
Indigenous to tropical regions of Central and South America, these “tree-loving” (Greek: “Philo”-love & “dendron”-tree) climbing and trailing varieties make an excellent choice for your homes and offices.
Philodendron is a very generous genus having a variety of 882 species. Yet, according to the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP), 615 are accepted.
Actually, the list displays the accepted species in bold format. I counted the bold ones, and they ended up being 615.
They include a vast diversity of bloomers, non-bloomers, epiphytes, hemiepiphytes, and self-heading plants.
Originating from the Araceae family, these plants tend to have an exquisite collection of flowers. Still, most of the hybrid and variegated sport cultivars, lacking blooms, are best known for their leaves.
Philodendron White Princess vs White Knight
Getting back to the clash between the White Princess and White Knight…
You should know that these plants are not self-heading, except the Princess. However, you can also train it to climb.
They make an apposite pick for your landscape if you have some hanging baskets or climbing props for your little greeneries.
Both the Philodendron White Princess and White Knight are hybrids of Philodendron erubescens. The name comes from its character of redness or “blushing.” That’s why it is also known as Blushing Philodendrons.
The P. erubescens maintains this unique character further in its mutated hybrids. Therefore, White Princess and the White Knight will make your hearts melt in seconds.
On that note, let us look at some of the differentiating characters in both of these unique cultivars.
Philodendron White Princess
The truly Royal, the exceptional, and the remarkable White Princess stands out as the most beautiful variegated Philo of the whole package.
First, let’s talk about the distinguishing features of this beauty.
The leaves in Philodendron White Princess are much slimmer and classier than others. The stems are of fresh green color. And lastly, the white variegations are wildly distributed in the form of dots and splashes.
Also, a further mutated variant of White Princess, commonly known as “Pink Princess,” is a tricolored variant with three different striations: Green, white, and pink.
So, if you see some pink in the leaves, it is definitely the Princess.
However, the other “simple” but not so simple one is the bicolored. It can easily steal the show with a combo of limy light green or dark green and cloudy white variegations.
Its epiphytic climbing property makes it a great choice for indoor embellishments.
I have seen that the sheath in some White Princesses is colored dark purple or maroon and covers the petioles (stems to which leaves are attached). They get separated when the plant gets matured.
Philodendron White Knight
The White Knight takes the honor of knighthood. It justifies the service by presenting stunning variegations that can effortlessly be the center of attention.
The outstanding dark green foliage looks breathtaking when reflecting the beautiful white variegations. It makes the best contrast among the group.
The leaves in the White Knight, being discrete, are almost heart-shaped contrary to the slender leaves in White Princess.
Also, there are relatively fewer but bigger striations in the White Knight than in the Princess. Some leaves contrast white and green, while a few are entirely white.
One of the main distinctive features of the Knight is that the stems are dark purple. And I mentioned before about the sheaths in the White Princess that they also appear the same.
That’s also a likely reason to get confused over the identification. But you can always rely on the leaves to do the work for you.
How is the White Wizard different?
You can easily guess that it’s a White Wizard if you look closely.
You must have noticed in the above picture that the Wizard is white, and by that, I mean really White.
The least amount of chlorophyll is present in the White Wizard because, in a few, some of the leaves are entirely white while some show a half contrast.
Also, the sheath in these shows the same green color as the stems. The leaves are diverse in terms of shape. Some are heart-shaped, while some are narrow. They also grow slightly larger than the other two.
The striations in leaves are strikingly parallel to the “Elephant ear” plant. Still, the leaves in that are much more gigantic and furrowed.
You can check that related article here.
With that said, let’s get well-versed with some of the essential caring tips and guide for your Royal Splendors.
Caring for Philodendron White Princess and White Knight
Philodendron White Princess vs White Knight finally comes to an end. Regarding care, we see that both of these plants grow at the same pace and have the same level of difficulty for caring.
However, the White Wizard is comparatively a fast grower.
Coming for the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, your white beauties will thrive best in warm and humid conditions.
1. Lighting Conditions
Always keep your variegated buddies in a place where they can get full-fledged bright but indirect or filtered sunlight.
You can achieve this if you are keeping your plants indoors. Just keep them in front of a South-facing window. There they can get nice indirect light.
If the sun rays are touching your plants, move them a little away (3 to 4 feet) from the window, or you can also use curtains to turn the harsh rays into lovely filtered light.
That makes an excellent correspondence with the light conditions of tropical forests. The large canopy of giant trees protects these beautiful epiphytes from the direct sun rays.
Problems Related to Insufficient or Extra Lights
If your White Knight or White Princess are losing their charming variegations, they are probably getting insufficient light.
Less light urges the plants to make more chlorophyll, resulting in less white variegations. It can also turn your plants stretched and saggy.
On the other hand, if you give your plants extra light, the leaves turn yellow.
Therefore, fix up the lights if you find your White chums losing their beautiful striations or turning themselves pale.
2. Temperature
Now, the temperature in such tropical rainforests ranges from 73°F to 83°F in the lower and upper extremes.
The DTR (diurnal temperature range) is 14°F to 18°F.
Therefore, temperatures above 80°F and lower than 60°F for extended periods can easily harm the plant.
It is always best to keep the plants at average room temperature. Primarily for indoor tropical plants, the best temperature ranges between 18°C to 25°C or 64°F to 77°F.
3. Humidity
If you want your plants to flourish at their peak potential, you must give them a good amount of humidity.
Tropical plants love high humidity. The humidity levels of the tropical rainforests of South America ranges from as low as 47 to as high as 84 percent.
On the one hand, this means that your White Knight and White Princess can tolerate lower humidity levels in the range of 50s. On the other hand, thrive best in 65 to 75 percent of moisture levels in the air.
Average humidity levels in homes and offices are around 30 to 40 percent. It is always better to keep your plants near a kitchen or a bathroom.
There are much more water vapors in the environment near these areas.
Other practical methods are occasional misting and placing your plant in a water tray. It would be best for you to group all your tropical vegetation.
4. Watering
Watering is one of the most crucial factors in the plant’s growth.
There should always be a balance between how much you water the plants and how often you water them.
The rule of thumb for Philodendrons is to wait for the top 2 to 3 inches to dry out before giving in another shot of hydration completely.
Water two to three times a week works best.
Water your White Princess and White Knight thoroughly, and always use a suitably-sized pot with many drainage holes to aid water to seep out.
Overwatering or not giving sufficient water to the plants will make them long and gangly.
Thus, always keep your water timings on schedule. They can get back in shape after proper care.
5. Soil Mix
If you want to take the growth of your royal enchantresses to the next level, use a perfect draining and breathy soil mix.
These tropical epiphytes would also appreciate a slightly barky mixture.
On that note, let’s make a nice and fine blend.
- Use a 30% of regular potting mix, add in a few grains of perlite and some organic stuff to make your blend filled with nutrients.
- Add another 30% of Peat Perlite or Peat Vermiculite to increase the drainage. Peat moss can also be a good fit for your Philodendrons.
- You can fill up the rest with a 20% premium indoor plant potting mix combined with a 20% bark mixture. You can use any bark; orchid and pine bark are the most commonly used.
You won’t regret combining this ultimate blend with a good quality watering schedule.
Conclusion
For me, the winner of Philodendron White Princess vs White Knight is the White Princess. I love the wildly variegated plant species.
Also, remember to keep tiny humans away from the Philodendreae tribe and tame your sweet little pets to keep a distance.
Almost all Philodendrons have toxic calcium oxalate crystals that can cause swelling, irritation, and inflammation inside and outside the mouth if ingested.
With that said, keep me updated with your reviews on my topics.
I hope you enjoyed today’s theme. Also, suggest us some more plants to write about.
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Regards, Mahad H.