The Philodendron Red Heart is an amazing plant that is still on the low throughout the plant world. It is not heard off, nor is it a popular plant in Europe or the US.
Its rarity is perhaps the reason for this. It is a hybrid mutant plant, first hybridised in South America.
Despite its rarity and low mainstream, it is in high demand with waiting lists for months to get shipped out.
This doesn’t surprise me.
The Red Heart is a lush plant. It’s beautiful and captivating, with heart-shaped leaves impressively filled with red streaks down the middle. It is a perfect plant to add comfort, design and boldness to your house.
And the best thing- it is a hardy plant with little care and maintenance required.
If you are curious to know more about the Philodendron Red Heart- you are at the right place.
Let’s dive in.
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Where to buy the Philodendron Red Heart
It will be difficult to get a hold of this beauty. But once you do, take a deep sigh. You have done the hard part.
But I warn you- they can be expensive. This is because of the law of supply and demand. With the Red Heart, the supply is not even close to matching the demand. Hence, sellers can sell at very high prices because there are people out there who will still buy.
Also, it’s not like buying a rose or a succulent. A rose you can pick up from any store. It is easy. This is not the case with the Red Heart. You will have to explore online and it may take time to find one.
Remember to stay patient.
If you find one, then most likely, it will have to be imported. The Red Heart is now found in tropical places such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. I would recommend looking for this plant on trusted platforms online.
A great example would be Etsy.
You can try Facebook marketing, eBay or Amazon to broaden your range.
Local private sellers are another option, but you may not have much luck.
Important steps to take if imported
I did mention earlier that getting a hold of the plant is the hard part BUT not following the simple instructions below can be devastating.
If you get the plant imported (which most likely you will), there are a couple of important steps to take.
First, the plant would have undergone stress. It is in a box for days in conditions not favourable. The plant is in shock and this is something you will have to understand.
Be very, very careful with it.
Most likely, they wrapped the plant roots in moss. This is to hold on to moisture. Plants are not watered throughout the shipping process and moss is the best temporary alternative while in transit. Remove the moss from plant roots.
Wash the roots and keep the Red Heart away from other plants for a couple of weeks. This is good practice, as the imported plant may have been in contact with pests or has a disease.
Do not worry if all the leaves die. This is something you would expect, considering the stress the plant has gone through. As long as the roots are healthy, the leaves will grow in the next cycle.
The plant will be in shock due to transit. It is now exposed to different conditions and a new environment. Hence, I would recommend diluting ‘superthrive’ as a natural stress reliever for the plant.
How to care for the Philodendron Red Heart
The Philodendron Red Heart is a very hardy plant. Hence, regardless of whether you are a regular planter or a newbie- this plant is easy to grow.
But obviously, like with all plants, there are a few things to be careful of:
How much Light does the Red Heart Need
The Red Heart loves medium bright indirect sunlight. Avoid a lot of bright light and especially avoid direct light. This will burn the leaves and they will not grow.
If you can give cool and direct light- this is awesome. It will help give bigger leaves with better colour.
You can use a light meter to make sure you don’t give it too much bright light- aim for a reading between 500-800 food candles.
Soil Mix for Philodendron Red Heart
Try to keep a good balance between water retaining and water drainage properties. This is crucial.
The Red Heart loves to be kept slightly moist. Hence, water only once the soil is dry.
if the plant wilts and curl, and the soil doesn’t stay moist, it is probably because there are too many drainage properties.
Get rid of excess things that cause drainage such as grit or sand.
A good mix can be:
- 40% coco coir
- 20% orchid bark
- 10% perlite
- 10% worm castings
- 10% pumice
- 10% rich compost
Aim for the mix to be 50% organic and 30 % inorganic, with bark making up the rest.
Watering the Philodendron Red Heart
Aim to let the soil dry before watering. Do not blindly water your plant. What I mean by this is do not water once a week without inspecting the soil first.
Use the dry and soak method to determine if the plant needs watering. Dip an index finger into the top inch of the soil and check how moist it is.
Or, invest in a soil moisture metre if you are not comfortable with the dry and soak method.
Also, when you put your finger in, check how hard the soil is. If it is compact and difficult to break, it is super dry. Hence, consider the reasons to why water is getting drained too quick.
Checking can prevent fatal damage of underwatering or overwatering.
Keep in mind, in summer your plant will need watering more often.
Humidity
The plant loves humidity. Aim to keep humidity at around 60-80%. This will help the plant thrive.
Growing this plant indoors makes it a lot easier to make sure the plant stays humid. Adding a dehumidifier is a simple way to add humidity, especially during periods when the humidity drops (in winter, for example).
Good Tip!
If you don’t want to invest in a dehumidifier, keep a tray of water close to the plant. Once the water evaporates, it will increase humidity close to the plant. I recommend this especially in winter when the humidity drops massively.
Temperature
Keeping your plant indoors is perhaps more ideal than outdoors.
When growing indoors, you can control and maintain temperature to mimic tropical regions. This will help your plant thrive.
Aim for an indoor temperature of around 25 degrees.
Low-temperature areas will stop plant growth. If you realise the plant wilts and wrinkle, try to increase the temperature.
Fertiliser is important for Philodendron
When growing in a pot, the nutrients a plant receives are finite. There is no natural way for a plant to search for more. Hence, it is important to use fertiliser to give the plant extra nutrients it will need to allow a plant to grow to its potential.
Compost can be a great way to add nutrients to the soil. Compost also helps to retain moisture and keep the soil stable.
When you grow indoors, the use of fertilizer is more significant. Indoor plants rely on nutrients and minerals from the soil in the pot. If the plant is starved of nutrients, the plant has no natural way to look for more. Hence, make sure to always top up with fertilizer appropriately.
Check my post: Important! Understand the difference between Compost and Fertilizer if you are not sure on the difference between the two.
How tall can Philodendron Red Heart grow?
The Philodendron Red Heart does not grow mighty tall. When compared to a Monstera or Ficus Lyrata, it is a relatively small tropical plant.
They reach a height of around one metre in tropical regions.
However, their use as a houseplant is new and there is a lot of stuff about this plant we do not know.
It is still unclear the max height they can reach when grown in America or Europe, for example.
Repotting
Aim to repot this plant approx every 2 years.
However, with a young plant, you may need to repot more often. If you get a baby plant imported, start with a small pot. Once the roots grow out of the pot, then repot in a slightly bigger pot.
Once the plant is mature, then repot approx. every 2 years.
Signs your plant will need repotting include:
- The plant is root-bound, and the roots grow out of the pot
- Roots curl.
- Potting mix is not draining as quickly as it used to. Roots cramp up the space and this makes it difficult for water to leave the plant.
When you repot:
- Remember to use a pot with drainage holes. The tropical plant does not like to be kept moist.
- Use a bigger pot than last but not too big. The roots will not grow as quickly as they can (check)
- Add a fresh soil potting mix to the new container. Do not reuse the old soil.
Good Tip!
Don’t use soil from the old mix. Be careful when washing the roots of the old soil as the roots are fragile
How to propagate the Philodendron Red Heart
Important! The plant is a mutant hybrid, therefore you do not know if a cutting will possess the mutated genes. You can grow a new plant, but it may be a different colour or even a different plant.
But you can give it a go!
Propagating a Philodendron is very similar to propagating a Monstera. If you have successfully propagated a Monstera before, you will find this very easy too.
If you haven’t, then try the stem cutting method below.
Stem cutting
This is the easiest method to propagate the Red Heart. Below are the steps:
- Find a node. This may be difficult with this plant, so have a good look.
- Aim to find a stem with two or three nodes. Cut 2-3 inches below the node.
- Dip the cutting in to hormone solution.
- Add a third of the potting mix to the container
- Place the cutting in the container and make sure it is comfortable. Do not place the roots at the very bottom. Make sure nodes are under the soil.
- Add the rest of the potting mix and place it under the good sunlight.
- Maintain good humidity, temp and water to encourage growth.
Good Tip!
The best time to propagate is the beginning of spring. The plant is more likely to have healthy roots and good growth.
Worrying signs to be careful of:
The plant is very easy to grow and can often take care of itself. However, there are a couple of things to keep an eye on:
Yellow leaves
The beautiful, heart-shaped leaves can turn yellow for several reasons. This includes overwatering, nutrient deficiency, or pests:
- Hence, check the soil and feel how moist it is. If it is wet, then most likely you are watering too often.
- Use neem oil to get rid of pests.
- Lack of nutrients will lead to less chlorophyll produced. Add fertiliser at least once a month during spring and summer.
What to watch out for:
Pale leaf colour
A pale yellow-white colour normally occurs due to low light. The plant prefers medium, cool, bright light. Anything less can affect leaf colour.
This should correct itself when you place the plant in a brighter location.
Black/ brown patches
There is nothing worse than black spots. Gosh, that will certainly ruin the magnificence of this plant.
Black spots or patches can occur because of pests or diseases. Hence, keep your plant clean. Wipe the leaves and use insecticides if pests are visible.
Cold temperatures can also cause black spots. Hence, maintain room temperature while growing.
Leaving in the sun, especially under intense direct sunlight, is dangerous. The leave will burn and turn brown.
Final Thoughts
The heart-shaped Philodendron is a beautiful plant to add to your collection.
Its beauty is breathtaking. It will fit into any indoor room, regardless of design or style. But this isn’t the only reason you should grow the red dragon.
Its simplicity to grow makes it a wonderful plant. It is easy to care for and doesn’t need attention, as other plants will.
However, it is rare, and this can make it difficult to purchase.
If you can get a hold of this beauty, consider yourself lucky. Add it to your plant collection and just enjoy its beauty.
Good luck!
