Philodendron Florida Ghost
Welcome to our guide to Philodendron Florida Ghost care and propagation. It is a beautifully leaved plant, it is perfect for standing on it’s own and demanding attention in a space with white and minty hues to its leaves. The key to getting the best out of this plant, is a well draining soil, humidity, avoid over watering and keep it close to a grow light to encourage the white ‘ghost’ coloring.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Summary
| Light needs: | Bright indirect sunlight. |
| Watering needs: | Check once a week, water if the top 50% of soil is dry. |
| Fertilizer: | A high nitrogen feed every 3 weeks in the summer. |
| Soil: | A well draining, loose, organic soil |
| Humidity: | 60%-70%. |
| Temperature: | 18°C to 25°C (64-77°F). |
| Where to buy: | Try our list of Rare Plant Shops or Etsy. |
| Common issues: | Over and under watering, as well as bacterial diseases on the leaves. |
Introduction
Originating from South America, the philodendron florida ghost is a real stand out plant, it could be your only plant, it will demand all the attention in your home. It’s a cultivar of the philodendron pedatum, which throws out green or milky creamy-white ornamentally shaped leaves and red stems. This is a real show stopper!
Tip: we recommend Etsy for buying plants. Look for the best rated seller you can, and try to buy as close to your home as possible so the plant does not travel too far.
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Light Needs
Bright indirect sunlight is best for tropical plants like the florida ghost. Don’t let it burn in direct sun, but it needs a lot of indirect sunlight to encourage the creamy white foliage. A grow light is great for a florida ghost, it will really help to encourage the white and minty leaf coloring.
For more on this see our guide: How To Make A Philodendron Florida Ghost White.
Tip: make sure the new leaves are as close as possible to a grow light to encourage the white ‘ghost’ leaves and the beautiful minty hues too. If they are not close to bright light you will only get normal green leaves and not those white/mint colors.
How Often to Water
Check your plant once a week and water it if the top 50% of soil is dry. I like to tip out the excess water after watering so that the plant does not sit in wet soil. I would be careful with a philodendron like this, they can get root quite easily, so make sure the plant is not in sodden soil.
See also: Philodendron Florida Ghost Propagation and How To Make A Philodendron Florida Ghost White.
Fertilizer
Use a high nitrogen feed every 3 weeks in the summer months to encourage leaf growth. Make sure it is well diluted to avoid fertilizer burn as that will show on the leaves.
Soil
A well draining, loose, organic soil is best for your florida ghost. Philodendrons are better underwatered than overwatered, so make sure the soil is really well draining. You can add perlite for drainage too. For more on Philodendron soil see our guide on what to buy or how to make your own: Philodendron Soil.
When To Repot A Philodendron Florida Ghost
Repot your plant when it is root bound and you see the roots growing out the bottom of the pot. The best time of year to do this is in spring so it has the whole growing season to grow into it’s new pot.
Humidity
60%-70% is ideal, which means giving it some extra humidity with a pebble tray, humidifier or misting. The leaves can get stuck unfurling or go crispy if you don’t give them enough humidity.
Tip: Get a humidity meter to monitor the temperature and humidity (they give maximum and minimum read outs so you know if they are falling off at night). They’re really cheap these days, under 10 euros / dollars.
Temperature
18°C to 25°C (64-77°F) is ideal.in the day time. Your florida ghost will do well in most household temperatures. At night or in the winter aim for a minimum temperature of 10°C (50°F).
Where To Buy A Philodendron Florida Ghost
Try our list of Rare Plant Shops or Etsy.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Propagation
To propagate a philodendron florida ghost:
- Take a top cutting including a node. It is ideal if it already has aerial roots (but ok if not).
- You only need one leaf, but it must have a node (the knuckle on the main stem where the main branch puts out smaller branches).
- Cut using clean and sterile scissors or a really sharp knife, being careful not to cut any other part of the plant
- Let the cutting callous over for an hour at least, so that the wound heals. This will reduce the risk of root rot.
- Put the cutting in a jar of wet sphagnum moss or pre-soaked leca.
- Keep the cutting in bright indirect sunlight and keep it warm and humid. I put mine in a big plastic box under grow lights to keep it humid and bright and warm,
- The roots should develop over the next 1 to 3 months, then it should start to grow leaves from the top.
- You can then pot it up, to a bigger pot.
See also our guide to Philodendron Florida Ghost Propagation where we cover water, leca, soil and sphagnum moss propagation methods step by step with pictures.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Mint
There is another version of the ghost sold under the name Philodendron Florida Ghost Mint, which has mint-green speckles on the leaves. It is a really stunning, with beautiful coloring, like the light mint green of the syngonium mojitos, but all one color. However! The plant is just the same as a normal Florida Ghost, it has got it’s coloring from it’s proximity to the light. We go into more info on this below…
How to Get White or Mint Leaves on a Florida Ghost
White leaves on a Florida Ghost only occur when the plant is really close to a grow light (or strong indirect sunlight). The plant must almost be touching the light. The leave get darker with time naturally, but new leaves can be made white by putting it really close the grow light. If you move it slightly further away you can get that really nice mint color too.
Florida Ghost USDA Zone
Zones 9-11.
Technical, Trend and Price Info
Habitat And General Info
Genus/Species: Genus: Philodendron. Species: Philodendron Pedatum Flordia Ghost.
Natural Habitat: None tis plant is a cultivar.
Zones: 9-11 (source).
Are they toxic to pets?: Toxic to dogs and cats.
Popularity
Taken September 2021, showing the last 5 years of worldwide Google search traffic.
Price Data
Europe: 70-150 Euros. USA: 80-120 USD.
(Prices taken from Etsy and Ebay sellers, September 2021, for a full plant).
Social Demand
Instagram Trend: 38977 uses of tag #philodendronfloridaghost.
(Count taken September 2021).
Patent
No patent data found.
Please note: Although every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information, we cannot take responsibility for any error or omissions in the information.
Philodendron Florida Ghost FAQs and Common Problems
Be careful of fire blight (or erwina blight) which is a bacterial disease that can affect philodendrons and other plants, it causes spots on the stems and leaves. If you see rotting spots on your plant, spray it a few times a week with a neem oil solution, and cut off the infected areas. Try to keep the stems and leaves dry, as the blight likes moisture. Keep an eye on your other plants too in case it spreads.
The Florida Ghost’s leaves will come out white as long as it gets enough light. If not given enough light they can start to grow darker. If yours is not as bright as it should be then move it closer to the window (as bright as possible without direct sun).
The Philodendron Florida Ghost is a climbing philodendron.
The Philodendron Florida Ghost is a not a fast growing house plant, they put out leaves quite slowly.
Philodendron Pedatum ‘Florida Ghost’ is the scientific name.
Both the Florida beauty and Florida ghost are pedatums. They both have the same leaf shape. The Florida beauty is a variegated version of the pedatum with dark green and white green splotches on each leaf. The ghost does not have these patterns, it has all white ‘ghost’ leaves that grow out the top of the plant that darken off as they mature.
The pedatum is the original all green plant, and the florida ghost is a version of the pedatum that puts out much whiter leaves. They both look really similar but the pedatum has all dark green leaves.
The philodendron florida green is all green, it does not have white or mint leaves, live the florida ghost.
The philodendron squarmiferum is related to the florida ghost. But the squarmiferum has much wider and fatter leaves that are green and do not turn white or mint.
They are moderately toxic to cat and dogs if eaten and can cause a variety of symptoms including vomiting. If you think your pet may have eaten any, contact your vet immediately and seek their advice.
Philodendron White Ghost
The white ghost is another name for the Florida ghost. It is just another name for it. If they appear whiter, they have just been under a light.
Additional Resources
Buy At Amazon (affiliate links):
- Humidity meter (a cheap way to monitor humidity and temperature levels)
- Grow lights
- Humidifier (to maintain humidity levels)
- Compost / potting mix (Miracle Grow)
- Perlite (to add drainage to soil mixes)
- Moss pole
- Plant Pots
- How Not to Kill Your Houseplant (book)
Other Articles You Might Like
Hope you liked our guide to the philodendron florida ghost, you might also like our articles on Philodendron Hastatum, Philodendron Painted Lady, How To Propagate Philodendron.
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