Philodendron Red Emerald - Expert Tips

Welcome to our philodendron red emerald care guide…

Philodendron Red Emerald Summary

Light needs:	Medium to bright indirect light
Watering needs:	Check once a week and water if top 50% of soil is dry.
Fertilizer:	Use a balanced feed once a month in spring and summer.
Soil:	A well draining potting mix.
Humidity:	50%.
Temperature:	18°C to 25°C (64-77°F).
Where to buy:	Try one of these Rare Plant Shops.
Common issues:	Overwatering.

Introduction

The philodendron red emerald is known for its red stems and heart shaped green leaves that start off a yellowy-green at the top before maturing. It’s a relatively easy to grow houseplant.

Light Needs

Medium to bright indirect light is great. They’ll be fine back from the window in a bright room. They’re not especially fussy as long as they’re not in a really low light area of your home.

How Often to Water A Philodendron Red Emerald

Check once a week and water if top 50% of soil is dry. They mustn’t sit in soggy soil

Fertilizer

Use a balanced feed once a month in spring and summer to encourage growth. If you don’t feed them, they will do fine but can grow faster if you do.

Philodendron Red Emerald Soil

A well draining potting mix is recommended as they do not like to sit in soggy soil, which can lead to root rot. You can add perlite.

When To Repot

Repot it in when it outgrows it’s current pot and roots grow out the bottom.

Humidity

50% is ideal, which is the high end of normal households. You can mist them occasionally too.

Philodendron Red Emerald Temperature

18°C to 25°C (64-77°F) is a good temperature range, they’ll be ok a bit above and below too.

Philodendron Red Emerald Propagation

They can be easily propagated with a stem cutting with one node and one leaf. Just follow these steps:

Take a stem cutting that has at least one node and one leaf.
Let the cutting heal for an hour or two so the open wound callouses over.
Put the cutting in a jar of water, pre-soaked leca or sphagnum moss.
Put it in a warm and bright spot and keep it moist and humid.
It should start to root in under a month, then over the next month or so it should develop a full root system.
Once the roots are established the top part of the plant will start to grow quicker. At this point you can pot it up into a bigger plant pot.

Philodendron Red Emerald Vs Imperial Red

It is a climbing philodendron but the imperial red is a self-heading variety. So the imperial red is shorted and bushier with leaves closer together.

Philodendron Red Emerald Vs Rojo Congo

The rojo congo is bigger, with wider, slightly rounded, darker leaves. The red Emerald has thinner and longer, greener leaves that go sharply to a point.

Philodendron Red Emerald Vs Dark Lord

The dark lord has dark purple stems than the red emerald, which has red stems. They are both cultivars of the philodendron erubescens. For more on these two plants see Philodendron Dark Lord.

Where To Buy

Support your nearest plant store if you’re lucky enough to find one of these locally. If not try Etsy or our list of Rare Plant Shops.

Other Names

Philodendron erubescens red emerald.

FAQs and Common Problems

As with all philodendrons, be careful of drooping and even root rot from overwatering, do not let it sit in soggy soil.