How to Grow & Care for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’ (2024)

If you are bored with planting green plants and want to add a new and different plant in your house then I have a great option for you. Interested to know what it is? Trust me I am not going to disappoint you.

Here I have explained all the necessary requirements that you need to know for growing Philodendron erubescens. Yes, plant lover, here are some tips and hacks that you should know that will help the plant to grow healthy. let’s not waste time and begin to grow Philodendron Erubescens “Imperial Red”.

Quick takeaways:

• Philodendron Erubescens come in the small indoor plant category that grows upto 2 to 3 ft.
• The plant comes under climbing household plants that have heart-shaped leaves having red wine-colored stems.
• The plant is being originated from the rainforest of Colombia.
• The plant leaves grow from the center of the plant.

The following table will give you quick information for the growing and caring  Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’:

Scientific Name	Philodendron erubescens ‘Imperial Red’
Common Name	Imperial Red Philodendron
Light	Bright indirect sunlight
Watering	Water if the top half of the soil is dry
Temperature	65 to 80°F (18 to 27°C)
Hardiness Zone	10-11
Humidity	50-70%
Soil Type	Loose, well-draining
Soil pH	6 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
Fertilizing	A balanced feed once a month in spring and summer
Repotting	Every 2 years
Pruning	Beginning of the growing season
Propagation	Offsets or layering
Toxicity	Toxic to humans and pets
Mature Size	24 to 36 inches as a houseplant
Bloom Time	Late spring, early summer

How to Grow Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’?

You can easily grow Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’ in two ways such as:

• Stem cuttings
• Air layering

Stem cuttings:

The following are some steps to stem cutting propagation:

• You need to choose a stem having two or node three and then cut the stem upto 4 to 6 inches.
• After cutting, fill the container with potting mix and put the stem cutting inside it.
• You should cover the pot with a plastic bag so that they can produce an ideal humid condition for growing.
• You can place the pot in a spot with indirect sunlight.
• You will see the development of the roots within 3 to 4 weeks.

Air layering:

The following are a few steps for air layering:

• For air layering, locate the aerial roots from the plantlet.
• let the plantlet grow in the visible stem.
• After growing wrap the aerial root with damp sphagnum moss or peat moss.
• After the wrap, wrap a plastic bag to ensure there are no leaves in the wrap.
• For wrapping the plastic bag, you should use a zip tie or food wrap to seal the bag.
• You need to leave the top and bottom open so that new roots will grow without any disturbance.
• You can spray the moss every day to make sure the plant does not dry up.
• Approximately after 3 to 4 weeks, you will be able to see some new roots growing through it.
• After seeing the roots growing, remove the wrap so the moss grows in good shape. 

How to Care for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’?

The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red basically originated from the rainforests of Central America and the West Indies. You need to maintain an environment almost similar to that for growing the plant healthy and beautiful. The following are some different ways to care for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’:

• Light
• Watering 
• Temperature
• Soil
• Fertilizer
• Pruning
• Potting and repotting

 Light:

• The ideal way to grow Philodendron Erubescens is by providing bright but indirect light that ranges from  10,000 to 20,000 lux.
• You can place the plant in a room that is next to the north or east-facing window plants because, in the morning time, the light is not too strong.
•  If you place the plant in a south or west-facing room you need to keep the plant protected from the full sun that will damage the leaves of the plant.

Watering:

• In the rainforest, the situation of watering is like the soil drains quickly and the plant needs less watering.
• Hence to maintain the watering you need to water the Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’ when you find that the top half of the soil is dried up.
• During winter you can water the plant less because in winter the plant enters the dormant phase and less use of water will make them grow more actively.
• You can water the plant with distilled or rainwater as in tap watering there is the presence of fluoride and chlorine.

Temperature:

• The best range of temperature to plant is 65 to 80°F (18 to 27°C).
• However, it is difficult to maintain that temperature as the tolerance level is below 55°F (12°C).
• You need to avoid placing the plant in direct air conditioning vents that will kill the plant.
• During the summer you can place the plant outside but need to bring them inside when the temperature falls and down.  

Humidity:

• growing the  Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red you need to maintain the humidity level from 50% to 70%. 
• The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red can tolerate low humidity for growing at home.
•  you need to maintain the humidity level the plant will be able to grow in bigger and more beautiful leaves.
• To maintain the humidity level you also use a small humidifier or place the pot over the pebble of the tray that is filled with the water.

Soil:

• The soil for growing Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red needs to be porous and quickly draining which helps the roots of the plant submerge the water as Submerging water will kill the plant. 
• For growing them the pH level of the soil ranges from 6 to 6.5.
• The soil should contain nutrients for helping in nourishing the plant. 
• For maintaining the soil moisture you can also use cactus soil mix, peat moss, and rooted compost. 
• You can also try to make the mix on your own using equal quantities of potting soil, perlite, and peat moss. 

Fertilizer:

• In case you have to use compost fertilizer you have to use a fertilizer that will help to keep the leaves of the plant large and lush. 
• The perfect ratio of adding fertilizer is 10-10-10.
• For mixing the fertilizer you should dilute it to half of the strength and then apply it into the soil. 
• Also, Make sure not to apply over the leaves of the plant. 
• After adding fertilizer you need to water them to make sure all the nutrients get absorbed into the soil. 

Potting & Repotting:

•  You need to repot the plant every 2 or 3 years. 
• If you notice that the roots of the plant are coming out of the drainage hole then you need to repot the plant into a bigger pot than the actual pot. 
• You should choose a pot that will help to dry out the soil, for example, a porous pot such as unglazed clay that has enough drainage holes. 

Pruning:

• The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Imperial Red’ is a self-heading plant so there is not much need to prune them. 
• There may be various reasons for cutting imperial red like trimming the dead or damaged leaves that make the plant look healthy. 
• For cutting you should use Sterilized scissors or knives so that the disease should not spread all over the plant. 

Conclusion:

For growing the plant, we should take care so that they don’t get any pests,  diseases, and growing problems. Following all the growing and care tips will help them to grow in a healthy way and be more beautiful.