Origin
South America
Light
Dappled shade
Watering
Twice a week
Care
Expert
Flowering
Foliage
Indoor
Philodendron Birkin
A spontaneous mutation on a red Philodendron: cream pinstripes that draw themselves differently on every leaf.
Care Profile
A guide to ensuring your botanical companion thrives.
Origin
Horticultural origin
Light
Bright indirect
Watering
Weekly
Maintenance
Easy
The accident that became a cultivar
Born of a spontaneous mutation on a Philodendron 'Rojo Congo', the Birkin does not exist in the wild and is reproduced faithfully only from cuttings.
Its variegation stays unstable: a leaf may revert to plain green or come out almost entirely cream, and pruning is what restores the balance.
"No leaf of it repeats the one before."
01
Styling Tip 01
Light holds the stripes
Bright filtered light: in shade the new leaves emerge plain green and the variegation is lost.
02
Styling Tip 02
Steady watering
Water when the top three centimetres are dry, and never leave the mix waterlogged.
03
Styling Tip 03
Cut back reverted stems
Cut a fully green stem back below a node: the regrowth usually comes back striped.
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Origin
Southeast Asia
Light
Low to bright
Watering
Weekly
Care
Easy
Flowering
Foliage