Pink congo philodendron

Pink congo philodendron

The pink congo philodendron has leaves the color of bubblegum, and it's in the middle of a global scam by so called plantfluencers. 'Pink Princess' is a hybrid developed by breeding two different types of philodendrons in the 70s. It was an unusual but ordinary houseplant. It sold for $6. Enter the plantfluencers on Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

Pink Princess

The 'Pink Princess' now has wait lists. The same growers who charged $6 are now charging upwards of $150+ for a four-inch plant. A brand new pink plant emerged called the pink congo. It looks similar to the pink princess. It isn't a plant that was naturally variegated, like the pink princess, but one that had been chemically gassed in a greenhouse to produce a plant hormone that temporarily changes the color of its leaves. The pink goes back to green. People are spending small fortunes and finding out they have ordinary philodendrons.

The houseplant is a global economic force. The American gardening industry alone is worth $48bn.