Philodendron Weeks Red is a rare hybrid of the Araceae family with enormous, emerald-green leaves. It is an excellent landscaping plant because of its fast-growing foliage and climbing nature. Because it is a low-maintenance tropical Philodendron, it is becoming famous as a perfect houseplant. With bare minimum care, you can grow it indoors in large pots and beautify your rooms with it.
Classification
- Family: Araceae
- Subfamily: Aroideae
- Genus: Philodendron
Origin
Philodendron Weeks Red is a unique hybrid that originated in Miami, United States. It was crossbred by Ron Weeks, an American botanist.
Appearance
Foliage
This magnificent plant has gigantic emerald-green leaves that have red streaks on them. New baby leaves are strawberry-colored with pink mottling. These change to yellow, lime-green, and then emerald-green as they mature. These leaves are 4 to 5 feet long and triangular-shaped.
Flower
This plant blooms when provided with ideal growing conditions, for example, its natural habitat. Therefore, you will rarely see it produce flowers indoors, even in the growing season. In its natural habitat, it produces white-colored inflorescence.
Size
It attains a mature height of 3-4 feet when given favorable growth conditions.
Philodendron Weeks Red Care
Philodendron Weeks Red prefers humidity above 60% and temperature above 12°C. The highest temperature it can tolerate is 26°C. Other care requirements for this plant include once-a-week watering and tri-yearly fertilization. It should be placed under partial sunlight or dappled shade for proper growth of its foliage. Moreover, it should be grown in loose, organic, and rich potting soil.
Quick Guide
| Watering | Once a week |
| Soil type | Well-draining, organic, rich soil. |
| Sunlight | Partial or dappled shade (70-85%) |
| Temperature | 12°C to 26°C |
| Humidity | <60% |
| Fertilizer | A slow-release fertilizer three times a year |
| Pruning | One to two times a year |
Watering
Like most Philodendrons, Philodendron Weeks Red needs hydrated soil to stay alive. Keep in mind hydrated soil is different from wet, mushy, and damp soil. Too much over-watering can kill this plant even if the other growing conditions are perfect. The reason is that overwatering leads to root rot which is one of the most common causes of plant death.
To ensure that you do not overwater, always let the soil dry between waterings. Stick your index finger into the soil till your first knuckle. If it comes out with soil, do not water your plant. It means the soil is still moist.
In the growing season, you can water this plant once every week. Decrease the watering frequency during winters.
Soil
The secret to a healthy plant is good soil. So, let us tell you the ideal potting mix for this Philodendron hybrid. This plant likes loose, well-draining soil. But the soil should not be so loose that it cannot hold water. It should be able to retain the necessary amount of water and drain the excess water at the same time.
A peat moss-based soil works best for this Weeks Red Philo. It has an airy and coarse texture. The airy texture is responsible for the aeration of the soil, while the coarse texture helps the soil retain water.
Sunlight
This plant prefers dappled to partial shade to grow properly. Direct sun can burn its leaves and eventually kill the plant. Similarly, too little light exposure is bad for this plant’s foliage. Low sunlight exposure leads to droopy foliage and outward arching stems. Therefore, you must ensure your plant gets 70-85% sunlight exposure every day.
The north and east-facing windows are perfect for its placement. But if you have a south-facing window at home, place your plant at least 6 feet away from it. You can also use artificial lights. 12-hour exposure to artificial lights is necessary for this plant’s proper growth.
Temperature
Like all other tropical philodendrons, for example, Philodendron McColley’s, Philodendron Painted Lady, and Philodendron Burle Marx fantasy, Philodendron Weeks Red grows best in warm and humid surroundings. This plant prefers a temperature range of 12°C to 26°C to grow indoors. It cannot tolerate temperatures below 10°C. Therefore, you have to keep it in a warm, cozy place on a chilly night; otherwise, it will get cold injuries.
Humidity
If you want your gorgeous Weeks Red Philo to produce large, shiny, and healthy leaves, you must maintain the humidity levels around it. It is a humidity-loving plant. Humidity levels above 60% are the best way to keep its foliage healthy and shiny. Although it can tolerate low humidity levels, it thrives in a highly-humid environment.
A popular way to increase humidity for this plant is to mist its foliage twice every day. But this practice also puts the plant at the risk of getting a pest infestation. Therefore, you should spray the plant monthly with a pesticide to kill any possibility of a pest attack.
Fertilizer
There are two types of fertilizers that you can use for this plant. One is a slow-release fertilizer. It dissolves in the soil slowly and is available for many months. Therefore, it needs to be applied only thrice a year.
The second type of fertilizer is liquid fertilizer. It is readily available to the plant and thus readily finished too. Therefore, it needs to be applied 1-2 times every month during the growing season.
Whichever fertilizer you use, make sure to dilute it to half its strength and add it 6 inches away from the base of the plant.
Pruning
This handsome plant with gigantic leaves does not need any pruning unless you want to control its size. If you like it to take all of the available space in your room, you should let it grow and not cut it back.
However, you still need to cut its old leaves from time to time. Cutting dead, old, and yellow leaves increases the plant’s growth rate. Therefore, it is a healthy habit. The only thing you need to keep in mind is never pruning the plant during the growing season.
How to Propagate Philodendron Weeks Red?
This lovely plant can be propagated through its stem cuttings. The best time to propagate it is March and April. It is because these months are the peak times for active growth. Here is how you can propagate the Philodendron Weeks Red hybrid.
- Take a sharp knife and sterilize it using rubbing alcohol.
- Use the knife to cut a 6 inches stem cutting just below the node.
- Place this cutting into the rooting hormone (It is an optional step).
- You can root this cutting into water or soil. It will produce new roots in 2-4 weeks.
- After the stem-cutting roots, transplant it into a pot.
- Use the same potting mix as the mother plant.
- Water the stem cutting and place its pot under bright, indirect sunlight.
- It will take several months to develop into a mature Weeks Red Philo.
Philodendron Weeks Red Basic Features
Growth
It is a fast-growing climber. It is used as a landscaping plant to beautify indoors or cover ground due to the large size of its leaves. Proper light exposure and regular fertilization are key factors to maintain its growth rate.
Toxicity
Like every other Philodendron, this plant is poisonous for animals and humans. Therefore, it is not pet-friendly. You should keep your pets and toddlers away from this plant. Because the leaves have calcium oxalate crystals, they can cause vomiting and allergic reactions in humans and pets. If your child or pet ate parts of the foliage by mistake, you need to consult a doctor immediately.
Air Purification
Philodendron Weeks Red is a natural air purifier. Its large leaves are not just for the show; they keep you healthy by filtering the air around you.
Drought Tolerance
It is a drought-tolerant plant that can survive periods of low water availability by entering dormancy.
Maintenance
Even though it is a rare hybrid, it is really easy to grow indoors. It is a low-maintenance plant that needs pretty much basic care and attention.
Dormancy
This plant goes dormant in winters due to low temperature and light levels. To prevent it from entering its dormancy, you should place it in a warm, well-lit room indoors.
Common Problems and Their Solutions
The Philodendron Weeks Red hybrid is problem-free and pest-free. It means it is not prone to any serious disease or pest infestations. To be on the safe side, you should spray the plant with a pesticide once or twice a month.
You can also use a DIY pesticide to keep harmful pests away from this plant. You can make it by mixing insecticidal soap into water. Rubbing alcohol also proves to be really effective in treating common pests. The right way to use it is to pour it on a cloth and rub the cloth on the plant’s foliage.
Moreover, it can be kept safe from common plant diseases like root rot and leaf spot by regulating its watering schedule and providing good airflow.
Philodendron Weeks Red: FAQs
This lovely plant with gigantic leaves needs proper sunlight exposure on all parts of its foliage for even growth. If one side receives more sunlight, all of its foliage will likely start to bend on that particular side.
It is why you should rotate your plant in its place periodically so that all parts of its foliage receive even sunlight.
There is no water specification for this plant. But it is best if you use lukewarm distilled water for your plant. You can also use rainwater because it does not have a lot of minerals like tap water.
If you do not have access to any of these, you have to improvise with tap water. It is best to leave it overnight in a bowl so that chlorine and other impurities vaporize or sediment down. Then water your plant with it.
It is a fast-growing Philodendron that doubles its size in less than a year. So yes, it needs repotting every year. Once it doubles its size, you should transplant it to a new pot that is two inches bigger than the previous one.
Conclusion
A really gorgeous aroid, Philodendron Weeks Red is a rare hybrid that becomes the center of attention when grown anywhere due to its large, red-mottled, green leaves. This beautiful plant has all the good traits. It is a natural air purifier, it is drought-tolerant, it is problem-free, and it is also easy to care for. Who wouldn’t want to grow such an incredible plant?
Have a look at our Philodendron Black Cardinal article next.
