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The Philodendron Florida Ghost is a fun plant named for its white leaves that resemble little flying ghosts. But don’t worry, this plant is not scary at all! Caring for this beauty is relatively easy.
In this post, learn all about Philodendron Florida Ghost care and propagation, plus, how to keep those leaves white as ghosts.
Where can I buy a Philodendron Florida Ghost?
Philodendron Florida Ghost is very popular and somewhat rare, therefore, it can be difficult to get your hands on. However, you can easily find one on Etsy.
Check out these beautiful Philodendron Florida Ghosts for sale on Etsy!
(Note: I’ve linked to the entire Etsy search results page this time because most shops only have one available at a time and they sell out quickly.)
I’ll go into this more further in this post, but please note that Philodendron Florida Ghost and Philodendron Florida Ghost ‘Mint’ are the same plant. The Mint just has leaves that happen to come out pale green rather than white.
So basically, don’t feel like you need to pay a higher price for something labeled Philodendron Florida Ghost ‘Mint’ because the leaves might change color anyway!
How do you care for a Philodendron Florida Ghost?
Philodendron Florida Ghost is pretty easy to care for. Two important care requirements are watering and light levels.
It likes to remain moist, and it needs plenty of bright, indirect light in order to remain white. I’ll review this all more in depth, so read on!
Water
Keep your Philodendron Florida Ghost moist, but not wet. Allow the top one to two inches of the potting mix to dry before watering.
It’s important to feel the potting mix with your finger before watering to determine whether or not your plant actually needs water. Even though it likes to remain moist, overwatering it could lead to root rot.
Watering and Dormancy
In the winter, your Philodendron Florida Ghost will go dormant, commencing growth again in the spring. While your plant won’t die all the way back, you won’t see any new growth during dormancy.
The only care you should be doing during dormancy is watering, BUT seriously ease up on the watering. You’ll only need to water it a couple of times throughout the winter.
Don’t repot, prune, propagate, or fertilize your plant while it’s dormant.
Light
Give your Philodendron Florida Ghost bright, indirect light. Lots of very bright light will help the leaves stay white, however, don’t put it in direct light, which could harm the leaves.
If you want to keep the leaves ghostly white, then grow lights are a huge help for providing lots of bright light! Check out my two current favorite grow lights below.
(If you can’t see the images, click here for the white pendant grow light and click here for the clip-on goose-neck grow lights!)
Humidity
This Philodendron will always like a little extra humidity but it will be totally fine in normal household humidity levels.
To provide some extra humidity to my plants, I like keeping things simple by using a humidifier. This humidifier is my current favorite. Why? It can last up to 96 hours! Less refilling to do—yay!
Potting Mix
As an aroid, a well-draining, airy mix will work best for this plant. You can use something like an indoor plant potting mix with some bark and charcoal mixed in, or you can simply purchase an aroid potting mix.
Temperature
Like most houseplants, Philodendron Florida Ghost prefers to be warmer, but normal household temperatures will be fine. Just keep it away from cold windows or drafts.
Fertilizing
Philodendron Florida Ghost will benefit from fertilizer since it’s a slow grower, but still, be careful not to overdo it.
Fertilize once a month during the growing season (spring and summer). Use a balanced fertilizer and try diluting it by half first instead of going for a full dose and see how your plant reacts.
Repotting
Repot this plant every few years when it becomes rootbound.
You can check for a rootbound plant by seeing if the roots are coming out of the drainage holes or by slipping the plant out of its pot and checking it the roots are all in a heavy coil around the outside of the soil.
Choose a pot one size up from its current that has good drainage, and repot during the growing season (spring and summer) if possible.
I really love terra cotta pots because they dry out quicker putting your plant at less risk of root rot!
Click here to add a Florida Ghost to your plant collection!
Pruning
Pruning this plant is not exactly necessary, but you can prune to control the size of your plant, control legginess (long, stretched-out stems due to the plant wanting more light), and encourage new growth.
To encourage new growth, use clean, sharp scissors to cut above a node (where leaves and roots grow out of the stem), which means the node will remain on the plant, not the part you cut off.
You can also propagate the sections you remove. See my propagation section further down for more details.
You should also remove any dead or dying leaves either by pulling them off gently or by using clean, sharp scissors to remove them.
Foliage
The Philodendron Florida Ghost has leaves that are shaped like ghosts. The new leaves will come out creamy white and eventually turn dark green as they mature if the plant is not kept in very bright (but indirect) light.
The leaves also change shape as they mature. Young Florida Ghost leaves will not have any lobes, just small, arrow-shaped leaves. Then, they will grow the extra lobes that turn them into ghosts as they mature.
Can a Philodendron Florida Ghost revert?
The Philodendron Florida Ghost’s leaves get darker green as they mature but it is possible for them to revert back to white!
Put your plant in plenty of bright, indirect light. Lots of it. Give it a grow light if you need to.
With enough light, in a few weeks, you should start to notice the leaves turning white again.
How big does a Philodendron Florida Ghost get?
The Philodendron Florida Ghost will typically grow to reach a few feet tall, but in optimal growing conditions, it can reach around five feet. It is a relatively slow-growing plant
White leaves, for many plants, means the leaves lack chlorophyll which prevents them from properly photosynthesizing and slows down the plant’s growth.
That could be a reason why this plant grows more slowly, but I’m not 100% sure about that.
Climbing
Philodendron Florida Ghost is naturally a climber and will therefore thrive to its full potential if given something to climb. The easiest way to do this is to use a moss pole.
This is the moss pole I use for my climbing plants. It’s stackable and really easy to add on to as your plant grows!
Problems and Pests
Plant problems can mean many different things, so it’s important to evaluate your overall care routine. However, below are some common causes for Philodendron Florida Ghost problems.
Yellow leaves
This is a common sign of overwatering. Be sure to feel the soil for moisture first before you water.
Brown, crispy leaves
This is a common sign of dryness. Your plant is too dry either from underwatering or from the air surrounding it.
Feel the soil to see if it’s too dry. If it’s not the soil that’s the problem, try using a humidifier to increase humidity.
Pests
Aphids and mealybugs are two common pests you might deal with.
Mealybugs – See my guide on getting rid of mealybugs for help.
Aphids – You can give your plant a gentle-but-firm blast of water with a showerhead or hose and apply an insecticidal soap. You’ll probably have to repeat this process a few times.
Be sure to read the instructions on the label and use caution if you have kids or pets. Also, test the soap on a small section of your plant first before spraying it all over.
Diseases
Root rot – This happens if you overwater your plant too often. The roots will essentially drown and no longer be able to provide your plant with water or nutrients, eventually leading to plant death.
See my post on root rot for more help.
Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora bacteria) – This bad-smelling bacteria will spread to your entire plant, eventually killing it.
Use sharp, sterilized scissors to prune off the infected parts of the plant immediately before it spreads too far. Be sure to quarantine this plant from any others while it’s sick.
Bacterial leaf spot – Follow the same process as above: Use sharp, sterilized scissors to prune off the infected parts of the plant before it spreads. Be sure to quarantine this plant from others while it’s sick.
Note that a fungicide will not kill bacteria, but you can try using a copper-based fungicide to at least help prevent the bacteria from spreading any further.
Read the instructions on the label and use caution with kids or pets, and test it on a small section of your plant first before applying it all over.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Propagation
It is relatively easy to propagate the Philodendron Florida Ghost. Most people propagate the Florida Ghost directly into their potting medium, but you can do this in water, too.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Propagation in Potting Mix
Use a pair of clean, sharp scissors to cut below a node (where leaves and roots grow out of the stem). Try to cut off a piece that has at least one healthy looking leaf, but a few if possible.
Stick your cutting into moistened potting mix or sphagnum moss, making sure at least one node (but no leaves) is buried since that is where new roots will sprout from. Keep it moist as the roots are developing.
Put your cutting in bright, indirect light. Provide it with some humidity.
There are a few ways to do this, but placing a clear plastic bag over the top or setting up a humidifier nearby are two easy options. Remove the bag for a little bit every few days to let in fresh air.
In a few weeks, you can test to see if your roots have developed. Give the cutting a very gentle tug. If you notice resistance, that means you have a root system growing.
Pot up the cutting into a more permanent pot if needed and start caring for the plant how you normally would.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Propagation in Water
Use a pair of clean, sharp scissors to cut below a node (where leaves and roots grow out of the stem). Try to cut off a piece that has at least one healthy looking leaf, but a few if possible.
Instead of putting your cutting into potting mix, place it in a jar of room-temperature water, making sure at least one node, but no leaves, are under the surface. The node is where new roots will sprout from.
Put your cutting in bright, indirect light. Change out the water when it starts to get grimy and top off the water level when needed.
In a few weeks, you should see roots starting to develop. Once the roots are two to three inches long, you can pot up your cutting into its permanent pot and start caring for it how you normally would.
Is this your new favorite plant yet? You can buy one here!
Additional Information
Is Philodendron Florida Ghost pet safe?
Philodendron Florida Ghost is toxic and therefore not pet safe. Be sure to keep this plant out of your furry friends’ reach.
What is the difference between Florida Beauty and Florida Ghost?
The Philodendron Florida Beauty is thought to be a hybrid, although not confirmed, of Philodendron Pedatum x Squamiferum. The Florida Beauty looks a lot like the Florida Ghost, but the Beauty is albo variegated.
The Florida Ghost is also a hybrid, by the way, but no one is too sure from what specific plants all these different Philodendron Floridas originated.
Other Similar Philodendrons
There are over 400 different Philodendrons. I won’t cover all of them here! A few that are similar to the Florida Ghost include:
- Philodendron Florida – The “regular” version of this plant—I THINK this is the same thing as Philodendron Florida Green and that some people just add “green” at the end to distinguish it from Ghost, Beauty, Mint, etc. but I’m not 100% sure on that so let me know if I’m wrong!
- Philodendron Florida Ghost Mint – The is the SAME plant as the Florida Ghost, but the new leaves will come out mint green instead of white before fading to darker green. People frequently think they are two different plants, but they’re not.
- Philodendron Florida Beauty – As discussed in the above section, this plant has the appearance of an albo variegated Florida Ghost.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Care Summary
- Bright, indirect light
- Water when the top one to two inches of the potting mix is dry
- Use a well-draining, airy potting mix
- Provide with humidity and warm temperatures
- Fertilize once a month during the growing season using a balanced fertilizer diluted by half
- Repot every few years when root bound
- Provide it with a moss pole to climb
More Philodendron Posts
- Philodendron Melanochrysum
- Philodendron Verrucosum
- Pink Princess Philodendron
- Philodendron Gloriosum
- Philodendron Micans
- Heartleaf Philodendron
- Philodendron Brasil
- Philodendron Birkin
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