When Does Philodendron Birkin Get Stripes? The Truth!

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There are many species of Philodendron plants, but the Philodendron birkin is one of the more interesting varieties.

The Philodendron birkin is a chimeric mutation that derived from the Philodendron congo rojo. This is the process in which a plant naturally undergoes a mutation.

Because of this, your Philodendron birkin can display several different color variations, but they are known for their distinctive stripes.

So when do your Philodendron birkin get their stripes?

 

When Does Philodendron birkin Get Stripes?

The Philodendron birkin can get stripes straight away as a baby plant. But because Philodendron birkin resulted from a chimeric mutation of Philodendron congo rojo the coloring of the leaves varies from leaf to leaf. Some leaves might be almost completely green whilst others are green with white stripes or even reddish-brown. The general birkin leaf is green with white stripes.

 

 

How The Philodendron birkin Came To Be

According to Britannica, there are around 450 different species of Philodendron.

With such a vast range of species, you can find Philodendrons in several different colors, including green, a coppery color, red, purple, or even white.

The Philodendron birkin was created due to a rare mutation in the Philodendron Rojo Congo.

This mutation process is referred to as spontaneous chimeric mutation and is a rather rare mutation. During the mutation process, a cell mutates near the apical tip, also known as the growing tip.

This causes all of the other cells in the apical tip to mutate as well.

Because it stemmed from a mutation, Philodendron birkin is not a plant that has a natural environment, the reason behind its rarity.

That is also the cause of why the plant is so inconsistent in the coloring of its leaves.

 

How The Philodendron birkin Grows

Your Philodendron birkin plant may start with several different colors. The colors of the Philodendron birkin can range from white to green, to reddish-brown.

When it comes to a mutated plant, the results that you receive are wildly unpredictable. You will typically see your leave change over time.

You may also notice that your one Philodendron birkin has leaves that are different colors.

This is normal in a sense because due to the mutation, the plant itself will grow unpredictably.

Well known and sought after for the thin white or green stripes that decorate the leaves, the time it takes for the stripes to appear differs from plant to plant.

Leaves on a plant that you’ve been growing for a while may have some new leaves that develop white stripes very quickly, whereas other leaves may develop them at a slower rate.

While the plant may grow quickly, the appearance of stripes can often be delayed. It just depends on your specific Philodendron birkin.

 

How to Get My Philodendron birkin To Grow More Stripes

Your Philodendron birkin will always be rather unpredictable. You can, however, encourage your Philodendron birkin to grow more of these striking white variegation through propagation.

When propagating your Philodendron birkin, select a healthy leave that has exhibited white stripes on dark green leaves and hasn’t reverted to colors.

This can increase your chances that you will end up with a birkin that exhibits the color and level of stripes that you are looking for.

To propagate your Philodendron birkin trim a healthy, mature leaf at the base. Place the trimming in a container full of water, but make sure that only the stem is touching the water.

Using a clear container works best. You can see the growth of the roots.

You want to place it in an area that gets a lot of bright, but indirect sunlight.

Once the roots grow into a large enough bundle, you can plant your propagated Philodendron birkin in soil with a good amount of fertilization.

It is an easy to care for plant that grows very quickly, the key to this is starting them out in ideal conditions.

Make sure that the soil that you use is mixed with a nutrient-rich fertilizer.

You also need to take proper care of your Philodendron birkin. Because it is a tropical plant, the soil should never be dry.

You want to water your Philodendron birkin about once  a week. It does best in bright, but indirect sunlight.

In these conditions, your propagated birkin will flourish.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About When Philodendron birkin Gets Stripes

 

How can I make sure that my Philodendron birkin does not revert to color?

There is no way of preventing your Philodendron birkin from reverting colors. Due to its mutated state, every time your plant grows new leaves, they can be a different color. While typically, over time (or tight away for some leaves) the white stripes will still develop.

 

How can I make my Philodendron birkin grow and develop stripes faster?

While they are easy plants to care for, Philodendron birkin does need a good balance of sunlight, water, soil conditions, and frequent pruning. Starting your plant right with rich soil that has been fertilized and keeping it in ideal conditions will help promote growth.

 

Is Philodendron birkin a good plant for beginners?

Philodendron birkin makes for a great beginner houseplant. As long as you follow the care directions, your plant will need very little attention. Keep in mind though, that if you aren’t careful your Philodendron birkin may quickly outgrow its pot. It is a very fast-growing plant.

 

Conclusion About When Does Philodendron Birkin Get Stripes

Due to the Philodendron birkin being the result of spontaneous chimeric mutation from the Philodendron Rojo Congo, determining when your plant will develop stripes on its leaves is difficult to tell.

Due to the mutation, you may notice your Philodendron birkin changing the colors of its leaves.

You may also notice that even after the development of stripes, your Philodendron birkin’s leaves will revert to a solid color.

That’s what makes these plants such an interesting addition.