White Knight vs. White Princess: Selecting the Ideal Philodendron Has Never Been Easier!

Do you ever try to identify the differences between the philodendron white knight and the white princess like me? A few days ago, I discussed with my friend about the philodendron white knight and the white princess because I was unaware of their dissimilarities. But he focused on some essential points that I didn’t notice before.

The white princess plant is lighter in color than the philodendron white knight plant. Besides, the fully grown philodendron white knight leaf can be 2 inches to 3 inches in size and it is heart-shaped with green and white color also  wider than white princesses while the leaves of white princesses are longer, more narrow and compact. Again, the stems of white princess plants are green with white and pink variegation while the stem of the philodendron white knight is burgundy, not green. Another critical difference is that the white princess plant is self-heading whereas, the philodendron white knight is a climber.

As both of these plants are much preferable as houseplants, the philodendron white knight and the white princess is often a point of argument. But I’ve also noticed a few precise information about these differences later and highlighted them here. Let’s go through the comprehensive guide below.

Comparison table of philodendron white knight and white princess

There are a few differences between philodendron white knight and white princess in their origin, growth, type and nature of leaves. Before getting into the detailed discussion, here is a quick view of a comparison table between the philodendron white knight and white princess.

Topics	Philodendron white knight	White princess
Scientific name	Philodendron white knight	Philodendron white princess
General name	White knight	White princess
Types of foliage	Beautiful round-shaped foliage of green and white colors.	Small rounded green foliage. Sometimes, foliage can also contain a little white or pink shade.
Nature of leaf	Fully grown leaf can be 2 inches to 3 inches in size and heart-shaped with green and white color. They are wider than those of white princesses.	Compact and narrower than white knight leaf
Types of stem	Stem is not green. It can be burgundy, Reddish, or red-wine color	Green in color with white and pink variegation.
Types of growth	Fast growing in a suitable environment. If properly cared for, It can be up to 9.8 feet long in size when completely grown.	Much slow growing. It is more compact than a white knight and can be a maximum of 3 feet long.
Plant type	Climber, vine type	Self headings
Native area	South America	Tropical reinforce of South America
Blooming	Blooms typical aroid flowers in summer and spring	Rarely blooms any flower
Water	Medium watering is needed and it must be done properly as the soil should be moist but not soggy and over watered.	Less watering is required than the white knight. Watering can be done once a week. But should not be under or over-watered.
Temperature	Prefers warm places and the ideal temperature is around 65° Fahrenheit to 80° Fahrenheit.	Prefer less warm than a white knight and the temperature range is around 60° Fahrenheit to 70° Fahrenheit. Below 60° Fahrenheit can slow down the growth.
Soil	Prefers organic, rich fertile, and well-draining soil.	Prefers organic and well-draining soil
Light	White knight prefers bright indirect sunlight.	White princess also prefers bright indirect sunlight
Availability	Rare than white princess	Found easily nowadays
Toxicity	Can cause a reaction on mouth or, lip skin and is also toxic to animals if eaten	Toxic to humans and animals if eaten

How can we differentiate the philodendron white knight and white princess?

Though the philodendron white knight and white princess are related plants, they have several distinctive differences by which we can differentiate them. Let’s discuss them below in detail.

Types of stem

The main feature that can differentiate between the philodendron white knight and the white princess plants is seen in their stem. The stem of the philodendron white knight is not green at all. The whole stem is burgundy or red wine or brownish purple.

Again, the stems of the white princess are green. Sometimes the stem edges are white and pink variegation.

Nature of leaves and foliage

The leaves of the philodendron white knight are heart-shaped with a combination of green and white color while those of the white princess are slightly round-shaped after getting matured with a combination of green, white, and pink color.

Besides, the leaves of philodendron white knight can be up to 3 inches in size. On the other hand, the leaves of white princesses are typically longer, more narrow, and more compact than those of philodendron white knights.

Again in the case of foliage, the philodendron  white knight is much popular for its beautiful round-shaped foliage. The foliages are of a combination of green and white colors which makes the plants more attractive.

On the contrary, the foliage of the white princess is green and small rounded. But sometimes, foliage can also contain a slide brownish-pink shade.

Growth of plants

The philodendron white knight is a climber, vine, and quite a fast-growing plant in a suitable environment. It can be up to 9.8 feet long in size when completely grown if they get the proper care.

On the other hand, the white princess is a self-heading and much slow-growing plant. It can be a maximum of 3 feet long by almost 10 years if properly cared for.

Native area

The philodendron white knight is a rare plant and found in some regions of South America whereas, the white princess is not as rare as the philodendron white knight and is found only in the tropical reinforce area of South America.

Watering requirements

The philodendron white knight needs medium watering and must be done properly. Watering should be done in a way that the soil should be moist but not soggy and over-watered as it can damage the plant. 

Again, as the white princess is found in a tropical reinforcement area, it requires less watering than the white knight. In the case of the white princess watering can be done once a week. But it should be remembered that it should not be dry or, under-watered.

Temperature requirements

The philodendron white knight prefers warmer places than the white princess. The ideal temperature is around 65° Fahrenheit to 80° Fahrenheit.

Whereas, the white princess prefers less warmth than the white knight and the temperature range is about 60° Fahrenheit to 70° Fahrenheit. Besides, below 60° Fahrenheit can slow down the growth.

Blooming of flower

The philodendron white knight produces typical aroid flowers mostly during the spring and summer while the white princess rarely produces any type of flower.

Why does anyone need to distinguish between a philodendron white knight and a white princess?

As both philodendron white knight and white princess are from the Araceae family and philodendron genus, they look alike to some extent. So, often they are mixed up with one another. Again people get confused as both plants have almost heart-shaped and greenery leaves with white color combinations.

As people often mistake both the philodendron white knight and white princess plants, we need to distinguish them properly and decorate the home accordingly. People who love to decorate their homes with houseplants have to learn about the comparison between the plants to individualize and bring them correctly.

How do philodendron white knights and white princesses similar to each other?

As we know that the philodendron white knight and white princess both share a common ancestry and are a rare variety of houseplants, they contain some noticeable similarities in their appearance indeed and so people get confused. Thus these similarities between them are needed for this article to clarify people’s misconceptions fully. The similarities are given below.

Scientific Information

According to the scientific classification, both the philodendron white knight and white princess plants are almost the same as both the philodendron white knight and white princess plants are from the araecea family. Besides, they both belong to the genus called philodendron. Again, both plants belong to the same kingdom called Plantae.

Visual description

According to the physical outlook, both the philodendron white knight and white princess are beautiful houseplants with green heart-shaped leaves with white color combinations that often make them confused to identify if suddenly they are seen separately.

Soil and potting system

Both philodendron white knight and white princess plants prefer soil that is rich with organic matter, fertile, and can retain moisture. In the case of both plants, the soil should be moist but not soggy. Besides, the potting system must be well drainage and moisture retention.

Toxicity

Both the philodendron white knight and white princess are toxic to humans and animals if they are eaten. Besides, the philodendron white knight sometimes can also irritate the skin like the mouth or lips or hand, etc.

Which plant will be better between the philodendron white knight and white princess?

If you want a suggestion from me about which one will be a better plant between the philodendron white knight and white princess, I will cheer you up that you can bring both of them as  both plants  are so attractive to keep in your room as home decor.

For example, philodendron white knights can still make a great choice for indoor plants as their leaf resists possible exposure to pests and many leaf rots-related diseases.

Again when it comes to the white princess, If you are thinking about gifting or owning a plant for the colors, then it is a great choice as it has an exceptional white and pink color variegation on its green leaves. But if you still want to bring only one plant from them, then I would like to say that I have disclosed all of their features, similarities, and dissimilarities in front of you. Now, decide on which plant will be better for you and decorate your home with that.

Is philodendron white knights unique compared to white princesses?

Philodendron white knight is one of the rarest and most desired houseplants. It is easy to say as its stems are unique and beautiful in red-wine color variegation. Besides, the leaves are variegated in bright white with a green heart l-shaped.  For best coloration, the light should be on the brighter side.

Besides, like most other philodendrons, this variety prefers moist but well-draining soil. Again, as it is a climber vine, it should be allowed to climb up moss poles and it can climb up if they get enough support and grow up to 9.8 feet long. Additionally, in a higher humidity atmosphere, numerous aerial roots can be formed which gives the plants a unique and attractive look.

Final thoughts

Gradually, I reached the end of my details. Finally, we can see that the philodendron white knight and white princess are slightly confusing as they are from the same family order. They are similar, but not the same. Thus they have different needs and characteristics. From the entire discussion, let’s make recap what we get from this article,

• The philodendron white knight is a fast-growing climber tree whereas the white princess is a very slow-growing self-heading tree.
• The stem of the white princess is green. But those of the philodendron white knight are not green at all. They are burgundy or, reddish.
• The leaves of the white princess are longer, more narrow, and compact than those of the philodendron white knight.
• The philodendron white knight blooms typical aroid flowers while the white princess rarely blooms any flower.

Understanding all these comparisons can help to differentiate both plants and care for them and propagate them successfully accordingly.