Most plants give you leaves in one color. Prince of Orange gives you a new color every time it grows. A fresh leaf opens glossy copper, slides to apricot, settles into yellow-green, then deepens to a calm medium green, and the plant is usually showing all of those stages at once. Autumn already looks like this outside your window. This plant keeps the palette on your shelf long after the leaves have dropped.
We love it because it is easy to live with and strange to look at. Here is where it came from, why it changes, how to keep the orange glowing, and where it earns its place in a home.
A Plant With a Patent Number, Not a Jungle Origin Story
Most houseplant stories start in a rainforest. This one starts in a Florida greenhouse. Prince of Orange is a hybrid, bred on purpose, and it is documented in US Plant Patent 6797, granted on May 16, 1989 to breeder Howard N. Miller. The patent was filed in January 1988 and assigned to Cora McColley of Orlando, Florida.
The family tree is a good read. A yellow-green seedling from one breeding line was crossed with a seedling whose ancestry includes Philodendron domesticum, P. erubescens, P. wendlandii and P. imbe. A selection from that cross was then bred with P. cannifolium to shorten and thicken the leaf stalks, which gave the plant its tidy rosette shape. Every one of those parents comes from the tropical forests of Central and South America, which explains why the plant loves warm rooms and bright, filtered light.
That makes it a self-heading philodendron. It does not trail or climb like a Heartleaf. It grows upward from a central crown, one stiff new leaf at a time.
Not sure it fits your room?
Light is the one thing this plant is picky about, so it is worth matching it to your space. Take the 1 minute plant quiz and tell us about your light, your space and your pets, and we will point you to plants that will thrive there.
Why Every New Leaf Is a Surprise
The color change is not a trick of the light. It is a real piece of plant biology, and it is the reason this cultivar is so captivating.
A young leaf is soft and delicate. Many tropical plants protect that tender tissue with pigments, such as carotenoids and anthocyanins, that shield it while it hardens. The orange you see on an unfurling Prince of Orange leaf is that protective layer. As the leaf matures, the plant builds more chlorophyll, the green pigment that does the heavy lifting of photosynthesis, and the orange fades behind it. Apricot, then yellow-green, then green. The process takes a few weeks per leaf.
The practical result is a plant that is always telling a story. Look at it on Monday and again on Friday and the newest leaf will have moved a step along the color wheel. Every leaf is a small event. For anyone who has stared at a slow-growing plant waiting for something to happen, that is a real gift.
Care Basics, Kept Simple
This is not a fussy plant, but it has one lever that matters. Here is the short version.
- Light: bright, indirect light is the sweet spot. More light means richer, more saturated orange. Low light means leaves that turn green faster. Direct afternoon sun can scorch the glossy surface.
- Water: water when the top inch of soil feels dry, and let the excess drain. Go lighter through the darker months, as we explain in our guide to why plants slow down in autumn.
- Humidity: normal room humidity is fine. You do not need a humidifier.
- Temperature: comfortable room warmth suits it. The original patent notes that very high heat can dull the orange to a yellow-bronze, so keep it away from radiators and hot vents.
- Food and repotting: skip fertilizer until spring and leave the pot alone until then. A spring repot is the right moment.
Why is my Prince of Orange not orange?
Most often, it is light. If new growth keeps coming in green, move the plant to a brighter spot and give it a few weeks. Clocks going back and shorter days also mean less orange for a while. That is normal, not a sign that something is wrong. For an easygoing start, browse our easy care plants if you want companions with the same forgiving nature.
Propagation: Slow, Honest and Worth Knowing
If you have propagated a pothos or a Heartleaf, you know the routine: snip a stem, put it in water, wait. Prince of Orange does not work that way. Because it grows as a single crown with no trailing stems, there is nothing to snip.
The reliable method is separating an offset. Over time a mature plant can produce a small side shoot at the base, with its own roots. During a spring repot you can tease that shoot away, pot it up in a light, well-draining mix, and keep it warm and lightly moist until it settles. Difficulty is moderate and the timeline is long, so treat it as a bonus if your plant happens to offer one. For most people the simplest way to have a second Prince of Orange is to buy a second Prince of Orange.
Earn Leaves as you grow your collection
When you shop and join our rewards program, you earn Leaves points toward rewards on your plant orders, so a color-changing centerpiece can start building toward your next plant.
Styling a Plant That Changes Color
Because the plant is compact and upright, it is a natural centerpiece. Think tabletop, sideboard, entry console or a desk beside a bright window, anywhere you will see the new leaves unfurl.
The easiest design move is to lean into the warm palette. Terracotta, rust, walnut wood and brushed brass pots all echo the copper tones of the new growth. A cream or white ceramic pot lets the leaves be the only color in the room. Neutral linen, warm wood and natural stone make the orange glow without feeling loud.
For contrast, pair it with something dark and architectural. The glossy near-black stems of a ZZ Black Raven make the orange look like it is lit from within. For a related look in the same family, the bronze-red foliage of Philodendron Congo Rojo is another self-heading option. You can explore more at our philodendron collection.
A Gift That Keeps Changing
Most plant gifts are a snapshot. This one is a time-lapse. A Prince of Orange makes a great gift for a host, a new homeowner, a beginner who wants something that looks special, or a friend who already has plenty of green. It shows up in a nursery pot, so the recipient can drop it into a favorite cachepot without repotting.
Add the fact that it is quick to care for and it is hard to give the wrong way. If you are shopping for more than one person, browse our perfect plant gifts for other living options.
Pet Safety: Keep It Out of Reach
Prince of Orange is toxic to cats and dogs. Like other philodendrons, it contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth, lips and stomach if chewed. It is not a plant to leave on a low table with a curious pet. If you share your home with a nibbler, put it on a high shelf or choose from our pet-friendly plants. You can also see how we style a whole shelf of safe options in The Pet-Safe Shelf.
Bring Home a Plant That Never Looks the Same Twice
Prince of Orange is for people who like to watch a plant do something. It grows one leaf at a time, and each one arrives in its own color. Order a Philodendron Prince of Orange and it comes greenhouse-direct, backed by our 30-Day Guarantee. Not sure which plant suits your space? The plant quiz takes about a minute. Or browse all plants to see what else is ready to ship.
Every plant helps grow a tree
We partner with One Tree Planted to give back through tree planting, so your next plant can be part of something bigger than your shelf.
Prince of Orange FAQ
Why are the new leaves on my Prince of Orange green instead of orange?
Usually the light is too low. Orange pigment is strongest when a new leaf unfurls in bright, indirect light. In a dim corner the leaf skips straight to green. Move the plant closer to a window, away from the glass in the hottest hours, and judge the result on the next leaf, not the current ones.
Is Philodendron Prince of Orange rare?
It is a named hybrid that has been in cultivation since the late 1980s, so it is not a wild collector's find. It is still less common than a Heartleaf or a Monstera, and availability by pot size changes, so check the product page for what is in stock.
How big does a Prince of Orange get indoors?
Most settle at roughly one to three feet tall, with a compact, upright rosette rather than a vine. It grows slowly, so it stays a tidy tabletop or sideboard plant for years.
Is Prince of Orange toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. Like other philodendrons it contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and stomach if chewed. Keep it out of reach, or choose from our pet-friendly collection if your animals nibble plants.
Can you propagate Prince of Orange from a cutting?
Not the way you would a vining philodendron. It grows as a self-heading rosette, so propagation means separating a rooted offset at the base during a spring repot. It is slow, and many owners simply enjoy the single plant.
Does Prince of Orange need a moss pole?
No. Its habit is upright and compact, so it does not climb. A moss pole is unnecessary, and the plant looks best left as a clean rosette in a simple pot.
Is Prince of Orange good for beginners?
Yes, with one caveat. Watering and feeding are forgiving, like most philodendrons. The only fussy part is light, because that is what keeps the orange vivid. Give it a bright spot and it rewards you.
How often should I water a Prince of Orange in winter?
Water when the top inch of soil is dry, which stretches to every two weeks or longer when growth slows in the dark months. Check the soil with a finger rather than following a calendar, and empty the saucer after watering.
