Philodendron plants are native to tropical environments and yet they are quite easy to care for and grow but they still do have their own problems when conditions aren’t perfect.
One of these problems is that the leaves can turn white which can be concerning and most of the time attention should be given when you see this happening.
A few reasons for Philodendron leaves turning white can include powdery mildew, low temperatures, pests and low light conditions.
So here are each of those problems so you can see which one has caused the leaves to turn super pale or much lighter than usual.
Powdery mildew on Philodendron
Philodendron plants like to be in humid conditions and for the soil to stay at least slightly moist but unfortunately, this is a big reason for powdery mildew to form on plants.
Powdery mildew thrives in humid conditions so it’s no surprise that it can affect your Philodendron when the conditions are right.
A sign of powdery mildew will be a white powdery substance all over the leaves of the plant which can turn the leaves white in their appearance.
This is a fungus issue and should be dealt with quickly when it arises so it can’t do much damage to your plant.
The best way to deal with this is prevention but odds are since you’re here, it’s already happened so let’s deal with it.
You can try pruning the affected leaves, especially if it’s only a few that have it by using some disinfected pruning shears.
However if the majority of the leaves have this fungus then your best bet will be to spray your plant with some neem oil spray or discard of the plant if this can’t save it.
It’s always worth it to try the neem oil first as it’s quite an effective fungicide but there is a chance it could be too late and you should throw the plant out to prevent it from ruining other nearby plants.
Cold temperatures
Philodendron plants like to be grown in warm temperatures in general as they are tropical plants and grow their best this way as they can’t tolerate the cold.
In general you will want to be growing in temperatures warmer than 50 degrees Fahrenheit as anything under that can cause some damage.
Specifically the leaves can turn white due to frost damage when the weather is way too cold or even if your plant is touching a cold window.
If you see this happening then you want to either bring your plant indoors to grow in warmer temperatures or move the plant away from the window so it’s not getting frost damage from touching the actual window.
If you don’t take action then there is a high chance that your Philodendron will not survive the cold, especially outdoors during the winter season.
Pests causing white leaves
If you notice white fuzzy spots, white spider like webs or small dots on the leaves of your Philodendron then you most likely have some pests.
Mealy bugs, aphids, spider mites and scales can either be covering the leaves themselves turning them white or it can be due to them feeding on the leaves and taking their nutrients causing dehydration, pale coloring and curling leaves.
To get rid of most pests on contact, you can once again use some neem oil spray since it works really well against a lot of types of pests.
It also helps prevent them from returning in the future, especially if you spray weekly or even on a monthly basis.
So the first step will be to isolate your Philodendron from other plants so the pests can’t spread.
Next spray the plant with the neem and only do this at night to prevent the leaves from getting burnt.
Now you can use maintenance amounts of spray by doing so weekly or monthly to stop them from returning to your plant.
For more information on how to deal with these pests, check out my article how to get rid of Philodendron bugs.
Low light levels
Lastly, the reason why you have white or pale leaves on your Philodendron plant could be as simple as the plant not getting adequate amounts of light.
Not receiving enough light will cause chlorosis, resulting in not only pale or white leaves, but this can also cause the leaves to turn yellow as well.
Although these plants really don’t like direct sunlight, this doesn’t mean they like to get nothing and really prefer to get lot’s of bright but indirect light to grow well.
This can be done by finding a pretty shaded area outside that still gets lots of indirect light or you can just place this plant by any window if growing indoors.
Just be sure to keep the plant at least a few feet away from any window to prevent the suns rays from burning the plant leaves and you will be good to go.