Houseplant · Araceae
Black-gold Philodendron
Philodendron melanochrysum
Offer it warm, humid air and a pole to lean on, and this velvet-leaved philodendron opens deep, glittering leaves for you.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
The black-gold philodendron is loved for its long, gently drooping leaves, which start out a coppery bronze and settle into a near-black velvet laced with gold veins. It is part of the arum family and, out in the wild, it climbs the damp forests of Colombia by pulling itself up tree trunks toward the light. It wants to do the very same thing on your shelf, so a moss pole or slab gives it something to hold and coaxes the leaves to their fullest size.
Picture a climbing aroid rather than a tidy little tabletop plant. The stems stretch quickly when the weather is warm, and the leaves grow larger the higher it reaches, which is exactly why a good support makes such a difference. Give it bright indirect light, steady warmth, and moist air, and it will reward you with one of the loveliest textures you can grow indoors.
It does ask a touch more than the everyday philodendron, mostly around humidity and even moisture, but do not let that put you off. Get those two things right and it forgives almost everything else. Let the air dry out or the roots sit soggy and the velvet leaves will simply let you know, and even then a small course-correction usually sets things right.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, warmth in the 65°F to 85°F (18°C to 29°C) range, high humidity, and a well-draining mix kept evenly moist but never soggy, with a pole to climb.
Light
Give it bright indirect light, the soft kind you find beside a window veiled by a sheer curtain. It will cope with medium light and even low light for a spell, but direct sun scorches those velvety leaves, so keep it a little back from the glass and it will thank you.
Water
Aim to keep the mix evenly moist but never soggy, and never let the pot sit in a puddle of water. Soggy roots are the quickest way to lose this plant, since poor drainage invites root rot, so let the surface dry just a touch between drinks rather than staying wet all the time.
Soil
Reach for a well-draining potting mix high in organic matter so water slips through freely. This plant likes things a bit on the acidic side, with a pH at or below 6.0, and a chunky aroid blend with bark and perlite keeps plenty of air around the roots.
Temperature
Warmth is where it is happiest, ideally somewhere between 65°F and 85°F (18°C to 29°C). It has no patience for cold drafts or chilly windowsills, so tuck it well away from doors and heating vents through winter and it will stay content.
Humidity
This one really wants high humidity, which is its tropical side showing through. The drier the air, the more likely brown tips and spider mites turn up, so group it with a few other plants or set a humidifier going nearby to keep it comfortable.
Feeding
Feed once a month through the spring and summer growing season with a dilute water-soluble fertilizer, roughly a 3:1:2 or 3:1:3 ratio, or a slow-release feed. Keep a light hand, since too much fertilizer curls and browns the leaf tips.
Pruning
Trim and train the climbing stems now and then to keep the size and shape in hand. Most of all, offer it a moss pole or slab to climb, because letting it follow its natural climbing habit is what draws out the largest, most beautiful leaves.
Repotting
Repot whenever it outgrows its home and the roots begin crowding the pot, and you can do that in any season. Simply move it up one pot size into fresh well-draining mix rather than leaping to a much bigger container, and it will settle in happily.
Troubleshooting
Almost every hiccup here comes back to watering and humidity, and the kind thing is that the leaves warn you early. Get in the habit of noticing that first browning tip or speckled leaf and you can step in long before it spreads. Find what matches below, and know that acting now really does help.
Yellowing, drooping leaves and soft dark roots
If the leaves go yellow and limp and the roots feel soft and dark, you are looking at root rot from soil that stayed wet too long. Do not panic, because it is fixable. Ease back on the watering, pour off any water sitting in the saucer, and settle the plant into fresh well-draining mix while you gently snip away the roots that have gone soft.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency and empty standing water from the saucer
- Repot into fresh well-draining mix and trim away rotted roots
Dusty speckled leaves with faint webbing
When the air turns dry, spider mites sometimes move in, feeding underneath the leaves and leaving a fine dusty speckle and wispy webs behind. They are nothing to be scared of. Give the foliage a good rinse and wipe the leaves clean, follow up with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and keep the humidity up so the plant feels much less welcoming to them.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Raise humidity
Cottony tufts, sticky film, or little bumps on stems
Little cottony tufts usually mean mealybugs, while soft clustered insects are aphids and firm waxy bumps are scale, and all of them leave a sticky honeydew behind. Every one of these is beatable with a bit of patience. Dab the pests away with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, follow with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and set the plant apart from the others until it is fully clean again.
Fix:
- Wipe pests off with an alcohol-dipped swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the affected plant
Silvery flecks scattered with tiny dark specks
Silvery patches sprinkled with tiny black dots are the sign of thrips, slim little insects that scrape at the surface of the leaf. Do not let them worry you. Take off the leaves that have been hit hardest, treat the plant with insecticidal soap or a suitable insecticide, and keep it away from your other plants while their numbers come back down.
Fix:
- Remove heavily infested leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or an appropriate insecticide
- Isolate the plant
Crispy brown tips and curling leaf edges
Those crispy edges most often come from fertilizer salts building up in the soil, though dry air or too much sun can bring them on too. The good news is it is easy to turn around. Run plain water through the pot to rinse the salts away, feed a little less, lift the humidity, and keep the plant in gentle bright indirect light rather than direct sun.
Fix:
- Flush the soil to leach excess fertilizer salts and reduce feeding rate
- Raise humidity (group plants, pebble tray or humidifier)
- Move to bright indirect light out of direct sun
Clear brown or black spots dotting the leaves
Rounded spots, now and then ringed by a soft yellow halo, are fungal or bacterial leaf spot, and they take hold when the leaves stay wet. It is a gentle fix. Pluck off the marked leaves, open up the air around the plant, and water down at the soil so the foliage stays nice and dry.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Avoid wetting the foliage and improve air circulation
Toxicity
This is a toxic plant, so it is worth handling with care. Every part holds insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, the same irritant found right across the arum family, and a chewed piece burns the mouth and throat. Keep it up out of reach of cats, dogs, horses, and small children, and rinse your hands after any pruning or taking cuttings.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that takes a bite of a leaf feels the calcium oxalate crystals sting the mouth right away. Keep a gentle eye out for lots of drooling, pawing at the face, a puffy tongue and lips, and trouble swallowing, and sometimes a bout of vomiting alongside it.
Dogs Moderate
A chew sets off burning and swelling across the mouth, tongue and lips, along with a sudden rush of drool. Plenty of dogs will gag, bring it back up, or paw at the muzzle as the sting takes hold, and it usually eases once the plant is out of reach.
Horses Moderate
Those same crystals leave a horse's mouth and throat sore, so it drools and turns away from food. Because horses cannot vomit, the discomfort and the trouble swallowing tend to hang on a while longer.
Rabbits Toxic
The leaves and stems hold the very same irritating crystals, so they are not something a rabbit should nibble. A rabbit that has a chew can end up with a sore, swollen mouth and may lose interest in its food for a bit.
Livestock Toxic
Grazers like goats, sheep and cattle react to the calcium oxalate with a painful mouth, drooling, and an unsettled gut. It is safest to keep this plant well out of reach of anywhere stock can graze.
Birds Toxic
A curious bird that pecks at the leaves can feel the same burning sting in its beak and mouth. The kindest thing is to keep pet birds away from it completely.
People Caution
No part of this plant is for eating. A chewed leaf burns the mouth and throat, and handling the cut stems can leave skin itchy or sore, so wash your hands afterward and keep it up out of the way of little ones.
Sap and cell contents contain calcium oxalate raphides; chewing or sap contact can irritate the mouth, throat and skin (contact dermatitis)
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
How to propagate
Making new plants from this philodendron is easier than you might expect, whether you root a stem cutting or air-layer one of the sturdier climbing stems.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Any season (active growth in spring-summer is most vigorous) · Buds break in about 3-5 weeks and roots form in about 4-6 weeks
You can do this one with confidence: snip a stem cutting that keeps at least one node and a leaf, then rest it in a moist medium to root. Any season works, though it goes quickest through the spring and summer growth. Just give it time and do not fret, because buds tend to break in about 3 to 5 weeks and roots come along in roughly 4 to 6 weeks.
Air layeringModerate
Any season · Several weeks for roots to form before severing
For the thicker climbing stems, air-layering is the gentle, reliable choice. Wrap a node in damp sphagnum moss and simply leave it be for several weeks until roots push out, then cut the stem just below those new roots and pot it up.
Myths
Philodendrons are harmless, pet-safe houseplants.
The ASPCA flags philodendron as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, and every part carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. A pet that chews a leaf ends up with a burning, swollen mouth, heavy drooling, and trouble swallowing. Think of this as a plant to set up out of reach, not a safe one to leave lying around.
This philodendron needs direct sun to keep its color.
What it really loves is bright light filtered through a curtain, and direct sun will scorch those velvety leaves. Most philodendrons even manage in low light, so there is truly no need to leave it baking on a hot windowsill.
Heavier feeding makes a philodendron grow faster and lusher.
Pour on too much fertilizer and the leaf tips curl and brown as salts gather in the soil. A dilute, steady feed is all this plant is after, and take heart, a slightly hungry plant bounces back far more easily than an overfed one.