Houseplant · Araceae
Black-gold Philodendron
Philodendron melanochrysum
Give it warm, humid air and a pole to climb, and this velvet-leaved philodendron unfurls deep, glittering foliage.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
The black-gold philodendron is grown for its long, drooping leaves, which open a coppery bronze and deepen to a near-black velvet shot through with gold veining. It belongs to the arum family and climbs through the wet forests of Colombia in the wild, hauling itself up tree trunks toward the light. Indoors it does the same thing, so a moss pole or slab gives it something to grab and pushes the leaves to their full size.
This is a climbing aroid, not a bushy tabletop plant. The stems lengthen fast in warm weather and the leaves get bigger the higher the plant climbs, which is why support matters so much. Give it bright indirect light, steady warmth, and humid air, and it rewards you with one of the most striking textures in any houseplant collection.
It asks for a bit more than the average philodendron, mostly around humidity and even moisture. Get those right and it's forgiving of the rest. Let the air go dry or the roots stay soggy, though, and the velvet leaves are quick to show their displeasure.
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 kind you get near a window screened by a sheer curtain. It tolerates medium light and even low light for a while, but direct sun scorches the velvety leaves, so keep it back from the glass.
Water
Keep the mix evenly moist but never soggy, and never leave the pot standing in water. Soggy roots are the fastest way to kill this plant, since poor drainage brings on root rot. Let the surface dry slightly between waterings rather than keeping it sodden.
Soil
Use a well-draining potting mix high in organic matter so water runs through freely. The plant prefers things on the acidic side, with a pH at or below 6.0. A chunky aroid blend with bark and perlite keeps air around the roots.
Temperature
Warmth suits it best, ideally between 65°F and 85°F (18°C to 29°C). It has no tolerance for cold drafts or chilly windowsills, so keep it well away from doors and vents in winter.
Humidity
This one wants high humidity, which is where its tropical roots show. The drier the air, the more likely you'll see brown tips and spider mites, so group it with other plants or run a humidifier nearby.
Feeding
Feed monthly 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. Go light, because overfeeding curls and browns the leaf tips.
Pruning
Train and prune the climbing stems to keep the size and shape in check. Most of all, give it a moss pole or slab to climb, since the natural climbing habit is what pushes the leaves to their largest and best.
Repotting
Repot whenever the plant outgrows its pot and the roots start crowding the container, which you can do in any season. Move it up one pot size into fresh well-draining mix rather than jumping to a much larger container.
Troubleshooting
Most trouble with this plant traces back to watering and humidity, and the leaves tell you early. Learn to read the first browning tip or stippled leaf and you can step in before it spreads. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Yellow, wilting leaves and dark, mushy roots
This is root rot, and it starts with soil that stays wet too long. When the pot drains poorly or sits in a saucer of water, the roots suffocate and turn brown and soft instead of firm and white. Ease off the watering, tip out any standing water, and repot into fresh well-draining mix while you trim away the rotted roots.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency and empty standing water from the saucer
- Repot into fresh well-draining mix and trim away rotted roots
Speckled, bronzed leaves with fine webbing
Dry indoor air invites spider mites, which feed on the undersides and leave a dusty stippling and thin webs behind. Rinse the foliage and wipe the leaves down, then treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Keeping the humidity up makes the plant far less inviting to them.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Raise humidity
Cottony fluff, sticky residue, or bumps on stems
Cottony clusters point to mealybugs, while soft clustered insects mean aphids and hard or waxy bumps mean scale. All three leave a sticky honeydew behind. Dab them off with an alcohol-dipped swab, follow up with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and move the plant away from the rest of your collection until it's clean.
Fix:
- Wipe pests off with an alcohol-dipped swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the affected plant
Silvery flecking dotted with tiny dark specks
Silvery patches scattered with minute black droppings are the work of thrips, slender insects that rasp at the leaf surface. Strip off the worst-hit leaves and treat the plant with insecticidal soap or a suitable insecticide. Set it apart from your other plants while you bring the numbers down.
Fix:
- Remove heavily infested leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or an appropriate insecticide
- Isolate the plant
Brown, curling tips and crispy leaf edges
Scorched tips usually mean a buildup of fertilizer salts, though dry air or harsh sun can do the same. Flush the pot with plain water to wash the salts out and cut back on feeding. Raise the humidity and keep the plant in bright indirect light, out of any 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
Distinct brown or black spots on the leaves
Round spots, sometimes ringed with a yellow halo, are fungal or bacterial leaf spot, and wet foliage is what gets them going. Pick off the marked leaves and improve the airflow around the plant. Water at the soil line so the leaves stay dry.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Avoid wetting the foliage and improve air circulation
Toxicity
This is a toxic plant. Every part holds insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, the same irritant found across the arum family, and chewing any of it burns the mouth and throat. Keep it out of reach of cats, dogs, horses, and small children, and wash your hands after pruning or taking cuttings.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that bites a leaf gets an immediate sting of calcium oxalate crystals in the mouth. Watch for heavy drooling, pawing at the face, a swollen tongue and lips, and trouble swallowing, sometimes with vomiting.
Dogs Moderate
Chewing brings on burning and swelling of the mouth, tongue and lips along with a sudden gush of drooling. Many dogs gag, vomit, or paw at their muzzle as the irritation sets in.
Horses Moderate
The same crystals inflame a horse's mouth and throat, leaving it drooling and reluctant to eat. Horses can't vomit, so the discomfort and difficulty swallowing tend to linger.
Rabbits Toxic
The leaves and stems carry the same irritating crystals, so they're not safe to nibble. A rabbit that chews on the plant can suffer a sore, swollen mouth and may go off its food.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals such as goats, sheep and cattle react to the calcium oxalate with mouth pain, drooling and irritation of the gut. Keep the plant well away from anywhere stock can reach it.
Birds Toxic
A curious bird that pecks at the foliage can get the same burning irritation in its beak and mouth. Best to keep pet birds clear of it altogether.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant to be eaten. Chewing a leaf burns the mouth and throat, and handling the cut stems can leave the skin itchy or inflamed, so wash your hands and keep it away from small children.
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
You can make new plants from this philodendron without much trouble, either by rooting a stem cutting or by air-layering one of the thicker 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
Take a stem cutting that has at least one node and an attached leaf, then stand it in a moist medium to root. You can do this in any season, though it moves fastest during the spring and summer growth. Be patient, because the buds break in about 3 to 5 weeks and roots follow in roughly 4 to 6 weeks.
Air layeringModerate
Any season · Several weeks for roots to form before severing
For thick climbing stems, air-layering is the surer route. Wrap a node in moist sphagnum moss and leave it in place for several weeks until roots push through, then cut the stem just below the new roots and pot it up.
Myths
Philodendrons are harmless, pet-safe houseplants.
The ASPCA lists philodendron as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, and every part holds insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. A pet that chews a leaf gets a burning, swollen mouth, heavy drooling, and trouble swallowing. Treat this as a plant to keep out of reach, not a safe one.
This philodendron needs direct sun to keep its color.
Bright, curtain-filtered indirect light is what it actually wants, and direct sun scorches the velvety leaves. Most philodendrons even get by in low light, so there's never a reason to bake it on a hot windowsill.
Heavier feeding makes a philodendron grow faster and lusher.
Pile on the fertilizer and the leaf tips curl and brown as the salts build up. Dilute, regular feeding is all it needs, and a hungry plant recovers far more easily than an overfed one.