Houseplant · Araceae
Black-gold Philodendron
Philodendron melanochrysum
Offer it warm, humid air and a pole to climb, and this velvet-leaved philodendron becomes a quietly dramatic presence in a room.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
The black-gold philodendron earns its place for its long, drooping leaves, which open a coppery bronze and deepen into a near-black velvet threaded with gold veining. A member of the arum family, in the wild it climbs the wet forests of Colombia, working its way up tree trunks toward the light. That upward habit is the whole appeal indoors, and a moss pole or slab turns it into a vertical column of foliage that anchors a corner rather than fussing on a tabletop.
This is a climbing aroid, so it belongs where it can rise: a moody entryway, a shelf-lined reading nook, or beside a tall window that keeps the light soft. The stems lengthen quickly in warm rooms, and the leaves grow larger the higher the plant climbs, which lets a single specimen fill vertical space that a bushier plant never could. Give it bright indirect light, steady warmth, and humid air, and it settles into a home as a piece with real presence.
It does ask a little more of a household than the average philodendron, mostly around humidity and even moisture. Fold those two into a daily routine, a bright bathroom or a spot near a humidifier, and it slots into the rhythm of a home with ease. Let the air run dry or the pot stay soggy, though, and the velvet leaves lose the composure that makes them worth featuring.
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 that pours through a window softened by a sheer curtain. It puts up with medium light and even low light for a while, which widens where it can live in a home, 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 sitting in water. Soggy roots are the quickest way to lose this plant, since poor drainage brings on root rot, so let the surface dry slightly between waterings rather than keeping it wet.
Soil
Pot it in a well-draining potting mix high in organic matter so water runs through freely. It leans acidic, preferring a pH at or below 6.0, and a chunky aroid blend with bark and perlite keeps air moving around the roots.
Temperature
Warm rooms suit it best, ideally between 65°F and 85°F (18°C to 29°C). It has no patience for cold drafts or chilly windowsills, so keep it well away from doors and vents through the winter months.
Humidity
This one wants high humidity, a nod to its tropical origins, which makes a bright bathroom or a kitchen a natural home. The drier the air, the more likely brown tips and spider mites appear, 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. Keep a light touch, since overfeeding curls and browns the leaf tips.
Pruning
Train and prune the climbing stems to hold the shape and scale you want in the room. Above all, give it a moss pole or slab to climb, since the natural climbing habit is what carries the leaves to their largest and most striking size.
Repotting
Repot when it outgrows its container and the roots begin to crowd, which you can do in any season. Move it up a single pot size into fresh well-draining mix rather than jumping to a much larger container that overwhelms the display.
Troubleshooting
Most of what goes wrong with this plant leads back to watering and humidity, and the leaves signal it early. Notice the first browning tip or speckled leaf and you can step in before it spoils the display. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Yellowing, wilting leaves and dark, soft roots
Yellowing, wilting leaves paired with dark, soft roots are the mark of root rot, which sets in when the soil stays wet for too long. Scale back the watering and pour off anything collecting in the saucer beneath the pot. Then settle the plant into fresh well-draining mix and trim away the roots that have turned soft.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency and empty standing water from the saucer
- Repot into fresh well-draining mix and trim away rotted roots
Bronzed, stippled leaves veiled in fine webbing
Dry indoor air opens the door to spider mites, which settle on the leaf undersides and leave a dusty stipple and fine webbing in their wake. Rinse the foliage, wipe the leaves clean, and treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Holding the humidity up makes the plant a far less welcoming place for them.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Raise humidity
Cottony tufts, sticky film, or bumps on stems
Cottony tufts give away mealybugs, soft clustered insects mean aphids, and firm waxy bumps mean scale, and each of them leaves a sticky honeydew behind. Lift them off with a swab dipped in alcohol, then treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Set the plant apart from the rest of the collection until it is clean again.
Fix:
- Wipe pests off with an alcohol-dipped swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the affected plant
Silvery flecking with tiny dark specks
Silvery patches scattered with minute black droppings are the signature of thrips, slender insects that rasp away at the leaf surface. Take off the worst-hit leaves and treat the plant with insecticidal soap or a suitable insecticide. Keep it apart from the rest while their numbers come down.
Fix:
- Remove heavily infested leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or an appropriate insecticide
- Isolate the plant
Browned, curling tips and dry leaf edges
Scorched tips generally trace to a buildup of fertilizer salts, with dry air or strong sun as runners-up. Rinse the pot through with plain water to carry the salts away, and lighten the feeding. Lift the humidity and settle the plant in bright indirect light, clear 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 across the leaves
Rounded spots, now and then edged with a soft yellow halo, are fungal or bacterial leaf spot, and wet foliage is what invites them. Take off the marked leaves and open up the air around the plant. Direct your watering to the soil so the leaves stay dry.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Avoid wetting the foliage and improve air circulation
Toxicity
For all its poise, 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. Place 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 into a leaf meets the calcium oxalate crystals right away, and the mouth stings at once. Look for heavy drooling, pawing at the face, a swollen tongue and lips, and difficulty swallowing, sometimes with vomiting alongside.
Dogs Moderate
A chew brings burning and swelling to the mouth, tongue and lips, together with a sudden rush of drool. Many dogs will gag, vomit, or paw at the muzzle as the irritation takes hold.
Horses Moderate
The same crystals inflame a horse's mouth and throat, leaving it drooling and off its feed. Because horses cannot vomit, the discomfort and the difficulty swallowing tend to linger.
Rabbits Toxic
The leaves and stems carry the same irritating crystals, so they are no place for a rabbit to browse. A rabbit that chews the plant can end up with a sore, swollen mouth and may lose its appetite.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals such as goats, sheep and cattle meet the calcium oxalate with mouth pain, drooling, and an irritated gut. The plant belongs well beyond anywhere stock can reach.
Birds Toxic
A curious bird that pecks the foliage takes the same burning irritation to its beak and mouth. Pet birds are best kept clear of it entirely.
People Caution
No part of this plant is for the table. A chewed leaf burns the mouth and throat, and handling the cut stems can leave the skin itchy or inflamed, so wash your hands afterward 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
Building your collection from this philodendron takes little effort, whether you root a stem cutting or air-layer 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 keeps at least one node and a leaf, then stand it in a moist medium to root. Any season suits it, though it moves fastest through the spring and summer growth. Give it time, since 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
On the thicker climbing stems, air-layering is the more reliable route. Wrap a node in moist sphagnum moss and leave it in place for several weeks until roots appear, 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 carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. A pet that chews a leaf ends up with a burning, swollen mouth, heavy drooling, and trouble swallowing. Style it as a plant to place out of reach, never one to leave within a pet's world.
This philodendron needs direct sun to keep its color.
Bright, curtain-filtered indirect light is what it truly favors, since direct sun scorches the velvety leaves. Most philodendrons even hold their own in low light, so there is no case for setting it on a hot, sunny sill.
Heavier feeding makes a philodendron grow faster and lusher.
Overdo the fertilizer and the leaf tips curl and brown as salts collect in the soil. A dilute, regular feed is all it asks for, and an underfed plant recovers far more gracefully than an overfed one.