Houseplant · Araceae
Black-gold Philodendron
Philodendron melanochrysum
Give it warm, humid air and a pole to climb, and this velvet-leaved philodendron powers out deep, glittering foliage.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
Growers chase the black-gold philodendron for its long, drooping leaves, which burst out a coppery bronze and deepen into a near-black velvet streaked with gold veining. It belongs to the arum family and, out in the wild, storms up the wet forests of Colombia, hauling itself up tree trunks toward the light. It wants to do exactly that indoors, so hand it a moss pole or slab to climb and the leaves swell to their full, jaw-dropping size.
This is a climbing aroid, not some tidy little tabletop plant. The stems race upward in warm weather and each new leaf outsizes the last as the plant climbs higher, which is why good support pays off so fast. Give it bright indirect light, steady warmth, and humid air, and it hands back one of the boldest leaf textures you can grow indoors.
It does push you a little harder than the average philodendron, mostly around humidity and even moisture. Dial those two in and it shrugs off almost everything else. Let the air dry out or the roots sit soggy, though, and the velvet leaves flag it in a hurry, so you get a clear cue to jump back in.
Care
The short version: hand it bright indirect light, warmth locked in at 65°F to 85°F (18°C to 29°C), humidity running high, an airy fast-draining mix that stays just damp and never sodden, and a pole it can charge up.
Light
Give it bright indirect light, the kind that streams past a window dressed in a sheer curtain. It coasts along in 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 let the pot stand in water. Soggy roots are the fastest way to lose this plant, since poor drainage kicks off root rot, so let the surface dry a touch between waterings instead of keeping it wet.
Soil
Load it into a well-draining potting mix high in organic matter so water tears straight through. It leans acidic, favoring a pH at or below 6.0, and a chunky aroid blend with bark and perlite keeps air pumping around the roots.
Temperature
Warmth is where it really fires up, ideally between 65°F and 85°F (18°C to 29°C). It has zero tolerance for cold drafts or chilly windowsills, so keep it well clear of doors and vents in winter.
Humidity
This one craves high humidity, where its tropical streak shines. The drier the air, the faster brown tips and spider mites move in, so cluster 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 it light, since overfeeding curls and browns the leaf tips.
Pruning
Train and prune the climbing stems to keep the size and shape on track. Above all, hand it a moss pole or slab to climb, since the natural climbing habit is what drives the leaves to their largest and most spectacular.
Repotting
Repot the moment it outgrows its pot and the roots start jamming the container, and tackle it in any season. Bump it up one pot size into fresh well-draining mix rather than leaping to a much larger container.
Troubleshooting
Almost every snag with this plant loops back to watering and humidity, and the leaves fire off an early warning. Catch that first browning tip or speckled leaf and you can jump in before it spreads. Match what you spot below, then move while it still counts.
Yellowing, wilting leaves and dark, mushy roots
Yellow, drooping leaves and dark, mushy roots mean root rot has crept in from soil that stayed wet way too long. Jump on it fast. Cut back the watering, pour off any water pooling in the saucer, and repot into fresh well-draining mix while you trim out every soft, rotted root.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency and empty standing water from the saucer
- Repot into fresh well-draining mix and trim away rotted roots
Bronze-tinged, dotted foliage wrapped in thin webs
Dry air rolls out the welcome mat for spider mites, which crowd the undersides and leave a dusty stipple and thin webbing behind. Blast the foliage with a rinse, wipe every leaf down, and hit them with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Keep the humidity climbing and the plant turns into a place they want no part of.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Raise humidity
Fuzzy white clumps, honeydew stickiness, or waxy bumps on the stems
Cottony clusters call out mealybugs, soft huddled insects mean aphids, and hard waxy bumps mean scale, and all three leave a sticky honeydew behind. Swipe them off with an alcohol-dipped swab and chase them with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Pull the plant away from the rest of your collection until it comes up spotless.
Fix:
- Wipe pests off with an alcohol-dipped swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the affected plant
Silver-streaked leaves peppered with minute black dots
Silvery patches sprinkled with tiny black specks give away thrips, slim insects that rasp away at the leaf surface. Strip off the leaves that took the worst of it and treat the plant with insecticidal soap or a suitable insecticide. Set it apart from the rest while you drive the numbers down.
Fix:
- Remove heavily infested leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or an appropriate insecticide
- Isolate the plant
Crispy brown tips and curling leaf edges
Crispy tips usually shout fertilizer salt buildup, though dry air or harsh sun can join in too. Flush the pot with plain water to wash the salts right out, and dial back the feeding. Then crank up the humidity and park the plant in bright indirect light, well clear of 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 on the leaves
Round spots, some ringed with a yellow halo, flag fungal or bacterial leaf spot, and wet foliage is what kicks it off. Snap off the marked leaves and get the air moving around the plant. Aim your watering at the soil so the leaves stay bone dry.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Avoid wetting the foliage and improve air circulation
Toxicity
Fair warning: this one is toxic. Every part carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, the same irritant running right through the arum family, and a chewed piece burns the mouth and throat. Grow it up and out of reach of cats, dogs, horses, and small children, and rinse your hands after you prune or take cuttings.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that bites a leaf runs straight into the calcium oxalate crystals, and the mouth stings on the spot. Watch for heavy drooling, pawing at the face, a swollen tongue and lips, and trouble swallowing, sometimes with a bout of vomiting.
Dogs Moderate
One chew fires off burning and swelling across the mouth, tongue and lips, plus a sudden gush of drool. Plenty of dogs gag, vomit, or paw at the muzzle as the irritation ramps up.
Horses Moderate
Those same crystals inflame a horse's mouth and throat, so it drools and backs off its feed. Horses cannot vomit, which means the discomfort and the trouble swallowing tend to drag on.
Rabbits Toxic
The leaves and stems pack the same irritating crystals, so a rabbit should never nibble them. One that chews the plant can wind up with a sore, swollen mouth and may quit eating for a while.
Livestock Toxic
Grazers like goats, sheep and cattle hit the calcium oxalate with mouth pain, drooling, and gut irritation. Keep the plant well beyond anywhere stock can reach.
Birds Toxic
A curious bird that pecks the foliage picks up the same burning irritation in its beak and mouth. Keep pet birds clear of it altogether.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant to be eaten. A chewed leaf burns the mouth and throat, and handling the cut stems can leave 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
Multiplying this philodendron is one of the best parts of growing it, 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
Snip a stem cutting that carries at least one node and a leaf, then plant it into a moist medium to root. Go for it in any season, though it really takes off during the spring and summer growth. Hang in there, because buds break in about 3 to 5 weeks and roots follow in roughly 4 to 6 weeks, and watching that first new leaf push out is a real payoff.
Air layeringModerate
Any season · Several weeks for roots to form before severing
On thick climbing stems, air-layering is the surer win. Pack a node in moist sphagnum moss and leave it working for several weeks until roots break through, then cut the stem just below the new roots and pot it up.
Myths
Philodendrons count as pet-friendly plants with nothing toxic in them.
The ASPCA flags philodendron as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, and every part packs insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. A pet that chews a leaf gets a burning, swollen mouth, heavy drooling, and trouble swallowing. Grow it high and out of reach, and never treat it as pet-safe.
Full sun is what keeps this philodendron's color rich.
Bright, curtain-filtered indirect light is what really makes it thrive, and direct sun torches those velvety leaves. Most philodendrons even push on in low light, so there is zero reason to bake it on a hot windowsill.
Doubling the fertilizer pushes a philodendron to grow bigger, faster.
Pour on the fertilizer and the leaf tips curl and brown as the salts stack up. A dilute, regular feed drives all the growth it wants, and a hungry plant bounces back far more easily than an overfed one.