Houseplant · Araceae
Black-gold Philodendron
Philodendron melanochrysum
Give it warm, humid air and a pole to climb, and this velvet-leaved philodendron unfurls long, dark leaves lit with gold veining.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
The black-gold philodendron carries long, drooping leaves that hang in tapering blades from the stem. A new leaf opens a coppery bronze and darkens over time into a deep, near-black velvet surface so matte it seems to swallow light, and across that dark ground run bright threads of gold veining that trace the shape of each blade. The whole leaf has the soft, light-drinking nap of velvet rather than any gloss.
This is a climbing aroid, and the stem shows it: a thick, upright shoot that lengthens quickly in warm weather and grips a moss pole or slab as it rises. Each leaf that unfurls higher up the stem comes out larger than the one below it, so the plant carries a graded run of blades that broaden as they climb. The dark velvet and the gold lines give it one of the most distinctive leaf surfaces of any houseplant.
Up close, the plant reads as texture and contrast: matte black-green velvet against fine metallic veins, on leaves that droop and elongate as they mature. Its look leans hardest on humidity and even moisture, which keep the velvet nap taut and unblemished. When the air dries or the roots stay soggy, that surface is the first place the strain shows, in browning tips and dull, marked patches.
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 filters through a sheer curtain over a window. It holds on in medium light and even low light for a while, but direct sun scorches the velvety leaf surface and dulls its nap, 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 lose this plant, since poor drainage brings on root rot that softens the roots to brown pulp. Let the surface dry slightly between waterings rather than keeping it wet.
Soil
Use a well-draining potting mix high in organic matter so water runs through freely. The plant prefers acidic conditions, with a pH at or below 6.0, and a chunky aroid blend of bark and perlite leaves air pockets around the pale 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, where a chill can mark the leaves.
Humidity
This one wants high humidity, which keeps the velvet nap taut and unblemished. The drier the air, the sooner brown tips and spider mites show up on the dark surface, 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 hand, since overfeeding curls and browns the tips of those long leaves.
Pruning
Train and prune the climbing stems to keep the size and shape in check. Above all, give it a moss pole or slab to climb, since the natural climbing habit is what pushes each new leaf larger than the last.
Repotting
Repot whenever the plant outgrows its pot and the roots begin filling 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 velvet leaf surface shows it first. Watch the earliest browning tip or dulled, stippled patch and you can step in before it spreads across the blade. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Yellowing, slack leaves over dark, soft roots
When the velvet leaves fade to yellow and hang slack while the roots turn dark and squelch soft under a touch, root rot has taken hold from soil kept wet too long. The firm white roots have gone brown and pulpy. Cut back the watering, empty any water pooled in the saucer, and set the plant into fresh well-draining mix once the softened roots are trimmed away.
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 under fine webbing
A dusty stipple of tiny pale flecks and a bronzed cast across the velvet, laced with fine strands of webbing, mark spider mites feeding on the leaf undersides in dry air. Rinse the foliage and wipe each leaf clean of the film. Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and holding the humidity high makes the leaves far less inviting to them.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Raise humidity
White cottony fluff, sticky film, or bumps on stems
White cottony tufts pressed along the stems are mealybugs, soft clustered insects are aphids, and hard or waxy bumps stuck to the stem are scale, and all three leave a sticky, glistening honeydew behind. Lift them off with an alcohol-dipped swab. Follow with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and set the plant apart from the others until the stems are clean.
Fix:
- Wipe pests off with an alcohol-dipped swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the affected plant
Silvery flecking speckled with dark specks
A silvery, reflective flecking scattered with minute black specks across the leaf surface is the mark of thrips, slender insects that rasp at the tissue and scar it. Strip off the leaves that took the worst of the flecking. Treat the plant with insecticidal soap or a suitable insecticide, and keep it apart from the rest while their numbers fall.
Fix:
- Remove heavily infested leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or an appropriate insecticide
- Isolate the plant
Brown, curled tips and crisped leaf margins
When the leaf tips crisp brown and the margins curl in on themselves, a buildup of fertilizer salts is the usual culprit, with dry air or hard sun close behind. Flush the pot with plain water to carry the salts away and ease off the feeding. Lift the humidity and hold the plant in bright indirect light, 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
Sharp brown or black spots across the leaf
Rounded brown to black spots, some ringed by a soft yellow halo against the dark velvet, are fungal or bacterial leaf spot that takes hold where the foliage stays wet. Pick off the marked leaves and open the air around the plant. Send the water to the soil so the leaf surface stays 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, needle-fine and sharp, 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 through the velvet leaf releases the calcium oxalate crystals, and the sting hits the mouth at once. Look for heavy drooling, pawing at the face, a swollen tongue and lips, and trouble swallowing, sometimes with vomiting.
Dogs Moderate
Chewing the leaf brings burning and swelling to the mouth, tongue and lips, along with a sudden flood of drool. Many dogs gag, vomit, or paw at the muzzle as the irritation builds.
Horses Moderate
The same crystals inflame a horse's mouth and throat, leaving it drooling and off its feed. Horses cannot vomit, so the raw discomfort and difficulty swallowing tend to linger.
Rabbits Toxic
The leaves and stems carry the same needle-like crystals, so they are not safe to nibble. A rabbit that chews the plant can end up with a sore, swollen mouth and may turn away from its food.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals such as goats, sheep and cattle meet the calcium oxalate with a painful mouth, drooling, and an irritated gut. Keep the plant well beyond anywhere stock can reach.
Birds Toxic
A curious bird that pecks the foliage takes the same burning irritation into its beak and mouth. Pet birds are best kept clear of it entirely.
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 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
You can raise 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 length of stem that holds at least one node, that swollen joint along the stem, with a leaf still attached, and stand it in a moist medium. Any season works, though spring and summer growth is the most vigorous. The dormant bud swells and breaks in about 3 to 5 weeks, and pale roots push from the node in roughly 4 to 6 weeks.
Air layeringModerate
Any season · Several weeks for roots to form before severing
On the thick climbing stems, air-layering is the surer route. Pack a node in moist sphagnum moss and leave it for several weeks until white roots thread out through the moss, then cut the stem just below those 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, sharp and needle-like inside the tissue. A pet that chews a leaf gets a burning, swollen mouth, heavy drooling, and trouble swallowing. Read those velvet leaves 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 deepens its color, while direct sun scorches the velvety leaf surface. Most philodendrons even hold on in low light, so there is no call to bake it on a hot windowsill.
Heavier feeding makes a philodendron grow faster and lusher.
Overfeed it and the leaf tips curl and crisp brown as the salts build up in the soil. A dilute, regular feed is all it takes, and a hungry plant recovers far more readily than an overfed one.