Philodendron ‘Caramel Pluto’ (‘Chocolate Empress’, ‘Pluto’)

Origin of Philodendron ‘Caramel Pluto’ (‘Chocolate Empress’, ‘Pluto’)

‘Caramel Pluto’, ‘Chocolate Empress’ and ‘Pluto’ are current nursery trade names for this plant. The name ‘Pluto’ was already in commercial Philodendron use by the mid-1980s and continued in the later tissue-culture trade. The exact parentage and the connection between those early plants and today’s warm-coloured stock are still unclear. This cultivated Philodendron exists only in cultivation.

Growing Philodendron ‘Caramel Pluto’ (‘Chocolate Empress’, ‘Pluto’)

• Stability: Keep the crown stable in a well-anchored pot, adding a discreet stake if the short stem needs extra support.
• Pot and space: Use a stable pot with drainage and leave horizontal room for the crown. Choose a pot size that matches the root system and allows the surrounding mix to dry at a steady pace.
• Light: Place it in bright filtered or indirect light. After moving it to a brighter position, increase exposure gradually and protect it from harsh sudden sun.
• Water: Let the upper layer of the mix begin to dry, then water thoroughly and let the excess drain. Use the moisture in the mix and the weight of the pot as your watering cues.
• Potting mix: Choose a loose and airy, free-draining mix that still holds moderate moisture around the roots.
• Humidity and airflow: A 50–60% humidity range suits it. Keep the plant away from extreme dry heat and avoid leaving the foliage persistently wet.
• Temperature: A steady 18–29 °C range suits Philodendron ‘Caramel Pluto’ (‘Chocolate Empress’, ‘Pluto’). Keep it in warm, stable conditions, preferably above 15 °C and away from cold draughts.
• Feeding: Feed at a moderate dose while the plant is actively growing.
• Repotting: Give the roots more space once they crowd the pot, using a container only slightly larger. Use root crowding, slower drainage and loss of stability as the signals that the plant needs repotting.
• Propagation: Propagate from a rooted basal shoot when available, or from a healthy stem cutting that includes a node.

Reading changes in ‘Caramel Pluto’

• New leaves are warm coloured or develop even teeth: Caramel, bronze, chocolate, reddish or pink shades on fresh leaves can naturally shift towards olive and green as they mature. Evenly spaced teeth and shallow lobes can also be normal. Compare healthy leaves of different ages; ragged tears or new scars deserve a closer check.
• The crown spreads out or the pot becomes unstable: Weak light can cause longer gaps between leaves, but the broad crown may also become top-heavy. Improve filtered light gradually if the spot is dim, check root anchorage and the pot's balance, and use a discreet stake only when needed.
• A pale patch appears after strong light, or wet spots spread: Dry, bleached patches after stronger exposure point to sun or heat damage. Move the plant into filtered light; existing scorch remains. Wet, soft or foul-smelling spots that enlarge can signal leaf disease. Separate the plant, keep leaves dry, improve airflow and remove severely damaged tissue with clean tools. Obtain a reliable diagnosis before disease-specific products.
• Several lower leaves yellow while the root ball remains wet: Pause watering, remove standing water and check drainage. If decline continues, inspect the roots, keeping all firm roots and cutting away only clearly rotten tissue. Replace compacted mix with fresh, airy substrate. If decay reaches the short stem, retain only firm healthy tissue; discard the plant if nothing sound remains.
• Silver scars, fine webbing or insect deposits appear: Silvery marks with dark specks can indicate thrips; stippling and webbing suggest spider mites; cottony clusters indicate mealybugs; fixed bumps suggest scale. Inspect new leaves and leaf bases, isolate when pests are present, remove accessible insects and use a houseplant treatment labelled for the confirmed pest. Follow its repeat intervals. For identification and treatment, see the thrips guide and the spider-mite guide.

Philodendron ‘Caramel Pluto’ (‘Chocolate Empress’, ‘Pluto’) is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

How did Philodendron get its name?

Philodendron combines Greek philein, meaning “to love,” with dendron, meaning “tree.”

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Philodendron in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 780.