Light
Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux
Araceae
Philodendron melanochrysum
- Curated selection:
Every plant is hand‑picked for health and visual appeal, so you receive a strong, well‑established plant.
- Representative photos:
Product images show a typical plant of this variety. Natural differences in leaf number, shape or variegation are normal, your plant will still match in type and quality.
- Size details:
Listed sizes refer to pot diameter (cm) and approximate overall height (cm) from the base of the pot to the tallest leaf or stem.
- “Get What You See” items:
If you are buying the exact plant shown in the photos, this is clearly stated in the size section.
- Individual photos:
One‑off photos are only provided when this is explicitly mentioned in the size section. - For special traits or small quirks, please check the full product description.
VAT included · plus
Your new plant has just travelled a long way and needs a calm start in its new home. For step-by-step unboxing and first-week care, check our after-delivery care guide. For deeper tips on how your plant settles in over the next weeks, read our houseplant acclimatization guide.
- Care basics , Main hub with links to all houseplant care guides.
- After delivery & first week , Unpacking, first placement, and early recovery.
- Light, How much light houseplants really need indoors.
- Watering , When to water and how to avoid root rot.
- Substrates & roots, Potting mixes and drainage for strong root systems.
- Humidity, When humidity matters and what actually helps.
- Fertilizing, Simple feeding routine without burning roots.
- Problems & pests, Yellow leaves, brown tips, bugs, and fixes that work.
- Semi-hydro, How to run low-maintenance mineral substrates.
Secure shipping, carefully packed orders with safe delivery across the EU, UK and Switzerland.
28-day plant guarantee, if a plant arrives damaged or fails soon after delivery, we help you make it right.
Free returns, simple, cost-free returns according to our policy.
For full details, please see:
Please head to our FAQ Page or Contact us.
Philodendron melanochrysum
Quick Care Guide
Watering
Water when ~30–50% dry
Substrate
Airy + fast-draining • Light moisture buffer • Bark-based • Medium-chunky
Temperature
Ideal: 18–29 °C • Avoid below: 15 °C
Humidity
Humid 60–80 % +
Growth habit
Climbing hemiepiphytic herbaceous perennial.
Support
recommended
Growth speed
High
Max size indoors
Max. height with support: 300 cm • Max. spread: 100 cm
Toxicity & safety
Toxic
Origin & habitat
Native to Colombia
Outdoor growing
Outside from 15 °C · sheltered spot
How to read these values
These care values are quick reference points for indoor growing. Use them as a guide, then adjust for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.
For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.
- Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
- Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
- Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
- Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
- Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.
- Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
- Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
- Growth speed: expected pace under suitable indoor conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.
- Max size indoors: realistic long-term indoor size under good conditions.
- Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
- Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
- Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.
Philodendron melanochrysum
Philodendron melanochrysum is an Araceae species from Colombia, known for deep green velvet leaves, pale to golden venation and adult blades that become much more elongated as the plant matures. Young leaves are smaller and more heart-shaped; older leaves gain their strongest proportions once the stem has steady upward support.
Direct sun can mark the soft leaf surface, dry air can make new growth stick or tear, and cold wet roots can slow the plant down. Bright filtered light, an airy mix, warm temperatures and higher humidity help new leaves open more evenly.
Philodendron melanochrysum leaf texture and mature shape
- Family: Araceae, the aroid family.
- Foliage: Deep green velvet leaves with pale to golden main veins.
- Juvenile growth: Young leaves are smaller and more heart-shaped.
- Mature growth: Leaves become larger and more elongated as the plant gains height.
- Growth habit: A climbing Philodendron with aerial-root nodes along the stem.
- Indoor development: Leaf size improves gradually on support, while young plants stay much smaller.
- Growth rate: Moderate in warm, bright, humid conditions, slower when kept cool or too dry.
- Safety: Toxic if chewed or swallowed by pets or children.
How Philodendron melanochrysum develops on support
Philodendron melanochrysum grows from an upward stem, and adult leaf size improves when the nodes can attach to a vertical surface. A pole, plank or similar support gives aerial roots contact points and gives each new leaf enough room to expand.
In habitat, Philodendron melanochrysum is associated with humid Colombian forest, where climbing stems develop in filtered light and consistently warm conditions. Indoors, the same growth pattern needs an airy root zone, stable moisture and enough vertical space for the stem to continue upward.
The soft leaf surface should be protected from harsh sun and repeated handling. New leaves emerge delicate and can catch if the air is dry or the plant swings between too dry and too wet. Dry air and irregular watering are most visible while a new leaf is opening.
Care for Philodendron melanochrysum foliage
- Light: Place Philodendron melanochrysum in bright filtered light. Direct sun can scorch or bleach the leaves.
- Water: Water after part of the mix has dried. Cold wet substrate can damage roots and stall new growth.
- Humidity: Higher humidity helps soft new leaves unfurl without sticking or tearing.
- Temperature: Keep warm and away from cold windows, cold floors and draughts.
- Substrate: Use a chunky aroid mix that holds light moisture while leaving air around the roots.
- Repotting: Repot when roots fill the pot, the mix has collapsed or the support no longer suits the stem height.
- Fertilising: Feed lightly during active growth; reduce feeding when light levels and growth slow.
- Propagation: Propagate from stem cuttings with at least one node, kept warm and humid while rooting.
- Leaf care: Avoid rubbing the surface; damaged areas can remain visible on mature leaves.
- Pruning: Remove damaged leaves at the petiole base or shorten an overlong stem above a healthy node.
- Support: Provide a pole, plank or similar vertical surface so the stem can develop upward.
- Semi-hydroponics: Semi-hydro can work when roots are adapted gradually and the reservoir stays clean and oxygenated.
Philodendron melanochrysum leaf issues and pests
- Stuck new leaves: Low humidity or uneven watering can make soft new growth catch before it opens fully.
- Brown leaf marks: Direct sun, dry roots or physical rubbing can damage the leaf surface.
- Yellowing leaves: Check for wet roots, cold substrate or an old mix that has collapsed around the root zone.
- Pests: Spider mites and thrips can hide on textured foliage and tender new growth, so inspect regularly.
Philodendron melanochrysum toxicity
Philodendron melanochrysum contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, so leaves, petioles and stems should stay away from pets and children that may chew plants.
Botanical background of Philodendron melanochrysum
Philodendron was described by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Litteratur, Theater und Mode, and the genus name means tree-loving from Greek philo- or philein and dendron. Philodendron melanochrysum was described by Linden and André and published in L’Illustration Horticole in 1873. The species epithet melanochrysum combines Greek elements for dark or black and gold, referring to the contrast between the dark leaf surface and warm pale venation.
A velvet-leaved Colombian Philodendron with dark foliage, warm venation and elongated mature leaves on support.
Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.
Philodendron melanochrysum
Sale price€9,50
FAQs about Philodendron melanochrysum – long velvet leaves, bronze new growth, and humidity
Recently viewed:
Sign up for Foliage Factory newsletter for early access to new arrivals and practical care tips that work in real homes.