Philodendron collectors that come across the Philodendron Dark Lord are often surprised at how easy this plant is to care for. With the right environment, they don’t require too much fuss to thrive.
The Philodendron Dark Lord is known for its amazingly chocolate leaves that turn dark green as they mature. In this article we go over how to care for a Philodendron Dark Lord.
Quick Overview on Philodendron Dark Lord Care
| Scientific Name | Philodendron Erubescens ‘Dark Lord’ |
| Light Requirements | Bright indirect light, morning sun ok |
| Watering Needs | Water once the soil has dried out in the top few inches. |
| Temperatures | 70°- 85°F (21°C – 30°C) |
| Humidity | 60% or more is ideal, never below 40%. |
| Fertilizer | Fertilize once a month during the spring and summer. |
| Soil | Well-draining, aroid bark based soil medium. |
| Toxicity | Toxic to both cats and dogs. |
Philodendron Dark Lord Origins
The Philodendron Dark Lord is a result of a hybrid breeding project for commercial purposes. It is a hybrid of the Philodendron Imperial Red.
The scientific name for the Dark Lord is Philodendron Erubescens ‘Dark Lord’.
Philodendron Dark Lord Light
As with most Philodendrons, the Dark Lord does best with bright indirect light. A couple of hours of morning sun can also benefit these plants.
Avoid allowing your Dark Lord to be in an area where it gets direct afternoon sun. The afternoon sun can lead to damage to the leaves.
Philodendron Dark Lord Size
The Philodendron Dark Lord can grow up to 6 feet tall when grown indoors.
The width of the plant can be up to 4 feet.
Leaves can get up to almost 2 feet in length.
Watering Needs
The Philodendron Dark Lord does best with evenly moist soil when watered.
Always feel the soil or test it with a soil moisture meter before watering and do not try to have a specific watering schedule.
When the top few inches of soil have dried out it is time to water your Philodendron Dark Lord.
Use distilled, filtered, or rainwater to water your Dark Lord. Tap water can have harsh chemicals and heavy metals that can cause issues with the plant’s health.
Philodendron Dark Lord Potting and Repotting
The two most important thing that a Philodendron Dark Lord needs when it comes to potting is something to climb up and a drainage hole.
Dark Lords are a climbing plant and do great with a moss pole or bamboo pole in their pot.
If you have a cutting or a young plant use a clear pot to keep an eye on soil moisture, root health, and root growth.
Repot your Dark Lord when they become rootbound. Sometimes this might need to be done two times a year if your Dark Lord is growing fast.
When choosing a new pot get one that is about 2 inches larger than its current pot. If your plant is growing fast you can get one that is 4 inches bigger.
Philodendron Dark Lord Soil Mix
The soil mix you use is very important to avoid root rot in your plant.
You can either buy a premade aroid soil mix or make your own with 40% potting soil, 40 % bark, 10% pearlite, and 10% worm castings.
Temperature
Temperatures should be kept between 70°F and 85°F (21°C – 30°C) for a Philodendron Dark Lord.
If the temperature drops below 60°F (15°C) the plant can begin to get damaged from getting too cold.
Humidity
60%-70% humidity is optimal for the Philodendron Dark Lord.
Always try to keep humidity above 40%.
Should You Mist Your Philodendron Dark Lord?
If you have a moss pole for your Dark Lord then you can mist the pole, but avoid misting the plant itself.
Misting plants can lead to bacterial and fungal issues and it is best to avoid misting.
Fertilizer
An organic liquid fertilizer used in the spring and summer is great for these Philodendrons. Follow the directions on the container of fertilizer you get for best dosing.
Philodendron Dark Lord Propagation
You can propagate the Philodendron Dark Lord by taking cuttings from the top of the plant.
If you have a moss pole on your plant you will already have some roots forming so you can use these as the base of your cutting.
If you take a cutting that does not have roots you want to dip the cutting in rooting hormone and the plant the cutting in a peat-based soil mix that has perlite added for drainage.
It can take up to six weeks for a cutting to develop roots.
Pets + Toxicity
The Philodendron Dark Lord is toxic to pets. Keep these in an area where your pets cannot reach them and chew on the plant.
Where to Find a Dark Lord Philodendron For Sale
Most often people find Dark Lords for sale on online plant shops and marketplaces such as Etsy.
Philodendron Dark Lord Price
The price for a Philodendron Dark Lord will vary from seller to seller. On average most are somewhere between $75 and $125. Be wary of sellers who are offering rock bottom prices for rarer plants, these can often be scammers or sickly plants.
Is The Philodendron Dark Lord Rare?
This is a more rare Philodendron to find, but it is not as rare as the Philodendron Spiritus Sancti.
Philodendron Dark Lord Problems
Bacterial Leaf Spot
If you start to see darks spots with yellow rings or halos on the leaves of your Dark Lord this is often due to bacterial leaf spot.
This will damage the structure of the leaf and can also affect the stems of the plant.
Use a copper fungicide to help to keep it from spreading to the rest of the plant and remove any leaves that have the spots. The leaves will not heal and cannot be cured from the bacteria leaf spot on them.
Spider Mites
Most often spider mites appear on Philodendrons because the area the plant is in is too dry.
Use neem oil to help get rid of any current infestation and increase the humidity in the room that you have your plant in.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are a small white fluffy looking bug that will often be on the underside of leaves or right where the stem of the leaf meets the main plant stem.
Neem oil can help with infestations of these, but often a stronger insecticidal soap is needed to fight off mealybugs.