Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Philodendron Melanochrysum (Philodendron melanochrysum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Black Gold Philodendron, Melanochrysum, Melano, Velvet-leaf Philodendron.

More about philodendron melanochrysum

About Philodendron Melanochrysum

Philodendron melanochrysum · also called Black Gold Philodendron, Melanochrysum · tropical

Philodendron melanochrysum, the Black Gold Philodendron, is a Colombian rainforest climber prized for elongated, velvety dark-green leaves with golden veining. It wants bright indirect light, high humidity, warmth, and a moss pole to climb. Slow-growing but stunning. ASPCA-listed as toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalates.

Cold limit: USDA 9b-11 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere (18-29°C)

Watch for — Stalled or very slow growth: Often cool temperatures, low humidity, or dormancy. Keep above 18°C (65°F), avoid cold drafts, and maintain warmth and humidity for steady new leaves.

What philodendron melanochrysum's hardiness rating actually means

Philodendron Melanochrysum is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9b-11 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Philodendron Melanochrysum has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for philodendron melanochrysum as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can philodendron melanochrysum go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when philodendron melanochrysum can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Philodendron Melanochrysum hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is philodendron melanochrysum cold hardy?

Philodendron Melanochrysum is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Philodendron Melanochrysum can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 9b-11 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature philodendron melanochrysum can survive?

What hardiness zone is philodendron melanochrysum?

Philodendron Melanochrysum is rated USDA 9b-11 (outdoors); grown as a houseplant elsewhere and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can philodendron melanochrysum survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to philodendron melanochrysum below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.