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Philodendron Dark Lord (Full Guide)

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The Philodendron Dark Lord is part of the vast Araceae family, including more than 3,750 known species. It originates from the tropical canopies of Panama and Colombia, although they have been found growing in the Philippines, Seychelles, and North Africa, all introduced by humans.

Philodendron Dark Lord is a hybrid of the famous imperial red Philodendron erubescens. In the last 15 years, this plant has typically remained unknown until it became famous because of many Instagram posts and glowing reels that highlighted its exceptional features.

Philodendron Dark Lord 2
Philodendron Dark Lord – via Etsy

Characteristics of Philodendron Dark Lord

1. Leaves

The leaves of the Philodendron Dark Lord are generally large and imposing and have a spear shape. The leaves alternately on the stem. 

The quality of Philodendron Dark Lords is that they have succulent leaves, and mature leaves can be very different. At the beginning of the plant’s life, the leaves will take on the typical shape and size of the juicer. 

Later in the Philodendron Dark Lord’s life, it begins to produce mature leaves, a process called metamorphosis. 

It undergoes metamorphosis away from what is usually much more than juicy leaves. The shape of adult leaves can be significantly different. 

Due to these differences, the considerable taxonomic difficulty has occurred, causing succulent and mature plants to be misclassified as different species. 

It can be pretty painful to develop into mature leaves. One of the possible is the height of the plant. Once it achieves sufficient growth, it begins to develop adult-type leaves. 

2. Roots

Philodendron Dark Lords have both aerial and subterraneous roots. Aerial roots come in many shapes and sizes and originate from most of the nodes in the plant or sometimes from internodes. 

The size and number of aerial roots per node depend on a suitable underlayment for anchoring the roots. Aerial roots serve two primary purposes. They allow the plant to attach to a tree or other plant and also allow it to collect water and rents. 

As such, roots are morphologically divided into these two categories. Aerial roots used for attachment to trees are usually more numerous and sometimes have a layer of root hairs attached. 

Those used to collect water and rents are usually more thoughtful and longer. These feeders tend to attach flush with the bedding, to which the Philodendron Dark Lord is attached, and wade straight down in search of soil. 

The feeder root tends to exhibit both negative heliotropic and positive hydrotropic behavior. The characteristic feature of roots is the availability of sclerotic hypodermis that are cylindrical tubes within the epidermis that can be one to five cells long.

3. Distribution

You can find Philodendron Dark Lords in many diverse habitats in the tropical Americas and West Indies. Most are found in tropical rainforests but can also be found in swamps and along river banks, roadsides, and rock outcrops. 

They are also found throughout the entire range of altitudes from sea level to over 2000 m above sea level. Philodendron Dark Lords are often squeezed over other plants or overtake tree trunks with aerial roots. 

They typically distinguish themselves in their environment by their more significant numbers compared to other plants, making them a prominent component of the eco-environment in which they are found. 

They are found in large numbers in road clearing. Also, they can be found in Australia, some of the Pacific Islands, Africa, and Asia, although they are not impermissible and have been introduced or disappeared accentually.

4. Growing

Philodendron Dark Lords can be grown in soft mating in shady pots. They are found in moist soils with a high organic matter content. In softer mats, they can be grown in soil pots or containers of water. 

They can operate at temperatures between 15 and 18 °C and grow at lower light levels than other houseplants. While Philodendron Dark Lords may be in dark places, they prefer bright lights. 

Wiping the leaves with water will remove any dust and insects. Potted plants with good root systems will benefit from a weak freezer solution every two weeks.

5. Spreading

New plants can be grown by taking stem sutures with at least two necks. These pots are placed in green pots with a bottom warmth of 21 – 24 °C.

Philodendron Dark Lords should be kept out of direct sunlight during rooting. After four to five weeks, the plant should develop roots and can be transferred to pots.

Making philodendrons is relatively easy if flowering plants are available because there are very few barriers to preventing dialysis. 

However, making crosses can make it challenging to dialyze Philodendron Dark Lords. Philodendrons often bloom at different times and the time when the spots open varies from plant to plant. 

Pollen and inflorescence have short lifespans, which means that an extensive collection of philodendrons is needed to cross successfully. Then a window is cut into spar, and a water-pollen mixture is rubbed on fertile female flowers. 

Then the whole spat is covered with the plastic bag so that the water-pollen mixture don’t dry out. The package is removed after some days. If the inflorescence has not been fermented, it will fall off, usually within a few weeks.

Philodendron Dark Lord 1
Philodendron Dark Lord – via Etsy

Caring for Philodendron Dark Lord

1. Light requirements

The most important thing this plant requires is the correct amount of intensity and light to maintain its unique appearance and grow healthy.

Therefore, for Philodendron Dark Lord, you’ll need to give it the correct amount of bright and indirect light at all times.  It filters light instead of direct sunlight as it can burn the leaves or, in the worst case, cause discoloration.

If you choose to grow indoors, make sure the plant is at least 30 cm away from the sun if you are using a window.

Also, if you want to grow outdoors, you can place Philodendron Dark Lord under a tree or anywhere that receives inadequate sunlight shade. In short, this plant requires partial shade and little direct light to grow well.

2. Humidity and temperature

Philodendron Dark Lord is a native tropical plant used naturally at high humidity and temperatures. Growing outdoors or indoors in a non-tropical setting does not change that, so you are required to mimic the natural habitat.

For this to be done, you need to grow Philodendron Dark Lord at least 60 °F and the highest of 80 °F.

It will make indoor growing perfect for the Philodendron Dark Lord all year round. Ensure you keep the plant away from vents or other places where cold drafts can occur to avoid problems.

Also, in terms of humidity, this plant loves it more. You can increase the local humidity of this plant by grouping the plants, placing the pebbles in a container filled with water near the plant.

3. Watering

Watering the Philodendron Dark Lord is a straightforward task. You need the soil on this plant to drain well while retaining some moisture.

To do this, you are required to make sure you’re using soil, which drains well but retains some moisture. You can use one part perlite and peat moss for this job.

You can also use 1/3 standard potting mix, 1/3 perlite, and 1/3 peat and add or remove other materials as you like.

When the soil is in good condition, watering is effortless. Water the Philodendron Dark Lord until the soil is completely dry.

4. Repotting

Most philodendrons do not cope with the bound roots, and the philodendron dark lord is the same. After a while, it causes slow growth. To keep the plant happy and healthy, you need to check for these signs that must be repotted.

The roots shoot from the bottom or top of the vessel and circulate around the base. Typically, the plant requires water every few days, more than before, and the soil has been depleted from nutrients because it has been used for the year. You will discover that the soil is very compact.

When repotting, it can cause some discomfort to the plant, but sticking around the base adds stress, so it is worth doing. So, when repotting, you need to plant in early spring when the new growth phase begins and choose a slightly larger container than the previous pot.

5. Toxicity

Philodendron Dark Lords can contain up to 0.7% oxalates in the form of calcium oxalate crystals. The risk of death, if possible, is extremely low if it is provided by the average adult, although its consumption is generally considered unhealthy. 

In general, calcium oxalate crystals have a very mild effect on humans, and large amounts have to be expended for symptoms even to appear. 

Potential symptoms include increased salivation, yaw, stinging swelling, stomatitis, dyagia, inability to speak, and swelling. Cases of mild dermatitis due to contact with leaves have also been reported, with symptoms including vesiculation and eremia. 

Chemical derivatives of alkylresorcinols are thought to be responsible for dermatitis in some people. It is also known that contact with Philodendron Dark Lords oils or fluids with the eyes leads to conuncitis.

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Conclusion

The Philodendron Dark Lord is a tropical plant. It is known for its striking and unusual foliage with long arrow-shaped leaves and a cherry-red underside.

Its leaves turn bright pink or dark orange before turning blood red and turning dark green with the silver-maroon underside. It can sometimes appear completely black, therefore the name Dark Lord.