How to Care for Philodendron Ceylon Golden Plant

Last Updated on June 10, 2022 by Admin

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden is also known as the Philodendron Ceylon Gold. The plant gets its name from its oval-shaped bright fluorescent green leaves.

The leaves are what make the plant stunning to look at.

And if you let it grow out, you’ll see the density at which is foliage can grow. This is when the plant looks most impressive.

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden plant is a climber with air purifying ability.

It also goes by many other names including:

Philodendron Golden Emerald
Fiddle Leaf Philodendron
Velvet Leaf Philodendron
Philodendron Erubescens Gold
Philodendron Gold Erubescens
Gold Satin Philodendron

How do you care for the Philodendron Ceylon Golden? It is a tropical plant that enjoys plenty of bright indirect or filtered light. This will allow it to maintain its bright green foliage.

Avoid low light and also very intense direct sunlight. Both negatively affect its leaf color.

Keep the plant in a warm, humid area. Avoid overwatering and let the soil dry between waterings.

Table of Contents

Philodendron Ceylon Golden Plant Care

Philodendron Ceylon Gold Light Requirements

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden Plant enjoys medium to bright indirect light. Ideally, it prefers natural sunlight.

But it will do well with artificial lighting if you don’t get a lot of sun into your home.

So, you can use fluorescent lights or LED grow lights to supplement natural sun if needed.

I mention this because the Philodendron Ceylon Golden needs plenty of light to maintain its light green/lime color.

Thus, it is best suited in a well-lit location.

The best spots are near an east or west facing window where it can get early morning or late afternoon sun.

However, as much as it likes good lighting, be careful with excess light.

In its native habitat, the plant is found in the tropical rainforests of South America. Because it does not grow as tall as the huge trees, it lives under the shade of the branches and leaves overhead.

Therefore, the Philodendron Ceylon Gold is not accustomed to receiving very strong direct sunlight.

It can tolerate about 2 or 3 hours of this on a regular basis.

But more than that, especially during mid-day when the sun is most intense, will eventually burn its leaves.

Even if the intensity is not enough to scorch its foliage, you’ll see their colors fade due to the excess exposure.

Thus, avoid the direct rays of the sun. Also, don’t leave it near a south facing window which receives the brunt of the hottest sun.

Instead, distance the plant at least 3 feet from the window or filter the light using sheer blinds.

Philodendron Ceylon Gold Temperature

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden is a tropical plant. Therefore, it is used to moderate to warm weather. It can likewise tolerate hot conditions without any problems.

That said. because it lives under the shade of the larger trees in the forest, it is used to more moderate to warm conditions.

Ideally, it prefers temperatures between 55 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

This makes it easy to grow indoors in your home as humans typically keep homes between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, avoid leaving it anywhere colder than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s because it does not like the cold. It is not frost hardy.

Nor does the plant enjoy staying in cold weather.

This usually isn’t a problem indoors as people tend to keep home temperatures moderate and cozy. But there are a few things to watch out.

These include air conditioners, or anything that pushes cold air. Similarly, don’t keep the plant near an open window or open door where cold drafts can enter.

In addition with not doing well with the cold, it also has problems with sudden temperature fluctuations.

So, avoid leaving it in spots where nighttime temperature can significantly drop from daytime temperature. Areas which see a -15 degree or more drop is not good for the plant.

Its preference for consistent warm weather is why it does best outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11.

The weather stays sunny and relatively warm even during November through March.

On the other hand, in colder regions, the plant is usually kept indoors as a houseplant. You can still bring in outside between mid-spring and mid-fall when the weather is warm.

Just make sure to take it back indoors before things get cold late in the year.

Humidity

The Philodendron Ceylon Gold enjoys high humidity. Again, the reason for this is the plant is accustomed to the tropical rainforest environment.

Tropical regions tend not only to have warm to very hot weather, they’re also very humid.

In addition, the regular rain in the rainforest means there’s lots of moisture that further increases the humidity.

As such, the Philodendron Ceylon Golden prefers humidity between 65% to 80%.

This is its sweet spot where it will be happiest. It will grow the fastest here. And it will produce larger foliage not to mention more vibrant ones.

However, as long as you maintain humidity of 40% and higher the plant will be fine indoors.

I’ve also noticed that it can tolerate levels slightly below 40% without any harm or issues.

But if humidity in your home consistently stays in the high 20s or low 30s, it is a good idea to monitor the plant’s leaves to see if it can adjust to the drier air.

As long as the edges and tips of the leaves don’t turn brown or crispy, it is good with the humidity.

If they do, it means it needs your help to boost humidity.

You can use a humidifier or mist the plant. You can likewise use a pebble tray or humidity tray.

How Often to Water Philodendron Ceylon Golden

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden enjoys moist soil. However, it dislikes soggy, wet soil.

Like most tropical plants, this philodendron is susceptible to overwatering.

As such, try to avoid watering it too frequently.

Overwatering can lead to root rot which can ultimately destroy the plant.

This is why the best way to water the Philodendron Ceylon Gold is to wait until the top few inches of soil has dried before adding more water.

The best way to do this is to check the soil regularly.

You can do so by feeling the surface of the soil. If it feels moist or wet, it means don’t water yet.

But if the soil feels dry to the touch, insert your index finger down to the second knuckle. This will be about 2 inches from the top of the soil.

The soil at this depth needs to feel completely dry before you add any water.

Never do so before then.

By waiting for the top 2 inches to dry between waterings, you’re able to avoid overwatering the plant.

If you want to be more conservative, you can wait until the top half of the soil is dry before adding more water. This works just as well. And the roots will stay moist.

Besides using your finger, you can use a moisture meter instead.

This is an alternative if you don’t like getting your hands dirty.

Philodendron Ceylon Golden Potting Soil

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden needs loose, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter.

It is very important for the soil to have sufficient drainage to avoid waterlogging and overwatering. Similarly, a loose, porous medium will allow air to get through the roots.

The plant’s roots like a good balance of oxygen and water.

You want to avoid heavy soils which retain lots of moisture. This will make soil wet and mucky. And it will leave the plant’s roots in water for long periods of time.

On the other hand, it is likewise not a good idea to use very sandy soils.

These will drain too much moisture too quickly. In doing so, it leaves the plant dry and underwatered.

Instead, choose well-draining soil as this will retain some (but not a lot of) moisture. At the same time it will quickly get rid of excess water to avoid letting the roots sit in liquid for long periods of time.

The simplest way to get this kind of soil is to look for an Aroid mix.

It is available in nurseries and online plant shops. Although not everyone carries them. So, you may need to search a bit.

You can likewise make your own DIY potting mix for the Philodendron Ceylon Golden plant if you wish. Here’s a potting mix recipe that works really well.

Mix equal parts of:

Sphagnum moss
Perlite
Orchid bark
Horticulture charcoal
Worm castings

The moss holds moisture while the perlite, bark and charcoal provide good drainage. Additionally both the bark and charcoal are chunky in nature. So, they allow air to circulate to the roots.

Worm castings provide nutrients to the soil.

Besides well-draining soil and proper watering, make sure to use a pot with sufficient drainage. This way, the excess moisture can drip out of the container.

Philodendron Ceylon Gold Fertilizer

Feeding the plant with a balanced fertilizer is the best way to help it grow and produce its lovely leaves.

The plant food also allows it to maintain its lime green color.

You can use a liquid fertilizer once a month during the plant’s growing season (spring and summer). Dilute the does by half the suggested strength on the product label.

Don’t feed the plant during fall and winter.

In case you see pale colored leaves, it means that the Philodendron Ceylon Gold is not getting enough calcium and magnesium.

Therefore, check your fertilizer to make sure that it contains micronutrients.

On the other hand, slow growth and smaller leaves often mean lack of sunlight or fertilizer. At times, both.

If the plant is getting enough sun, then you can increase application to once every 2 weeks and see if it improves.

Avoid overdoing the plant food as it can result in fertilizer burn.

Pruning

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden can grow to 8 to 10 feet tall. It is a climbing plant. So, giving it a support to go up on will allow it to grow bigger.

The added benefit of this is larger leaves as well.

Indoors, most Philodendron Ceylon Gold plants are usually kept between 2 to 4 feet. At least that’s been my observation.

It looks just as great when kept relatively smaller as it does when you let it grow out.

So, you can decide what size is best for you and your home based on the space you have indoors.

Pruning is a low maintenance task for this plant.

Although, you’ll need to remove outliers and leaves that tend to go wayward to maintain the plant’s shape, there isn’t a lot to prune for the most part.

Its size and shape as well as your preference on how you want the plant to look will determine how much pruning is needed.

Don’t forget to remove yellow, brown, damaged, old or dead leaves.

How to Propagate Philodendron Ceylon Golden

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden can be propagated in several ways.

For home gardeners, the best propagation methods include stem cuttings, air layering and using offshoots. Commercial operations often use tissue culture.

The easiest of all if propagating from offshoots.

However, they are unreliable since you don’t know when the plant will produce them.

As such, if you do see offshoots or plantlets growing at the base of your Philodendron Ceylon Gold, allow them to grow a bit before separating.

The bigger ones have a higher chance of surviving on their own.

Once you separate the offsets, you can plant them in a separate pot and they will grow into young plants. Over time, they will become clones of their parent.

On the other hand, stem cuttings are the most practical and efficient way to propagate the Philodendron Ceylon Golden plant.

Here, choose healthy stem cuttings. You want to pick stems with at least 1-2 nodes on them and a few leaves. Then:

Using a sterile knife or pruning shears, snip off the stem just below a node.
Leave the cutting aside for a while and prepare a pot and fill it with well-draining soil mix.
Plant the cuttings into the pot and water the soil until moist.
Leave the pot in bright, indirect light with good humidity and warm temperature.

It usually takes 4-6 weeks for the cuttings to root.

But you don’t really have to do anything except care for it like you would the mother plant.

Only repot when the plant has outgrown the container.

How to Repot or Transplant Philodendron Ceylon Golden

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden does not need to be repot yearly. It takes 2-3 years before it needs repotting.

Note that repotting annually will likely be the case if you get a smaller, younger plant that is growing rapidly.

But once the plant matures, it won’t need regular repotting.

the best time to repot is during spring to early summer.

And only repot once the plant has outgrown its current container. You’ll be able to tell by looking at the bottom of the pot.

If you see roots poking out from the holes below, then it is time to repot.

Similarly, if you see roots popping out from the surface of the soil it means they need more room to grow.

In case, you’re already happy with the size of the plant, you have a couple options.

One is to divide the plant which will propagate it and reduce the size of the mother plant in the process.

Second is to prune the roots to limit its growth. This will allot it to fit back into the same pot. Just makes sure to replace the soil when you do this.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes, the Philodendron Ceylon Gold is toxic to both humans and animals. It contains calcium oxalate crystals which are toxic once ingested or consumed.

Therefore, try to keep young children, cats and dogs from playing around the plant. They may accidentally chew or eat parts of the leaves.

Philodendron Ceylon Golden Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Philodendron Ceylon Golden is not known to have serious pest or disease problems. It is fairly resistant to pests.

However, you may still experiences, aphids, mites and mealybugs which are the most common attackers.

These are sap sucking insects that can grow into infestations.

As such, it is important to get rid of them as soon as you spot any, even if there are only a few bugs.

Use neem oil or insecticidal soap. Both work very well.

Diseases

While the Philodendron Ceylon Gold is not prone to diseases, man-made issues can occur.

Overwatering is usually the biggest problem that causes diseases.

Root rot is one of the more serious issues. And it happens from overwatering and waterlogged soil. Therefore, always allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry between waterings.

Similarly, don’t wet the leaves and let them stay wet for long periods of time. This can lead to leaf diseases like leaf spot and others.