How to Grow & Care for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ (2024)

by Becky Decker · July 31, 2023

Philodendron erubescens do come under a self-heading plant. They neither come under trailing nor stemming philodendrons. People do plant this plant as they are able to remove common pollutants such as benzene, xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde. In this article, I will guide you on how to grow and care for philodendron erubescens.

Quick takeaways:

They come under a stunning hybrid variety that was first seen in 1950.

Philodendron erubescens are beautiful plants that are loved because fo have striking leaves.

For growing the Philodendron erubescens there is no need for high maintenance.

Philodendron erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ comes under the most sought varieties.

The plant has stunning dark green and black leaves adding elegance to the plant.

Table of Contents

Grow & Care for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’

The following are some important points you need to follow to grow for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’:

Light
Watering
Soil
Fertilizer.
Potting and repotting
Temperature
Humidity
Pruning
Propagation

Light:

The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ does require bright but indirect light but that should range between 16,000 and 27,000 lux.
The light requirement for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ is very flexible.
For growing Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ plant you need to find a spot where there is good light for a day but need to keep away from the full sun which will damage the leaves of the plant.
Placing the pot in a north or east-facing window is a perfect place but placing the pot in a south or west-facing window you need to keep it way few feet from the window.

How to Grow & Care for Philodendron Erubescens 'Black Cardinal' — Philodendron Erubescens

Watering:

Usually in rainforest Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ get water at least every other day.
For planting Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ you need to follow the same pattern.
If you find that the top inch of the soil has dried up you need to water the plant.
The best way to water the plant is by pouring slowly over the soil surface so that the soil and root absorb the water evenly.
During winter you need to decrease the watering schedule as you can wait for getting the soil to dry out completely and then submerge the whole pot in full water until it is saturated.
Rember to drain out the excess water.
Do remember not to let the standing water sit in the pot which will damage your plant.

Temperature:

The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ has the perfect temperature that ranges from 65 to 80ºF.
The plant is able to grow at whatever temperature.
In order to provide the plant with warmer temperatures you can place the pot on the balcony in summer. But as soon as the temperature cools down you need to bring the plant back.

Humidity:

As per the rainforests, the humidity level there never drops below 70%.
The perfect humidity for growing Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ is around 70%.
The high humidity is not healthy for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ growth.
For planting Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ in the home the humidity level is between 40 to 50% which does result in a bit slower growth.
You can maintain the humidity by placing the pot on a pebble of the tray and filling that tray with water and for creating a moisture microclimate you can group all the tropical plants together.
You can use a humidifier for maintaining the humidity of Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’.

Soil:

The soil in the rainforest is moist and springy having a lot of organic matter so you need to maintain a similar type of soil for growing Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’.
For growing Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ the ph level is between 5.5 to 6.5.
You can maintain the soil by buying commercial soil mixes such as an African Violet soil or aroid mix.
You can also use 100% of peat moss that is able to drain well and does have enough quantity of moisture.
Adding rooted compost will add a plus point in growing the Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’.

Fertilizer:

Adding fertilizer for growing Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ helps the plant to grow big and beautiful leaves.
The plant gets lost in nitrogen if you add fertilizer.
The perfect ratio of adding fertilizer is 3-2-1 or 5-2-3.
The easiest way of adding fertilizers is by liquid formula by diluting the fertilizer to the half of recommended strength.
The perfect time for adding fertilizers is considered summer or spring.
Avoid adding fertilizers in fall and winter.
In case you notice the look leaves of the plant look pale in color then you need to find a fertilizer having calcium and magnesium.

Potting & Repotting:

The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ repotting needs to be done every 2 or 3 years.
There Is no need of repotting the plant quickly because they have a slow growth rate.
You need to do repotting when you find out the roots are growing out of the drainage hole and the other reason is filling up the pot.
The best time for repotting the plant is in the Spring season.
You can choose a plastic pot or glazed pot as their best for keeping this while moisture constant also make sure the pot does have good drainage holes.
You need to replace the potting soil so that there is no building up of pathogens

Pruning:

There is a very rare chance of pruning the Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’.
As the plant is a self-headed cultivator and can maintain a busy and compact form.
There is only the need to trim the leaves that are damaged or dying.
Doing the trimming will not only give you plant beauty but also keep them disease free.
You need to use sharp, sterilized scissors for cutting Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal, and remember to cut the stem upto the soil level.

Propagation:

For propagating the Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal you can easily do this by division.
Firstly you need to pull out the roots and after clean the soil as much as possible.
You can use a sharp knife to separate the Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’.
Make sure you need to have both roots and one stem for propagating.
Another way of propagating the Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal’ is by taking the stem cutting and root in the water or in moist soil.

Conclusion:

The Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal needs some type of environment and the gardener is the first time planting it needs to know how to grow and care for Philodendron Erubescens ‘Black Cardinal like maintaining the light, humidity level, temperature, etc I have explained in detail the methods by which you can fulfill the requirements.