The Philodendron golden dragon is a precious and beautiful exotic plant. It can be grown easily as compared to all other Philodendrons. You can find these plants easily in gardens, or even you can buy them from online stores. Golden dragons are not rare, unlike other philodendron plants. Therefore, they do not require any specialized stores.
These plants look amazing and can help you to decorate the interior of your house. Many people often place these plants in their room or workplace because this makes their room or workplace look beautiful. Caring for these plants is also very easy, and if you are new to house planting or planting a plant for the first time, Golden dragons would be ideal for you.
What Is Philodendron Golden Dragon?
The philodendron Golden Dragon is a variegated evergreen perennial cultivar belonging to the Araceae family. Dragon plant produces some beautiful green leaves with golden yellow-green color mixed with them. The leaves of dragon plants are glossy and ornate and shaped like an arrow with lobed edges and long slender pointed leaves.
It is also known as the tender plant; you can grow them in a partially bright shade, with well-drained moist soil. However, consumption of these leaves can be very dangerous and can cause many discomforts. Production of flowers is rare in these plants. However, some mature plants are capable of producing flowers after many years.
How to Take Care of Philodendron Golden Dragon?
Philodendron Golden Dragon is a vining philodendron type of plant which generally grows in tropical rainforests. It is also a cultivated plant. These plants do not require a high amount of caring as they are fuss-free plants. They grow very fast as they are climbers, and they are the perfect choice for indoor hanging plants.
One of the best things about Philodendron Golden dragons is that they are capable of making the home environment pollution free. It removes pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene, which can be found indoors in your house. Some other names for dragons are philodendron Lime Fiddle, Golden Dragon Narrow Form, and philodendron Camouflage. These are a few tips on how to take care of your plant.
Light Requirement
Most philodendrons need less light for better growth, but the philodendron golden dragon is different from other types. They need bright and dappled light for better growth. If you have an east-facing window in your house, then it would be ideal for keeping your plants in that direction. It is a climber plant, so make sure to provide support to your plants to keep them upright.
If you want your plant to grow big and beautiful, keep your plant outside of your house where it can receive a lot of indirect light because these plants grow bigger and better outside in the natural environment.
Caution: – Do not keep your plant under direct sunlight because it can cause several problems in your plant, such as the burning of leaves, turning their color to yellow, and if they are exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, they can eventually die. You can also use artificial light for the better growth of these plants.
Water Requirement
Philodendron Golden Dragon requires regular watering as they tend to grow better in moist soil. However, allow your soil to get dry before you water them again because over-watering can be critical for your plant. You can check the uppermost layer of your soil by inserting your fingers in it, and if you feel your soil is dry, then you need to water it right away, and if your soil is still moist, then you should not water your plants.
In the winter season, try to reduce the watering time as plants do not need much water in winter because their growth period is only in summer. Plant turning pale, yellow in color, wilted mushy leaves, and fungal growth in your soil are a few signs of overwatering.
Soil Requirement
Philodendron Golden Dragon requires well-dried and airy soil in order to grow well. A regular potting mix with some perlite would be ideal for your plant. Standard potting mixes for ordinary plants also work fine for philodendrons. Try to use terracotta pots instead of plastic pots if they are available in your area because terracotta pots are capable of absorbing extra moisture from the soil. Using terracotta pots can also solve your problem of overwatering.
Using them would need to water your plant more frequently. Do not add too much fertilizer to your soil because it can harm your plants. Only feed them fertilizer when they need them.
Temperature Requirement
All philodendrons are found in subtropical and tropical regions and therefore prefer warmer temperatures. As such, you should keep your house temperature between 54 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit as this is the perfect range for these plants to survive and grow best. Also, try to keep your plants away from places with drafts.
Keeping your plant at is high temperature makes it essential for you to provide your plant with high humidity. You can keep your plant in an area where sufficient air passes with a good amount of humidity. Additionally, you can mist your plant for temperature regulation during the daytime.
However, keeping your plants at a high temperature would also be a threat to them. If you keep your plants outside of your house, then try to keep them in during the cold night of winter. Philodendrons cannot grow at very low temperatures.
Humidity Requirement
Philodendron Golden Dragon loves to survive in a very humid environment, maintaining an average humidity of 60% to 70%. You can also use some tools like humidifiers near the plants. However, these tools only provide moisture to the plants and do not humidify your entire house.
Fertilizer requirement
Philodendron Golden Dragons are high fertilizer feeders, and they require fertilizers in high quantity when they are in their growing stage. Their growing seasons are summer and spring only. You must fertilize your plants at least three times a year for better results growth in them. Do not go with low-quality fertilizers because they contain some toxins which can damage your plants.
You should put fertilizers almost above 5 inches from the base to provide the best and correct way of fertilizing. If your leaves are turning yellow, but they are not damaged by pets and light, then it might be a sign that your plants need nutrition.
Do not fertilize your plants in the winter season because, at that time, the philodendron Golden Dragon stops growing and continues its growth in summer and spring again. So overfertilizing can lead to soil becoming salty, and this can cause root rot in your plant.
Potting
This is one of the most critical processes when planting these plants. You must be very careful while performing this process. First, gather all the materials you will need to pot these plants. The basic material for the potting is a pot, new potting soil, and water. Choose a regular-sized pot to give these diverse plants enough space to grow. Now choose the fresh soil for your plant and fill the pot with it. Thoroughly inspect the roots of your plants before planting them in the ground, and if you see any problem, you should prune those roots back until the problem attacks another root. After all these processes, provide your plants with a proper amount of water.
Repotting
If you want your plant to grow better, then you should transplant your plant annually. When transplanting, you often divide your plant into many other small plants. Repotting would be ideal for your plants when they are in their growing phase or season, mainly in the summer or late fall. This allows for healthy growth with plenty of growing time.
Pest and Diseases
Golden dragon plants are highly adaptive and try to fight their problems on their own, but still, they can face these common problems like other plants.
Pests – Some of the most common pests which can damage your plants are scales. These can be found easily in your house.
Scales – These pests are an upper version of mealy bugs. They suck essential nutrients which are present in your plant, and one thing is that they cannot move from one place to another. Scales stay in one particular location. They look exactly like brown spots on stems and leave of plants which makes them hard to find, and these pests decline the overall health of your plants within a few days.
Solution – The use of alcohol would be ideal for these plants because scales are prone to alcohol. Apart from this, you can rinse your golden dragon under the kink of your kitchen to through these pests out of your plant.
Diseases – These plants are often prone to fungal and bacterial infections, which can also cause root rotting. Make sure that if your leave starts turning yellow, then it is a signal of disease affecting. Try to get rid of them as soon as possible before they destroy your beautiful plant.
What Is the Growth Rate of the Philodendron Golden Dragon?
- Growth rate – Philodendrons are often fast-growing plants, and their growth rate also depends on their soil type.
- Height – It is a short plant specializing in house planting, and it can grow up to 8 inches to 12 inches.
Does Philodendron Golden Dragon Have Flowers?
It is very rare to find flowers in these plants, but they still can produce plants if they are grown in their natural habitat and once they get matured enough. The main beauty of these plants is their leaves, so they don’t need any flowers to look beautiful. If you want flowers for your golden dragon, provide them an identical mimic to their natural surrounding by using different kinds of tools.
How to Propagate Philodendron Golden Dragon?
This process can be very easy for Philodendron Golden Dragon plants because they are also known as fuss-free plants. This plant is also an epiphytic plant, which means they don’t need much effort for rooting. Propagation can take around 2 – 3 months for the root to become sprout.
You can propagate these plants through the cuttings method, which is very easy to use. Use a cutter or stem cutting tool to cut a stem between the growth nodes and place the cut in a glass of water. Try to protect them from direct light. Keep the cutting for a few weeks and provide it with indirect light. Then the trunk can be transferred when it grows a little.
Is Philodendron Golden Dragon Poisonous?
Swallowing these plants can be very critical because they have some amount of toxins in them. However, it won’t kill you because they are not that many toxins, but they can cause several problems in the stomach and in your several body parts. Touching these plants is not dangerous at all; the toxins activate if someone takes the leaves of the plants in their mouth and chews them. So, if you have kids or pets in your house, try to keep your plants outside of your house, or you may keep them out of their reach.
How Much Is Philodendron Golden Dragon Worth?
Philodendron Golden Dragons are not that rare as compared to other philodendron plants such as strawberry shake and many more. That’s why they are also worth even less than other types. It costs around $ 100 to $ 2000, which is not a huge amount to pay for these beautiful plants. They cost higher than the other plants because they are also a little hard to find; you cannot find them in any simple nursery.
Comparison of Golden Dragons With Other Types of Plants
Philodendron Golden Dragon vs. Green Dragon
These plants are almost the same both have the same growth rate, same caring routine, and same requirements, but one thing that makes them different from the other is their leaves color one has golden variegation, and the other has light green variegation on their leaves.
Philodendron Golden Dragon vs. Camouflage
This type is also almost identical to the previous one and with the same features such as leaves, caring routine, and many more. There can be a slight difference in the shape and size of camouflages, or else everything seems to be exactly like a golden dragon.
Philodendron Golden Dragon vs. Pedatum
Both the variegated plants have some resemblance and multi-lobed leaves. But still, pedatum is one step ahead of the golden dragon because it has more deep lobes, so its leaves are broader than the golden dragon. The color difference also varies in these plants as pedatum has many colors while golden has a golden color. However, they also have different shapes and sizes.
Common Problems
Philodendron Golden Dragon can suffer from many problems like root rotting, paling, and many more, and the reason behind them would also be very simple you just have to take proper care of your plant. Some common problems are listed below.
Leaves Falling
There can be many reasons behind this because leaves could only fall due to water logging, excessive sunlight, or over-fertilizing. Make sure to check every one of them to know the reason behind leaves falling from plants. Remember always that do not feed your plants with fertilizers during the winter season because they do not need any nutrients at that time.
Curling of Leaves
This is one of the most common problems that are faced by a lot of plants during the summer season, and this happens because your plants need nutrition. Fewer nutrients can cause the leaves to curl down or up in any direction.
Leaves Turning Yellow
If you plant us suffering for yellow leave, then make sure to cut off your light supply to their overexposure to light can make them turn yellow because of sun burning. Their plants can survive in an open area, but still, they need indirect sunlight for their better survival. If you keep on exposing your plant to the sunlight directly, it can kill your plants.
Leaves Turning Brown
Brown leaves can be a symbol of fewer nutrients or less water. Fertilizers and water both provide nutrients to plants, but they need to feed regularly for better growth and to look beautiful. Nutrients in good quantity can help your plants to grow big and more beautiful them ever. The variegation of these plants depends on their nutritional value of plants.
NOTE: – Only use high-quality fertilizers which contain fewer chemical substances because more chemicals can also kill your plants. The normal potting mix would do the work for every philodendron plant.
Root Rotting
This problem can be a serious threat to your plants because watering your plant too much can affect the roots of your plants. Water logging must be removed before it rots your plant’s root.
Final Words
Philodendron Golden dragon plants would be ideal for plant lovers or people who want to start house planting for the first time. People who work the whole day can also plant them because they do not need any kind of special treatment. Caretaking is very easy for them. Golden dragons can be found in tropical rain forests.
