SKU: 16419009896
black imperial philodendron

black imperial philodendron Philodendron Black Cardinal

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Description

black imperial philodendron Philodendron Black CardinalPhilodendron 'Black Cardinal' Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' is a compact self heading Philodendron grown for deep red to black red foliage. New leaves emerge brick red, then mature into a darker, near black red tone. The plant keeps a dense rosette like shape and stays compact in a pot. Selected from an Orlando area hybridising programme and patented in 1984 as a Cora McColley cultivar, Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' is known for broad, thick, leathery

Philodendron 'Black Cardinal'

Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' is a compact self-heading Philodendron grown for deep red to black-red foliage. New leaves emerge brick red, then mature into a darker, near-black red tone. The plant keeps a dense rosette-like shape and stays compact in a pot.

Selected from an Orlando-area hybridising programme and patented in 1984 as a Cora McColley cultivar, Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' is known for broad, thick, leathery leaves, depressed veining, brick-red immature foliage, and mature black-red colour.

Black Cardinal traits for indoor pots

  • Growth habit: Compact self-heading Philodendron with short internodes and a dense rosette-like form.
  • Leaf colour: Juvenile leaves open brick red and mature to a dark black-red finish.
  • Leaf texture: Broad, thick, leathery foliage with prominent depressed veining.
  • Plant shape: Forms a compact central crown with short petioles and closely held foliage.
  • Indoor habit: Dense growth and dark foliage keep the plant compact, full, and easy to manage in a pot.

Self-heading growth and dark leaves

Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' builds from a compact central crown, with leaves held on short internodes. The short, thick petioles keep the foliage close to the plant’s centre, giving the cultivar its dense, rounded shape.

The colour shift is clear as each leaf matures. Fresh foliage opens red, then darkens quickly as the leaf hardens. Mature plants hold a deep black-red tone across the older leaves.

Growing Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' indoors

  • Light: Provide bright indirect light to maintain healthy compact growth. Direct midday sun can scorch or dull the leaves.
  • Watering: Water when the upper part of the substrate has dried. The thick roots need moisture followed by good drainage.
  • Substrate: Use an airy aroid mix with bark, coco coir or chips, perlite, pumice, and a modest moisture-holding component.
  • Drainage: Use a pot with drainage holes. The crown and lower roots should not sit in heavy, stagnant substrate.
  • Humidity: Average indoor humidity is usually tolerated, but moderate to higher humidity supports cleaner new leaf expansion.
  • Temperature: Keep warm, ideally 18–28°C. Avoid cold wet conditions around the crown and lower roots.
  • Feeding: Feed lightly during active growth. A steady nutrient supply supports dense foliage without soft, stretched growth.
  • Repotting: Repot when roots fill the pot or the crown becomes unstable. Choose a pot only slightly larger.
  • Pruning: Remove fully yellowed or damaged leaves close to the crown with clean tools.
  • Semi-hydroponics: Can adapt to airy mineral substrates if roots are cleaned carefully and the crown stays above the wet zone.
  • Propagation: Propagate from a division or stem section with a viable node and growth point; a single detached leaf will not regrow into a plant.

Common issues with Philodendron 'Black Cardinal'

  • Yellow lower leaves: Check for excess moisture in the lower pot. Improve aeration and let the substrate dry further before watering.
  • Soft crown or base: Often points to cold wet substrate or poor drainage. Inspect the crown and roots before damage spreads.
  • Faded new leaves: Check light, feeding, and root health. Weak growth can open with less depth of colour.
  • Brown patches: Look for sun scorch first, then check undersides and petioles for pests such as thrips, mites, scale, or mealybugs.
  • Loose, stretched shape: Increase bright filtered light and rotate the pot so the rosette develops evenly.

Keeping the plant compact

Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' keeps its compact shape through a self-heading habit, short internodes, and closely held foliage. Steady light, controlled watering, and a stable root ball help the crown stay dense as new leaves develop.

Remove only fully yellowed or damaged leaves. Healthy dark foliage supports the next flush of growth, and heavy pruning can temporarily reduce the plant’s dense shape.

Pet and child safety

Place Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' away from pets and children. Its tissues contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate the mouth, throat, digestive tract, and sensitive skin. Wash hands after pruning, and keep cut plant parts out of reach.

Philodendron genus and cultivar background

Philodendron belongs to the Araceae family. The genus name is commonly translated as “tree-loving”, though cultivated Philodendron can be climbing, creeping, rosette-forming, or self-heading depending on their background. Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' was patented in 1984 as a Cora McColley cultivar from an Orlando-area hybridising programme.

Choose Philodendron 'Black Cardinal' for a compact self-heading Philodendron with broad leathery leaves, brick-red new growth, and mature black-red foliage.

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SKU: 16419009896

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4.3 ★★★★★
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M
Verified Purchase
Mike S.
Houston, US
★★★★★ 4
Great toy, as long as dog is NOT ALLOWED to chew on it
Size: Large Triple
Let me start by saying that I like this dog toy. My big dog LOVES tugging with it. As long as you keep away when the dog is in a chewing mood, it lasts a long time (my 1st one lasted a year), however, it WILL NOT last if the dog chews on it, as I found out with this one. A friends dog chewed on it while she was behind a snow mound (mostly out of our sight) when it was only a week old. One end ring was barely holding together when we discovered her chewing it. Fortunately it was an end ring, so I still have 2 connected rings for tugging with. It is a great tug toy! But it is also a TERRIBLE chew toy, so make sure to take it away when your dog starts to chew on it and it will give you long service.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021
C
Verified Purchase
Charla Leeson
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Fabulous toy!!
Size: Large Triple
My GSD is always up for a good game of tug-o-war. I purchased these in large and I think I love them as much as my dog. They are super strong and hold up to his 100lb self pulling on one end and my “blah blah-lb” self pulling on the other. (Ha! You thought I would say how much I weigh) I even bought another pair for our cabin so we have some to play with at both places. He isn't a sit and chew on things kind of dog. He gets plenty of playtime and bully sticks for chewing. Not to mention that I wouldn't let him use them as a chew toy anyway. There are toys for play and toys for chew. Therefore, I cant say anything on how they hold up for chewers. So if you let your dog just sit and chew on it instead of giving them something designed for strong chewers, then no it might not hold up to that. All I can say is my German Shepherd is 100lbs with sharp teeth and stronger than me now and honestly he is probably stronger than I have ever been in my life, and they hold up to the pulling and tugging of both of us. Thats what they're designed for and they serve their purpose excellently.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Justmy2centsworth
Houston, US
★★★★★ 1
Won't purchase this one again.
Size: Large Triple
J.W. used to make a ring toy such as this, that was softer & thicker with a smaller black ring in the middle, that our dogs all, absolutely loved!!!!! But this one totally bores them to the point none of the dogs will pay it any attention! Please bring back the original 3 ring toy, that J.W. has now changed to just the one ring! I feel like they must have discontinued the toy with the 3 rings they used to sell, with the smaller black ring in the middle? I won't waist my $ on another one of these! Sadly, none of our 3 dogs will play with this specific toy at all! & I generally prefer to purchase J.W. brand toys for our dogs. But this toy doesn't attract them in anyway. It just sits around.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2026
B
Verified Purchase
Brenda W
Draper, US
★★★★★ 3
Great idea but didn't hold up!
Size: Large
My dog and I really enjoyed this as a tug toy to use where it kept my hands away from accidental nips. When we initially got it we let her play solo with it after our tug session and I noticed that she left little teeth puncture holes so we packed it away for awhile and exclusively used the other new toy we bought for her. After a few weeks we took this back out and, again, we loved it and this time I allowed her to play with it longer and although it was showing a lot of the little tooth marks it seemed to be holding up so I left it out with her. None seemed deep, just seemed like impressions from her teeth. We continued to enjoy it for about a week where she'd carry it over to us for tug sessions, loop it on our feet when we were sitting watching tv and chewing on it a bit. I'd look at it when we'd tug and, like I said above, it seemed to be holding up. After one session of tug when she took it off to chew on and I was watching some tv I checked on her after awhile and she had bitten through the black side and had chewed up into small pieces about a two inch section of it. Small, little hard bits were in a pile on the floor. She didn't just bite through, it had broken into small, little pieces and hopefully I was able to get all of them and she didn't swallow any! So if you want to get this exclusively as just a tug toy and not something for your dog to chew on and plan on putting it away after I think it will be okay for that and should last but if your dog is a serious chewer like ours is you may not want them to be allowed to chew on this. Seemed like it was going to last and then suddenly I was throwing away half of it and hoping she didn't eat any of the black bits. We still have the yellow side and will take that out for some tugging but no longer for her to play with freely!! She did tremendously love running around with this thing and would flip up the loose end and hook it on her face or our feet and was so cute to watch her!! Wish it had lasted!!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2013
S
Verified Purchase
Sean
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Name holds true.
Size: Large Triple
Just bought my second set of these.. first set lasted my healer almost 4 years and are still together but starting to split at the smaller seams so you can’t play as aggressive as my dog would like. We bought the second set and now she has her second wind! She loves tugging and I love knowing this toy will last a good while especially with an active dog!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2025

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