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Description
philodendron splendid plant Philodendron 'Splendid' – Foliage FactoryPhilodendron 'Splendid' (verrucosum x melanochrysum) Philodendron 'Splendid' is a velvet leaf climbing hybrid made by Keith Henderson in Australia, generally dated to the 1980s, using Philodendron verrucosum as the seed parent and Philodendron melanochrysum as the pollen parent. The name is often credited to Neil Crafter. The hybrid combines heart shaped velvet leaves, strong veining and a climbing stem. The plant grows from nodes with aerial roots
Philodendron 'Splendid' (verrucosum x melanochrysum)
Philodendron 'Splendid' is a velvet-leaf climbing hybrid made by Keith Henderson in Australia, generally dated to the 1980s, using Philodendron verrucosum as the seed parent and Philodendron melanochrysum as the pollen parent. The name is often credited to Neil Crafter. The hybrid combines heart-shaped velvet leaves, strong veining and a climbing stem.
The plant grows from nodes with aerial roots that attach more readily to a textured pole or board. Under steady warm conditions, its leaves can become larger, darker and more defined as the stem climbs.
Velvet leaves from two climbing parents
- Leaf surface: Leaves are velvety, dark green and strongly veined, with a soft sheen under angled light.
- Growth habit: A climbing Philodendron with nodes and aerial roots that attach more readily to a textured support.
- Parentage: Philodendron verrucosum is the seed parent and Philodendron melanochrysum is the pollen parent.
- Leaf development: Mature growth can show larger blades, stronger veining and a darker velvet surface.
What verrucosum and melanochrysum contribute
Philodendron verrucosum contributes the heart-shaped leaf outline, strong venation and velvet surface associated with the species. Philodendron melanochrysum contributes elongated dark velvet foliage, a strong climbing response and warm-toned venation. The result is a dark velvet hybrid with a broad leaf base, visible veins and a clear climbing habit.
New leaves mark easily while they are still expanding, so stable humidity, even root moisture and gentle handling matter during each leaf flush. Aerial roots respond best when they meet a lightly moist, textured surface and the potting mix remains open around the main roots.
Care for a velvet climbing Philodendron
- Light: Give bright indirect light. Velvet leaves can scorch in direct midday sun, while low light leads to longer internodes and smaller leaves.
- Watering: Water when the top 3–5 cm of substrate has dried. Keep moisture even, but never leave the root ball saturated for long periods.
- Substrate: Use an airy aroid mix with bark, coco chips, perlite or pumice, and a moisture-holding organic component. Fine, compact soil increases root-rot risk.
- Humidity: Aim for moderate to high humidity, especially while new leaves expand. A humidifier, grouped plants or a vitrine can help prevent stuck or torn growth.
- Temperature: Keep warm, ideally 20–27 °C. This hybrid grows poorly when roots are cold and wet.
- Support: Provide a moss pole, coco pole or textured board early. Tie the stem loosely so nodes and aerial roots can make contact.
- Feeding: Feed lightly during active growth. Velvet climbers respond better to steady nutrition than to strong fertiliser spikes.
- Repotting: Repot when roots fill the pot or the substrate breaks down. Keep the root ball supported during repotting to avoid snapping the climbing stem.
Signals from leaves, roots and support
- Small leaves on long internodes: Check light and support. A climbing stem without enough light or contact often produces stretched growth.
- Stuck new leaves: Check humidity, watering consistency and airflow. New velvet leaves are vulnerable while still rolled.
- Brown edges: Look for dry root stress, fertiliser build-up or air that is too dry around expanding leaves.
- Yellow leaves and soft roots: Check for dense substrate or watering before the mix has aired out. Refresh the mix if it has collapsed.
- Pest scarring: Inspect the newest leaves and undersides for thrips or spider mites. Velvet texture can hide early damage until the leaf expands.
Pet safety for Philodendron 'Splendid'
Philodendron 'Splendid' should be kept away from pets and small children. Like other Philodendron, it can contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and digestive tract if ingested. Wash hands after pruning, and keep cuttings out of reach.
Parent names and botanical meaning
Philodendron belongs to the Araceae family, and the genus name comes from Greek roots meaning “love” and “tree”, a reference to the tree-associated growth of many species. Philodendron verrucosum was first published by L. Mathieu ex Schott, and the epithet verrucosum means warty, matching the textured petiole character associated with the species. Philodendron melanochrysum was published by Linden and André; its epithet combines Greek roots for black and gold, matching the dark velvet leaf surface and warm vein colour that made the species known in cultivation.
Philodendron 'Splendid' develops dark velvet leaves, pronounced veining and a true climbing habit from two classic velvet Philodendron parents.
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4.1 ★★★★★
Based on 28 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
Excellent Hard Sci-Fi… Until the Politics Pull You Out
Format: Kindle
I was really excited to dive into Project Hail Mary. As a longtime Isaac Asimov fan, I’ve been craving fresh, modern hard science fiction that actually respects the science. This book delivered — at least for a while.
The author injects real science into the story in a way that’s both fun and fantastic. You don’t need to be an engineer to follow it; a solid high-school education is plenty. The concepts stretch your imagination without ever feeling impossible, and for the first chunk of the book I was hooked. I genuinely thought I’d found a new favorite author.
Then the jarring interruptions started.
Out of nowhere you get yanked out of the immersive sci-fi world by modern political pandering that feels completely unnecessary. A random parenthetical about Columbus “discovering an already inhabited world” when comparing something to the New World. Casual pronoun lectures. Characters selected or described by race and identity in ways that scream “check the boxes.” These moments don’t serve the story — they feel injected. Once you notice the author’s leanings, it becomes hard to unsee.
Each time it happens, the fantasy evaporates. It takes several chapters to sink back into the story… only for the next micro-lecture to pull you right back out.
Overall, I loved the writing, the hard science, and the imagination. It’s some of the best sci-fi I’ve read in years. I just wish the author had trusted the story instead of sneaking in real-world politics. It’s like eating the best meal of your life… and then finding a hair or two in it.
Strongly recommended for the sci-fi, with the above caveat.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Engrossing and Thought-Provoking
Format: Hardcover
This is an absolutely engrossing read in the first half of the book, especially--so much so that I actually canceled a social plan so that I could keep reading.
The author shifts effortlessly across scenes and time--the play of past and present is very much part of the book's plot and insight--and I developed a fast curiosity and unsettling investment in understanding our anti-heroine/heroine Natalie. This surprised me, because had a friend not recommended the novel I never would have signed on to spend time in the head of a "tradwife." For me the novel was an imagined and imaginative provocation on American womanhood (and masculinity) in the 21st century, where no options or "performances" seem entirely satisfying or even real. I found it simultaneously disturbing and darkly humorous, especially in its depiction of young women's collegiate lives.
However, readers should have some tolerance for caricature throughout. While I howled at the depictions of the miserable lives of aspiring "modern" women in the dorms and figuratively pounded my fists at the hypocrisy of the tradwife, I was also conscious of hyperbole and exaggeration--no, their lives aren't that bad; nor, I would guess, are the "tradwives" as bad as Natalie, who is a profoundly unlikable character.
I did find that the novel bogged down in its middle and late-middle chapters--the mystery of what's happening to Natalie remains but the momentum seems to stall out into repetition. I also felt that the ending seemed too rushed and too tidy, given the nuance we see earlier in the novel. It ends with what feels like a reductive endorsement of modern (or post-modern) life for women when, earlier in the novel, we get to contemplate the flaws in ALL of the scripts and performances that women--and the hapless Caleb-- are asked to live by, or choose... Indeed, the characters that I would have loved to hear more from are the two who seemed more grounded and, ultimately, perhaps happier than the others: Natalie's sister and even her mother... The concluding exposition felt rushed, as did the analysis, in other words...Some of the religious scenes seemed tone-deaf to me... I'm not an evangelical, but Natalie's relationship to God strained credulity.
**Highly recommend** this to anyone looking for a provocative and engrossing read on women's lives and constraints in the age of social media that engages in a fascinating thought experiment along the way...
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
★★★★★ 4
An unexpected reading experience!
Format: Hardcover
Very unexpected novel! I went into it without any knowledge or prior information of what it was going to be about. Main character is not a person you would want to be friends. So when calamities happen to her it was hard for me to muster up much sympathy or compassion. It was more of “you had this coming, you deserve every miserable minute”. And boy, there were many! Some harder to believe than others. As I was reading, I first thought- I don’t want to keep this book, it’s not worth saving. But it developed to be definitely the type of story that sticks in your mind, you find yourself revisiting parts and characters and wondering why that happened and why did that person react a certain way. And to me that’s a book worth reading and keeping on my limited bookshelf. So I changed my opinion as I read to the end of the novel. It is certainly a book worthy of a neighborhood book group discussion. I am recommending and sharing my copy to family members and reading friends.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Beneath the perfect surface
Format: Kindle
Yesteryear completely caught me off guard in the best possible way. What begins as a fascinating look into social media influence, curated perfection, and historical living slowly unfolds into something far deeper and far more emotional than I expected.
The storytelling was incredibly well done, especially the way the author balanced the polished modern influencer world against the harsh realities of 1800s frontier life. The transitions between timelines and perspectives were seamless, and by the end, every piece fit together in a way that completely redefined the story.
What made this especially compelling for me was how layered Natalie’s character felt. Her upbringing, family expectations, faith, public image, and the pressure to maintain perfection all shaped the choices she made throughout the story. Rather than feeling one-dimensional, she felt like someone slowly buckling under the weight of everything she believed she was supposed to be.
The emotional impact of this book surprised me. Beneath the historical elements and social media commentary is a story about identity, appearances, family, and the toll that constant performance can take on a person and those around them.
This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better the experience will be. I expected an entertaining premise, but I ended up with a story that lingered long after I finished the final page.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026
★★★★★ 3
About that twist…
Format: Kindle
SPOILER ALERT!
The thing about big, improbable twists in stories is that the less time you have to think about them, the better their effect. For fans of the classic TV show The Twilight Zone, it has always been clear that the half-hour shows were far better and far more punchy and memorable than their rather sad hour-long cousins. And a book has far, far more time to contemplate a twist than a TV show.
Unfortunately, despite some pointed observations by the author (narcissistic people are pretty much unlikable, cruelty and brutality give power to weak men, abused children very often cling to their abusers), the big, improbable twist in Yesteryear almost completely sinks the story.
The twist is the same one that sank M. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 movie The Village, and it fares no better here. Yes, people can and do live off the grid. But avoiding every single sign of civilization for years on end? Even if you’re not in a commercial flight path, there are such things as helicopters and small private planes, especially in remote areas. Perhaps people rarely stray onto private land in the wilderness, but once in a while, stray they do. And when that wilderness home was once widely publicized? Excuse me, but people are going to look for it.
This is all not to say that Yesteryear was not entertaining - it was. I read it in one sitting. The characters, as unlikable and unreliable as they are, were well drawn. A couple of the children were also quite believable, but the author’s excuse for the rest of the kids being cyphers was that their mother saw them as cyphers as well. Okay, that’s fair, but knowing them better would have enhanced the story for the reader.
This is certainly a promising book. It held my attention and was very well-written. But that twist - well, it sank M. Night Shyamalan, too.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026