the difference explained – ISPUZZLE

In the world of gardening, it is not uncommon to have similar plants. Philodendron and pothos are among these plants. Over the years we’ve heard people complain about how they chose one over the other, especially newbie gardeners.

Yes, the plants are similar. Some people assume they are the same plants, others admit there are differences but cannot identify the differences between them. We know how stressful it is not to choose one over the other, so we’ll explain everything you need to know to Differences between pothos and philodendrons.

Pothos and philodendron vines are two popular houseplants, which have a lot in common. One is their family, both plants belong to the same family of Araceae, both are climbers, look great in hanging baskets, have shiny leaves, their leaves are heart-shaped, and have requirements and requirements. similar growth patterns.

With these consecutive similarities, it seems there can be no other differences between pothos and philodendron, But there is! You just need to look a little beyond what you can see to identify these differences. To see how much this means to you, we’ve put together a list of important things to consider when identifying pothos and philodendron differ.

Differences Between Pothos and Philodendrons

Regardless of the similarities between pothos and philodendron, there are differences that can set them apart from each other. These differences lie in their texture, the shape of their leaves, their mode of growth, their taxonomy, etc.

a. Leaf shape and texture

Image: Philodendron Houseplant

Identifying the shape of their leaves is one of the most obvious and easiest ways to tell plants apart. The philodendron leaf forms a more defined heart, with a fine and smooth texture. Pothos, however, have large, thick leaves; It also feels waxy and looks patchy on the sheets. You will also notice some differences where the petiole connects to the base of the leaf. While the base of the philodendron plant curves inward, the base of the pothos is relatively straight.

of them. Taxonomy and location

Image: Pothos Vines // Envato Elements

Before you get lost, taxonomy is a word used to describe the naming of plants by botanists. It is the classification of biological organisms into different genera and families. Considering pothos and philodendron, these two different plants belong to separate genera. While pothos belongs to the genus Epipremnum, philodendron belongs to the genus Philodendron.

However, both exist under the same family: the Aroid family (Araceae). Apart from their names, these two plants are not from the same place. While pothos is known to be native to Southeast Asia, tropical rainforests, philodendron is native to South America, Central America, and the West Indies.

3. aerial roots and petioles

Image: Philodendron Grazielae Plant

Aerial roots and petioles are also parts of plants where differences can be observed. Although both have aerial roots which are aggressive and allow the plants to climb and also absorb nutrients from the air, pothos can be seen with only one large aerial root per node. Whereas Philodendron has more than one (2-6) small aerial roots per node.

Philodendron aerial roots also tend to look rough and wild. Looking at the stem of both plants, one can see that the stem of the pothos is thicker than that of the philodendron; They are also not the same color. Philodendron stems are often greenish brown. The petiole of the philodendron appears more rounded and also thinner than the pothos.

Four. Habit and new foliage.

Image: Envato Elements

The growth process of each leaf can also be called a difference between the two plants. When a new leaf grows on the philodendron it usually comes from the cataphylls, the cataphylls are small leaves that appear around the new growth and protect it as it develops, the cataphylls remain around the leaf until the leaf has grown well, then the catalyst dries and falls off.

The case is not the same for pothos, as it does not grow that way. The new pothos leaf grows and unfurls from a fallen leaf. In addition, new philodendron leaves have a pinkish or brownish tint and then return to their original color; however, only new pothos leaves are a shade lighter than the other leaves on the plant.

Four. growing differences

Although both plants have similar growing requirements i.e. light, water, soil. However, there are minor changes to these requirements that few people are aware of. The first thing to note is that while both can tolerate low light, the pothos adapts to low light more easily than the philodendron. Philodendron can outrun pothos if not properly lit.

It will also start growing smaller leaves than usual. Although the pothos also grows on long legs, it is not as fast as the philodendron. When propagated, pothos is an easy to propagate plan, compared to philodendron, pothos is also more drought tolerant than philodendron.

final thoughts

It has almost become commonplace that these plants are confused; There are also other plants that many people think are similar to pothos and philodendron, especially from the aroid family, such as scandipsus pictus.

You should be able to identify beyond the surface what each plant is. We hope this article was useful for you and you can see it now differences between pothos and philodendron†

Read more:

• How to easily propagate Philodendron in water?
• Epiphyllum Cactus Plant: The Complete Growing and Care Guide
• The 16 Types of Philodendron Plants for Your Home Today
• Triostar Stromanthe: The Complete Guide to Growth and Care (2021)