Pothos and Philodendron: Easy Care Plants

Pothos and philodendron are often mistaken for each other, but both types of plants are easy to grow indoors. And there are lots of variations to choose from -- anything from variegated leaves to leaves that look like Swiss cheese.

Produced by the Department of Communications at Kansas State University. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.kansasgreenyards.org

Transcript:
Pothos and Philodendrons - Easy Care Plants

One of the most popular houseplant today, hanging basket or otherwise, is this pothos. It has green leaves with either a yellow or a creamy white colored variegation. It will take anything from high to low light indoors. So it tends to grow well for everyone. It’s best to let it dry until it almost wilts, and then water it heavy. It does exceptionally well indoors.

We have this traditional yellowish variegation, and we also have a variety with white leaf variegation. One thing to notice, if you buy one of these, is that when you bring it home to put in your house you may discover that the leaves become greener with less variegation over time. It’s not a problem with the plant, and it’s not a disease. If you want more variegation, just move it to a brighter location in the house.

Then we have the traditional philodendron that everyone’s grandmother had around the house. It has a solid green leaf, and it’s a vine. More recently, there has been a lot of breeding work done on philodendrons. There are several new ones on the market – anything from yellow stripe variegation in the center of the leaf, to one with a lemon-lime color of leaves. It’s very striking, and the chartreuse green has become a popular color today.

Another unique plant is the Swiss Cheese Philodendron. It has a solid green leaf with holes like Swiss cheese. It’s a very unique interesting kind of plant that’s a solid dark green.

This feature story prepared with Alan Stevens, retired Kansas State University Research and Extension State Leader, Horticulture. For more information, visit your local county extension office or visit our website at KansasGreenYards.org.