My neighbor keeps calling her pothos a philodendron and it's driving me nuts

I mean, the leaf shape is totally different if you look close, and they need different light. She moved it to a sunny spot because she thought it was a philodendron and now the leaves are getting pale. Has anyone else had to gently correct a friend on plant ID?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wyatt1mo ago

I saw a whole article about how common this mix-up is. It said the main thing is pothos have those single aerial roots and philodendrons have a bunch of thin ones clustered together. Maybe just show her a picture of that difference.

anthonyhunt1mo ago

Ugh, I actually think the leaf texture is the dead giveaway. Pothos leaves feel kind of waxy and stiff, but philodendron leaves are way softer, almost papery. You can tell just by touching them. @the_wyatt has a point about the roots, but that means digging around. The pale leaves from too much sun are a classic pothos thing, not a philodendron problem. She should move it back to lower light.