Colorful pothos-like

by Andrew S.
(Ithaca, NY)

I was having dinner with some friends tonight and saw some plants that I loved at this house. I was given a few cuttings, without names.

Currently, I cut these up (as you can see) into sections with a few leaves and am currently trying to root them in water. They seem very similar to a pothos as far as how they grow. They have little root nodes near where the leaves sprout, so I am hoping they will root in water.

Any more information that you can give me about this little plant would be awesome.

Thanks!

Hi Andrew - you're busy as usual, I see! These are a neat little scrambling vine, called Philodendron scandens oxycardium, or the Heartleaf Philodendron. The variegated form such as what you have seem to do best in slightly cooler conditions - if they're too warm, the variegation may turn green.

In most cases people grow these as a hanging plant, but they grow equally well trained up a trellis or moss covered stick. They like the occasional misting; as most jungle plants, their preference is for slightly higher humidity, bright but not intense sunlight or curtain filtered light.

They are easy to root in water, as there are dormant root nodes on the stem, mostly around the leaf nodes. Don't wait too long to put them in sterilized potting soil, the roots formed in water are brittle and easily broken.

When you buy these from a florist or greenhouse quite often there are several to many cuttings just like these potted together to make a bushier plant - you can do this too, or keep pinching the new growth to make it more compact.

Enjoy this new addition to your collection - good choice!
Jacki