Philodendron Micans are my new favourite indoor plant and have almost surpassed my love of pothos!
The botanical name for these guys is a bit of a mouthful- Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum, so although I love using botanical names, I think in this instance, I’ll stick to Philodendron Micans.
These guys are native to Tropical America and Mexico, so they love the humidity that we get here in summer.
They are a semi-epiphytic, so it likes good free draining soil and doesn’t like wet feet at all.
I love these plants as they have lovely, deep green almost black velvety, heart-shaped leaves that are iridescent. On the backside, is a beautiful, deep red colour.
The leaves don’t tend to grow bigger than about 8cm wide and the plant climbs very quickly. The nodes are deeply packed with roots and can be easily propagated.
I’m really impressed with the versatility of this plant. It loves hanging down from the top of a bookshelf and being forgotten about but I’m also training one up a coir fibre pole as it’s perfect for skinny places in home where I need height, without bulk.
My house has limited light and I’m finding it does okay in dark spots, as well as really well-lit areas.
Like all my indoor plants I find these guys really appreciate a liquid feed fortnightly. I use Plant Care one fortnight and Triple Boost the next.