What is the difference between heartleaf philodendron and pothos, and which one is easier to grow?

I believe many households keep one or two pots of evergreen plants, especially families that have just finished renovating and want to rely on plants' natural ability to purify indoor air. However, as greenery plants, heartleaf philodendron and pothos are the two most commonly confused purchases, because they look very similar and at a glance you really cannot tell them apart right away. So how do you tell these two plants apart? Let's take a look below.

Heartleaf philodendron and pothos can be found easily in flower markets; both are common foliage plants. In terms of differences, you can start with their appearance. Generally speaking, heartleaf philodendron has leaves of varied shapes, some heart-shaped and some arrow-shaped. Compared with pothos, its leaves are smaller and grow compactly, and the whole plant crawls like a vine, with the plant height reaching roughly within 1 m. As for pothos, its leaves do not have much shape variety and are oval, the leaves are larger and wider, the leaf density is not very compact, and the plant height can reach about 3 m.

In terms of growing environment and habits, the needs of the two plants are not quite the same. First, heartleaf philodendron likes shady spots; it is a climbing plant and cannot be placed in strong light. During the growing period, it needs support to help it grow, so it can be placed against a wall or supported with a decorative trellis.

By contrast, pothos is a trailing plant that can crawl along the ground or climb up a support; it does not need a support structure. As for light, it likes an environment with plenty of light and needs a spot with light, but it is not tolerant of scorching sun. In addition, the two plants grow at different speeds. Heartleaf philodendron grows fast and can reach about 1 m in about a year, while pothos grows relatively slowly and needs a long period of care before it grows lush.

In terms of flower language, heartleaf philodendron and pothos represent different things. Heartleaf philodendron has heart-shaped leaves that look soothing, so its flower language is tranquility and warmth. By comparison, pothos can tolerate harsh environments and gives a sense of toughness, so its flower language carries the beautiful meanings of "toughness and kindness" and "watching over happiness."