Hederaceum or Micans: Uncover the Secrets of These Stunning Plants!

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The main differences between hederaceum and micans are, the leaves of hederaceum are glossy green while those of micans are dark velvety green with purplish-red edges. Besides,  the philodendron hederaceum plant is normally bigger than the micans as an indoor plant. the hederaceum doesn’t produce any flower while the micans have green and white colored flower spathes.

As both of these plants are much preferable as houseplants, hederaceum vs micans is often a point of argument. But I’ve also noticed a few precise information of these differences later and highlighted them here. Let’s go through the comprehensive guide below.

Comparison table of philodendron hederaceum and micans

There are a few differences between philodendron hederaceum and micans in their origin, growth, type and nature of leaves. Before getting into the detailed discussion, here is a quick view of a comparison table between philodendron hederaceum and micans.

Basis of Comparison Philodendron hederaceumMicans
Common namephilodendron heart leafVelvet leaf philodendron, vilevine.
Plant typePerennial.Perennial.
LeavesGreen heart-shapedDark green velvet leaf
FoliageGlossy light green or, pale greenGreen velvety feel with purplish-red/bronze color Edges 
Watering systemMuch akin to waterNot much akin to water
Average lengthMay be kept 3-8 feet tall as an indoor plant,Can be maximum 10-13 feet tall as an outdoor plant.May be kept 2-4 feet tall as an indoor plant,and can be a maximum of 11-13 feet tall as an outdoor plant.
Average width2 to 3 feet wide (slightly wider than micans).1 to 2 feet wide.
Humidity percentage65 to 80 percent. 65 to 85 percent.
The ideal temperatureis 70°F to 85°FPrefer a slightly cool place (65°F to 75° F)
Potting mediumbest when the soil is loamy with lots of sand.Best if the soil can retain the moisture.
Soil typeis best with a rapid drainage system. With good drainage but a moisture retention system
Soil pHGrows in acidic soil.Grows in acidic soil.
Flower bloomingDoesn’t produce flowers.Produce green and white colored flower spathes rarely.
Native areaCentral America, The Caribbean.Tropical region of Mexico and the Caribbean, Central America & North America
ToxicityToxic and produces Severe symptoms in pets.Toxic to pets and sometimes produces skin irritations

What is the difference between  philodendron hederaceum and micans?

Though philodendron hederaceum and micans are related plants, they have several distinctive differences by which we can differentiate them. Let’s discuss them below in detail.

Types of foliage

The foliage of philodendron hederaceum is pale green with slightly brownish edges. On the other hand, the foliage of micans is dark green with a velvety and soft feeling. The edge of mican’s foliage is also purplish-red or, bronze color edges.

Hederaceum Foliage
Micans Foliage

Nature of leaves

The leaves of the philodendron hederaceum are slightly bigger than the micans. Again, the color of philodendron hederaceum leaves is light green or, pale green with vein lines whereas the leaves of micans have a dark velvety green finish with a little bit of shimmer and purplish-red or, bronze edges.

Besides, the leaves of philodendron hederaceum are a little bit harder than micans as the micans leaves have a smooth velvet surface.

Hederaceum Leaf
Micans Leaf

In addition, the leaves of micans get darker green and their purplish-red or, bronze edges start fading away when they become mature, while the leaves of hederaceum don’t.

Growth of plants

Though both the philodendron hederaceum and micans are fast-growing plants and can be very tall if they are planted outside, the micans are slightly more fast-growing plants. So, the micans are slightly taller than the hederaceum. But the philodendron hederaceum is slightly wider than the micans.

Such as philodendron hederaceum may be kept 3-8 feet tall as an indoor plant and can be a maximum of 10-13 feet tall as an outdoor plant and can be 2 to 3 feet wide. Again, micans may be kept 2-4 feet tall as indoor plants and can be a maximum of 11-13 feet tall as outdoor plants and can be 1 to 2 feet wide.

Native area

The hederaceum is from Central America and the Caribbean. They are usually found in swamps and on river banks, roadsides etc.

On the other hand, the micans plants are mainly from the tropical region of Mexico and the Caribbean, Central America & North America.

Watering requirements

The philodendron hederaceum plant is much more akin to water than the micans. So, frequent and generous watering should be ensured for the hederaceum.

On the other hand, micans are not much more akin to hederaceum and thus can tolerate dryness than hederaceum.

Temperature requirements

The philodendron hederaceum grows in normal to warm indoor temperatures like 70° Fahrenheit to 85° Fahrenheit. Besides, the micans prefer slightly cooler places than philodendron hederaceum. The micans grow better at the temperature of about 65° Fahrenheit to 75° Fahrenheit.

Blooming of flower

The philodendron hederaceum doesn’t produce any type of flower whereas the micans have green and white colored flower spathes ( the spathes are like a big petal of a flower that seems to be a flower) when they get enough matured.

Why does anyone need to distinguish between philodendron hederaceum and micans?

As both philodendron hederaceum and micans are from the Araceae family and philodendron genus, look alike to some extent. So, often they are mixed up with one another. Again people get confused as both plants are vines and have heart-shaped and greenery leaves.

As people often mistake both the philodendron hederaceum and micans plants, we need to distinguish them properly and decorate the home accordingly. People who love to decorate their homes with different houseplants have to learn about the comparison between the plants. It will help them to individualize and bring them correctly.

Similarities between philodendron hederaceum and micans?

As we know that the philodendron hederaceum and micans both share a common ancestry and are a rare variety of houseplants, they contain some noticeable similarities in their appearance indeed and so people get confused.

Thus these similarities between them are needed for this article to clarify people’s misconceptions fully. The similarities are given below.

Scientific Information: According to the scientific classification, both the philodendron hederaceum and micans plants are almost the same. Such as, both plants belong to the same kingdom(Plantae), clade(tracheophytes angiosperms, monocots), order(Alismatales), family(Araceae) and genus(philodendron).

Visual description: Both the philodendron hederaceum and micans are predominating trailing vines houseplants with green heart-shaped leaves that often make them confused to identify if suddenly they are seen separately.

Soil and potting system: Both plants prefer soil that is loamy, acidic and can retain moisture. The potting system must be well drainage and moisture retention.

Methods of fertilizing: Both the philodendron hederaceum and micans plants prefer liquid fertilizers most than organic dry fertilizers.

Exposure to sunlight: The exposure of sunlight for both plants is partly. They both thrive best in bright and indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause damage like sunburn or, leaf yellowing or, leaf curling etc.

Which plant will be better,philodendron hederaceum and micans?

If you want a suggestion from me about which one will be a better plant between the philodendron hederaceum and micans, I will cheer you up that you can bring both of them as both plants are too adorable to keep as home decor.

For hederaceum, we can say that they still make a great choice for indoor plants as their leaf thickness is one of the advantages. They help to clear toxins in the atmosphere more efficiently.

Again when it comes to micans, If you are thinking about gifting or, owning a plant for the colors, then the micans are a great choice as it has an intriguing color and an appropriate scent to match. In addition to health benefits like providing good breathable air, this makes a perfect choice.

But if you still want to bring only one plant, then I would like to say that I have disclosed all of their features here. Now, decide on which plant will be better and decorate your home accordingly.

Are micans unique compared to philodendron hederaceum?

Yes, micans are unique in comparison to the philodendron hederaceum but not so rare. Micans plants have become extremely popular as houseplants because of their distinctive dark green velvety appearance.

But they can be difficult to come across in some regions nowadays. If you can get one, you won’t regret it for sure. Micans look unique and great in hanging planters or, climbing moss poles or, trellises.

Final thoughts

Gradually, you have reached the end of the discussion. From the entire discussion, let’s make recap what we get from this article-

  • The philodendron hederaceum has clean glossy green leaves that alternate and look like rubber from a distance and the micans have dark green velvety leaves.
  • The micans produce green and white flower spathes when they get matured while the hederaceum doesn’t produce any flower at all.
  • The advantages and benefits of both plants are quite similar.
  • The micans create skin irritants while the hederaceum doesn’t.

Understanding all these comparisons can help to differentiate both plants and care for them and propagate them successfully accordingly.

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