Philodendron Micans is hugely popular houseplant as it sports beautifully deep green velvety leaves on crawling vines. This plant is great for beginners and quite easy to care for despite it’s luxurious appearance. Micans is in such high demand that it can be a bit difficult to find, especially here in Canada where it’s unlikely to be found in a nursery or big box store. Ask around to your plant collecting friends or check Etsy which is where I found mine. You’ll be glad to have put effort into hunting down your own Philodendron Micans as it’s a fairly easy to grow plant that offers much in the way of rewards for your work.
Much like it’s cousin the standard heart-shape philodendron or Philodendron hederaceum, the Micans grows easily in almost any space you’d like to put it. I particularly love plant styling with my Micans as the shimmery deep coloured vines provide incredible contrast when displayed with other more ‘plain’ plants. The reverse side of the leaf shown below displays a lovely burgundy / rust colour that provides even more visual interest. What’s not to love?
I purchased my plant online from Plants with Pearl and I feel it shipped well and took off growing as soon as I planted it up. I have yet to experience any issues whatsoever. Philodendron Micans can hold up to a little underwatering, a little over watering, a little darkness and a little hot sun. below is what my plant looked like on the day it arrived. Nice and healthy! It was two vines and it was my mission to propagate and grow my Philodendron Micans into a huge basket of hanging vines. We are slowly getting there.
Below is another plant styling vibe that I have loved on display in our home! I’ve since dubbed my Micans ‘Rapunzel’ as she appears to be trailing her hair down from this tower. If one of your plant goals is to decorate your home in greenery, Philodendron Micans is sure to be an asset to your collection. Displayed trailing or climbing, this plant is a showstopper.
General Philodendron Micans Care Tips
Light: Philodendron Micans do enjoy a good amount of light but they can also do well in lower light situations. I have displayed mine in both a west window where it got quite a lot of indirect light and even a little direct sun in the late afternoons and about 10 feet further away from that same window where it gets lower light and zero direct sun. It has grown well in both spots and I did not notice any decline when moving it. Keep in mind that less light exposure can encourage smaller leaves and longer internodes (space between each leaf) so supplementing with a grow light in the winter may prove beneficial.
Water: Philodendron micans is such a wonderful plant that it will tell you when it wants water by curling it’s leaves in slightly. I let mine dry out pretty well between waterings and it handles it quite well. As you can see below, micans doesn’t have the thickest of roots so care in not overwatering is required. Root rot will not treat your plant well and recovering from overwatering will be more difficult than recovering from underwatering. That said, I have watered my plant pretty much whenever I remember to and it has always seemed just fine. It’s surprisingly resilient considering it has fairly thin leaves and roots. It’s a good rule of thumb to water Philodendron according to how much light it is getting. More light will require more water and vice versa.
Soil: As mentioned above, the roots on Philodendron Micans are a bit on the delicate side and as such I have mine planted in a fairly airy mix of substrate that includes: Standard bagged potting mix, perlite, orchid bark, worm castings and a few chunks of charcoal. Additionally I have always had my plant in a terra cotta pot which aids in airflow to the roots.
Humidity: While Philo Micans are tropical plants, that would normally find themselves in humid locations, I find they do just fine in standard household humidity. Our house is typically 40-50% relative humidity and there are no issues with these plants concerning humidity. I do not mist my plant – or any of my plants as I find it can cause issues in areas with low airflow.
Fertilizer: Philodendron as a genus typically like a good feed and I have treated my micans in kind. If the plant is in a state of producing vigorous new growth, be sure to feed it with a balanced organic fertilizer. I’m typically using a fish emulsion tropical plant fertilizer with a 2-1-3 NPK value and the plant has responded well. If your plant is in a state of adaptation to new light conditions and is yellowing and dropping leaves, avoid fertilizing. I also use worm castings in my plant soil as a slow release natural source of nutrients.
Pruning and propagation: As Micans is a vine, it will grow and grow and grow until you give it a snip. Once you do so, it will produce another growth point further up the vine and this is a good way to encourage your plant to bush out with new stems from the top of the plant. A lot of people have said they propagate their Micans in water and I would say that propagating micans is the only difficult part about owning them. I have endured a high rate of failure with my water props and have since moved towards air layering with all velvety leaved philodendrons with much success. You can see my most recent props below. Nice healthy roots that transferred into soil with no issue.
Pests: I have not had any pest problems on this plant, however, they could be susceptible to mealy bug, spider mites, scale or thrip. As with any houseplant, combating pests starts first and foremost in nurturing a healthy plant.
Toxicity: All Philodendron are toxic and will cause a reaction and harm due to calcium oxalate crystals within the plant. This reaction can occur on the surface of the skin, inside the mouth and throat and throughout the digestive tract. Contact a doctor or veterinarian immediately upon ingestion.
Why does my plant have sticky spots on it. Do I have a pest?
Many Philodendron varieties have extrafloral nectaries. These glands produce a sweet ‘nectar’ that is meant to attract ants – especially in the wild. In doing so, ants may nest around the roots and provide protection for the plant. It can be easy to see this and assume you have some sort of pest on your plant because it does seem similar to the damage say, an aphid may leave however, rest assured, your plant is normal and healthy and doing what it does naturally.
The extrafloral nectaries can be seen in the image of the reverse side of the Philodendron Micans leaf above. On first glance these dots might look like pest damage, and you may also see a sticky substance around them, but they are perfectly normal and many Philodendron varieties have them.
Resources:
See more varieties of Philodendron
Where do Philodendron Grow in the Wild?
Help! I have yellow leaves on my Philodendron!
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