Indoor Plant ID: Name a Houseplant From Its Leaves

To find the name of an indoor plant, work from the whole plant down to one leaf. Four checks usually narrow a store-bought houseplant to one group.

• Habit. Trailing vine (pothos, heart-leaf philodendron, hoya), upright canes with a tuft of leaves (dracaena, corn plant), a flat rosette (bromeliads, some peperomias) or a clump from the soil (snake plant, calathea, ferns).
• Leaf shape and surface. Heart-shaped, strap-shaped, round and fleshy, or patterned. Note whether the surface is glossy, velvet or waxy.
• Leaf stalk. Look at where the leaf stalk (petiole) joins the stem. A groove along the stalk, a papery sheath, or no stalk at all are each informative.
• Sap. Milky sap from a cut leaf is a sign of euphorbias, many of which are sold as succulents or "cacti".

Write down the light the plant was sold for, too. Portland Nursery's houseplant quick-ID marks aglaonema, calathea, parlor palm, dracaena, golden pothos, Boston fern, heart-leaf philodendron and rex begonia as low-light classics, which is a useful shortlist if the plant came from a dim office.

This is the pair people ask about most, because both are trailing vines with heart-shaped leaves. Clemson Cooperative Extension's Home and Garden Information Center gives the reliable test: the petioles of pothos are grooved and those of philodendrons are not. Clemson adds that philodendron leaves develop protective sheaths as they emerge, which pothos leaves lack.

So run a fingernail along a leaf stalk:

• A channel running along the top of the stalk: pothos
• A round, smooth stalk, often with a dried papery sheath near the newest leaf: philodendron

Clemson describes philodendrons as ranging from vines with 3-inch heart-shaped leaves to vines with leaves 3 feet long, in two forms: vining types that climb with support and self-heading types that send leaves out from a heavy clump at the base.

Upright plants with long, strap-shaped leaves on a cane are usually dracaenas. Clemson HGIC describes them as rugged houseplants with strap-shaped foliage that is often striped, and heights from 2 to 10 feet depending on the cultivar. Three that Clemson names:

• Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans): the cultivar 'Massangeana' has a yellow stripe down the center of each leaf
• Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata): narrow leaves; 'Tricolor' is striped cream and red
• Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis): wide, dark green glossy leaves, up to 10 feet

Clemson notes that dracaenas are sensitive to fluoride, which shows as yellowing or scorched areas, and that dry tips and edges are usually caused by too little humidity.

Knowing the name matters most when a cat or dog has chewed the plant. From the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant list:

• Golden pothos: toxic to dogs and cats. Insoluble calcium oxalates cause oral irritation, intense burning of the mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.
• Spider plant: listed non-toxic to dogs and cats.
• Christmas cactus: listed non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Clemson HGIC states that all parts of philodendrons are toxic if eaten, because calcium oxalate crystals cause burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue.

If a pet has eaten part of a plant you cannot name, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply). If a child has, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Bring the plant or a clear photo of it.

A single photo of a green pot on a shelf is the most common reason an identification fails. Take three:

• The whole plant in daylight, showing how it grows
• One leaf, top and underside, flat against a plain background
• A close-up of the leaf stalk where it meets the stem, to catch a groove, a sheath or aerial roots

If it has ever flowered, add the flower. NatureLens gives free scans every day, so you can photograph the plant or sign and get a suggested name in seconds, then confirm it with the checks on this page.