Scindapsus Silver Hero Care

Looking to expand your scindapsus collection? Scindapsus silver hero care is a breeze, and you’ll love the stunning all-over sheen on these leaves.

All about scindapsus silver hero care!

I’m excited to be writing about a harder-to-find variety from a plant genus that remains one of my favorites: scindapsus! And the variety I’m writing about today is scindapsus pictus “silver hero.”

I’ve been growing Scindapsus silver hero for about a year and a half now. And it’s a real stunner. I have written about my love of silver plants in the past—and this is one is definitely no exception!

Scindapsus silver hero background

A brief background on scindapsus: it’s a genus of plants in the araceae (aroid) family. It’s native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, parts of Australia, and the western Pacific islands. But scindapsus also makes a lovely houseplant!

Scindapsus silver hero looks a lot like a pothos plant, much like its more common relative scindapsus picture exotica does. Exotica is green with a splashy silver variety, and it’s pretty easy to find at local stores and nurseries.

And because silver hero looks a lot like exotica and exotica looks a lot like a pothos, it is often called “silver satin pothos.” However, the name “pothos” is generally used to refer to the epipremnum genus.

Scindapsus silver hero differs from scindapsus exotica in its variegation—or lack thereof. While exotica is variegated, scindapsus silver hero’s leaves are a muted green with a solid silver sheen that covers the entire leaf.

It reminds me a lot of the scindapsus treubii moonlight plant (commonly referred to as “sterling silver). But scindapsus treubii moonlight is more of a jade green with smoother silver-sheened leaves. 

Is scindapsus silver hero rare?

I would say yes, at least where I live. I have never seen a silver hero in a local nursery. Even the ones that have a pretty good selection of rare plants.

I have owned two silver heroes. The first I purchased through a local Facebook buy, sell, trade plant group. The second I purchased from a nursery in Florida on Etsy.

Is scindapsus silver hero the same as platinum?

No, scindapsus silver hero is apparently not the same as scindapsus platinum. They are extremely similar, though. I took a look on Etsy to see if I could discern any differences, and it’s tough.

It appears to me that they have an extremely similar coloring—light green-grayish with an all-over silver sheen. However, the silver hero’s leaves may be smaller. Similarly, scindapsus platinum is said to have thicker leaves with more of a matte appearance.

However, I have seen the two described as exactly the opposite! And I have owned two scindapsus “silver hero” plants, both of which looked pretty different. One with smaller, thinner leaves and more yellow-green undertones.

I do wonder if silver hero and platinum are the same variety and are really just natural variations of the same plant? I haven’t been able to find anything definitive from a primary source to fully convince me…but if you do, please share!

How much light does a scindapsus silver hero need?

Scindapsus silver hero does best in bright indirect light. This means by or in your sunniest window. This is not a low-light plant, but it will grow fine in medium light levels.

However, in my experience, scindapsus silver hero is a pretty slower grower. Giving is only medium light levels will slow the growth down even more and may even lead to smaller leaf growth.

If you live in a very sunny home, keep in mind that too much direct light will burn/scorch the leaves. This usually isn’t a problem for me indoors, but you may be lucky with a super sunny home. Outdoors, make sure to keep silver hero in some sort of shade (under a tree, patio, shade cloth, etc).

You can also choose to add a grow light to your setup. I’ve grown many scindapsus varieties indoors with the help of a grow light, especially in the winter when the days where I live get so short.

Soil needs

Scindapsus plants in general thrive in a chunky, well-draining soil. Ensuring that your soil is able to effectively drain all excess water out through the pot’s drainage holes and circulate air to the roots is a critical part of scindapsus silver hero care.

The best way to ensure good drainage and circulation is by using an indoor potting mix. Something labeled for “indoor” or “houseplant” use will come pre-mixed with things like perlite, moss, bark, or sand.

For the scindapsus silver hero pictured below, I used an indoor soil mix that came pre-mixed with perlite and peat moss. I then added a bit of coconut coir (a good and more sustainable peat moss alternative I keep on hand) and some coconut husks (the chunky stuff).

Watering your scindapsus silver hero

One of the fastest ways to kill a silver hero is by overwatering it. I generally wait until roughly the top third of soil dries out before watering the plant again. Sometimes I wait even longer.

I do not use a moisture meter. I simply stick my finger in the soil. But a moisture meeting works great, too. Signs of overwatering include limp, yellowing leaves and mold on the top of the soil.

Signs of underwatering include limp, curled leaves that have otherwise maintained their coloring. I’ve found that when a scindapsus begins to wilt, I’ve let it go too long without water. But it almost always rebounds fine with a deep drink.

Cleaning your silver hero

When I water my scindapsus plants, I do so in the sink or shower. I like to water the plants deeply, completely saturating the soil and letting all of the excess water drain from the bottom of the pot.

I also use this time to wash off all of the leaves, tops and bottoms. This helps them maintain their gorgeous silver sheen and remove any dust that could inhibit optimal growth. And, as a bonus, it’s a best practice for routine pest prevention.

Temperature & humidity

Temperature and humidity are not too difficult with this plant. It does fine in a variety of normal household temperature and humidity levels. That said, it grows best when the temperature is in the 70s, 80s, and lower 90s Fahrenheit.

Any cooler and it will slow growth or throw the plant into dormancy. The plant will show signs of stress and likely eventual death in temperatures in the 40s and below. It is not cold or frost hardy.

If temperatures are too high, monitor the plant to make sure it isn’t showing signs of stress. If anything, you might want to give it more water during heat waves since the soil will likely dry out faster.

All scindapsus plants love humidity, and extra humidity will help the plant grow as prolifically as possible. You can add a humidifier by the plant, and if you live somewhere with a humid spring and summer, you can let them vacation outdoors in the shade.

Fertilizer—is this a hungry plant?

Remember that adding fertilizer doesn’t necessarilly make your plant grow faster, it just adds nutrients to help encourage optimal, healthy growth. I don’t personally use chemical fertilizers on my indoors plants, but it’s fine to dilute one designed for houseplants and use it monthly on the scindapsus in the spring and summer.

I don’t have anything against chemical fertilizers, and I use them on my outdoor plants. But indoors, the risk of burning a plant by over-fertilizing is too much for me to think about. Instead, I use an organic concentrated fertilizer called Liqui-Dirt (affiliate link). I also refresh soil with worm castings each spring.

Another important thing to remember is that if you’re repotting your plant with fresh high-quality soil, it is probably nutrient-dense and already included a slow-release fertilizer. No need to throw money down the drain fertilizing if you don’t have to!

Scindapsus silver hero: Growth & pruning

I currently grow all of my scindapsus plants as trailers. However, scindapsus can also be trained to climb a moss pole or trellis. I’d like to try my hand with this at some point, too—especially because they generally grow larger leaves when they are climbing!

However, they are perfectly happy trailing. Especially since they can be such slow growers, you might not have to make a trail vs. climb decision for a while depending on the size of your plant. Eventually they can grow to be many, many feet long.

If you do notice leggy growth, you can trim it off without hurting the plant. In fact, pruning leggy growth—which often occurs over the winter when light levels are lower— is a great way to encourage healthy new growth and a bushier plant.

Scindapsus silver hero propagation

I have written full detailed posts about how to propagate scindapsus cuttings. My favorite way to root scindapsus cuttings is in a mixture of damp moss and perlite, but I’ve also successfully used LECA. (Read more about sphagnum moss propagation, as well as LECA propagation.)

I do not personally like propagating scindapsus cuttings in water because I think the water roots suffer more shock when you transplant them to soil. They will rebound—but if you can grow stronger roots from the beginning, it’s always a good idea!

To successfully propagate a scindapsus silver hero, you must take a cutting with 1-3 leaves and at least one node (growth point). You can expose a growth point by removing the bottom-most set of leaves, or look for the little nubs on the stems.

These plants grow aerial roots to help them climb in the wild, and that’s what those little nubs are. They are great for propagating cuttings, too! To read more details and see a ton of pictures about scindapsus propagation, check out my scindapsus pictus propagation guide and my scindapsus treubii propagation guide.

Is scindapsus toxic to pets?

Yes. Scindapsus plants in general have calcium oxalates in them. Keep them away from pets who nibble plants and kids. Ingesting this plant may lead to oral irritation; pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips; drooling; vomiting; and difficulty swallowing (according to the ASPCA).

Pin my scindapsus silver hero care guide!