Scindapsus is one of my favorite types of plants, and they are fun to collect! Here are 9 different scindapsus varieties that you can add to your collection, including basic care, pics to help you identify them, and where to find them!
9 scindapsus varieties to add to your houseplant collection
Hey all! Today we’re talking about one of my absolute favorites—scindapsus! There are many different scindapsus varieties to choose from ranging from relatively common to extremely rare. I see this gorgeous print from Aaron Apsley floating around plant groups a lot.
It’s an awesome print, but it can still be hard to identify scindapsus varieties without seeing different pictures of them and reading about their similarities and differences. Plus, where do you find them? I’ve got you!
Scindapsus varieties overview
If all you want is a list of the varieties, here you go! Read on in this article for more about each type of scindapsus, including photos.
- Scindapsus pictus argyraeus: A common variety with dark green leaves and silver variegation.
- Scindapsus pictus silvery Anne: Similar to argyraeus but with more contrasting variegation.
- Scindapsus pictus exotica: Features large jade or mint green leaves with silver patterns.
- Scindapsus pictus silver splash: Has a lot of silver on the leaves, with a less distinct transition between silver and green compared to exotica.
- Scindapsus pictus silver lady: A rare variety with thinner leaves and less contrast.
- Scindapsus treubii moonlight: Popular for its milky green leaves with a silver sheen.
- Scindapsus treubii dark form: Features dark greenish-black glossy leaves and is considered rare.
- Scindapsus pictus silver hero: Described as having leaves that are fully silver.
- Scindapsus pictus jade satin: A rare variety without the silver variegation, known for its thick leaves and distinctive texture.
Scindapsus varieties background
Just to clear a few things up right off the bat, let’s cover a bit of scindapsus background info. Scindapsus is a genus of plants in the araceae family. They are flowering plants, but as with a lot of houseplants, they don’t typically flower indoors livin that houseplant life.
Scindapsus plants hail from Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and some islands in the Pacific. They are vining plants that are happiest climbing up a pole or trellis (or a tree in nature). They also look lovely trailing from a hanging basket, which is how I have most of mine.
Scindapsus vs. epipremnum pothos
You’ll often hear a common scindapsus variety, scindapsus pictus, referred to as “silver satin pothos.” And that’s because it does look an awful lot like its more common relative, epipremnum aureum, aka pothos.
Sure, some people do refer to scindapsus plants as “pothos” plants, and that isn’t necessarily wrong. I just think it’s confusing. “Pothos” has long been associated with epipremnum aureum, which is from a totally different genus of plants.
Epipremnum and scindapsus are both part of the Araceae family, so that does make these plants related. And no one will fault you for confusing the two—they do have a lot of similarities!
In a nutshell, scindapsus plants are a bit higher maintenance than epipremnum pothos plants. While they have similar growth patterns, the stems and leaves on scindapsus plants are much thicker.
They also grow a bit slower, and they are a bit more sensitive to neglect than epipremnum pothos plants are. So, while you’ll probably be fine caring for the plants using the same approach, there are some quirks to keep in mind.
Want pothos? Check out my roundup of pothos varieties to add to your collection!
Scindapsus plant care primer
A great way to keep the gorgeous silvery finish that many scindapsus leaves have is to ensure your plant is getting enough bright, indirect light. This is not a low-light plant. But keep in mind that too much direct sun will burn the leaves.
Don’t overwater the plant. Use a very well-draining houseplant soil (I amend with extra perlite and coco coir), and water the plant when the soil mostly dries out. If the leaves curl a bit, it wants some water.
I have seen people say to water scindapsus when the top few inches of soil dries out, but they are so prone to root rot and suffocation from overwatering that I stretch it a bit longer.
Humidity is a VERY welcome addition to your scindapsus plant care routine! THis tropical vine absolutely thrives with higher humidity, but it grows fine in normal household humidity.
My scindapsus plants get huge leaves when I have them outside in the humid Maryland summer under my covered porch. It’s nuts to see what a difference the humidity makes!
And finally, these plants make great houseplants because they are not frost-hardy. I bring mine inside when the temps drop below about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If you keep your scindapsus plants indoors year round, this isn’t an issue at all.
9 different scindapsus varieties
So let’s jump in and discuss a few of the different scindapsus varieties you can collect! I am delighted to own 7 out of the 9 varieties on the Aaron Apsley print I linked at the beginning of this article, so I have plenty of pics, too 🙂
1. Scindapsus pictus argyraeus
Often affectionately referred to as “argy,” scindapsus pictus argyraeus is probably the most common variety of scindapsus. The leaves are darker green with small speckles and splotches of silver variegation.
Argy’s leaves also stay a bit smaller than some other scindapsus varieties—but it trails beautifully. The borders of the leaves are also silver. You can find scindapsus pictus argyraeus at big box stores, local nurseries, and online.
2. Scindapsus pictus silvery Anne
Anne is a real stunner! She looks a lot like argyraeus, and at first glance, you might even think they are the same plant. It’s pretty hard to tell them apart, especially if the plant is younger and doesn’t have great variegation yet.
Scindapsus pictus silvery Anne has smaller, dark green leaves just like argyraeus does. However, there is a bit more contrast between the green and silver parts. And some of the leaves can be almost entirely silver or look “dipped” in silver.
Where to find silvery Anne—I’ve never see it at a big box store, and I got my plant from a friend. I have seen Anne in local nurseries and, of course, online.
3. Scindapsus pictus exotica
This absolutely stunning exotica variety of scindapsus pictus can grow large leaves with stunning splashes, speckles, and splotches of silver. The leaves can be more of a jade hue of green, sometimes verging on mint.
Some of the leaves can look highly pixelated, a lot like the silver splash variety I outline below. Scindapsus pictus exotica plants also have stems that are quite thick. You can find exotica at local nurseries and online—and if you’re lucky, a big box store!
4. Scindapsus pictus silver splash
Scindapsus pictus silver splash is very easy to confuse with exotica if they aren’t sitting right next to each other. I mentioned that exotica sometimes has highly pixelated variegation, making it look a lot like silver splash.
But the different between the two is clear when you look closely. They have a lot of silver on the leaves, and the silver almost fades into the green. There is less of a clear transition between silver and green.
I haven’t personally ever seen one of these in a store or nursery, but they likely do pop up in nurseries occasionally. I got mine from a friend who got hers from another friend. To find one, I recommend looking online or checking local plant swap groups for cuttings. Check out my scindapsus silver splash article.
5. Scindapsus pictus silver lady
Silver lady looks a lot like exotica, but its leaves are much thinner, and it has less of a contrast between the green and silver. This variety is really rare and looks a lot like silver splash to me.
I don’t own this variety and am waiting on my friend to decide to sell hers, lol. You will likely have the best luck finding this one either online or through local Facebook plant swap groups.
For more on scindapsus pictus varieties, check out my article on how to care for scindapsus pictus plants and how to propagate scindapsus pictus plants!
6. Scindapsus treubii moonlight
Who remembers the great 2020 freakout trying to find scindapsus treubii moonlight plants? I do! And I scored big. I LOVE my moonlights! Some of my favorite plants in my entire collection.
Moonlight plants have milky green with a bold silver sheen covering the entire leaf. The healthier the plant, the more silver you get. I see a lot of sad overwatered ones in stores now, and they are almost entirely green.
Speaking of, you can find moonlights in big box stores or at nurseries these days. Of course there are always cuttings online, but I’d also recommend checking your local Facebook plant groups to swap cuttings!
For more, check out my article about how to care for scindapsus treubii moonlight plants, as well as my piece on how to root scindapsus treubii moonlight and dark form cuttings!
7. Scindapsus treubii dark form
Scindapsus treubii dark form looks like the moonlight, except the leaves are a dark greenish black with no silver. They are also very glossy and eye-catching.
Dark form leaves also tend to be a bit longer and thinner. It really is a stunning plant—along with the raven zz, the glossy nearly black foliage is awesome.
These are rare, and your best bet is to find them online or through other local plant hobbyists. I got mine from a friend in Texas who runs a small greenhouse and imported a bunch. See my whole scindapsus treubii dark form article for more.
8. Scindapsus pictus silver hero
I finally treated myself to one of these for my birthday this year! It came quickly in the mail and was in amazing condition. I have never seen this plant locally or on Facebook buy, sell, and trade groups, so I got mine off Etsy. Here is my silver hero care article.
Scindapsus pictus silver hero looks like an exotica, except the leaves are fully silver. Not to be confused with scindapsus lucens, which is also silver, but lucens is even more rare and has a bumpy/raised texture.
9. Scindapsus pictus jade stain
And finally, scindapsus pictus jade satin! This variety is sometimes confused with regular ol’ jade pothos, but it is way more rare. The leaves are much thicker than pothos leaves.
They don’t have silver variegation like many other pictus varieties, but they do have a cool texture. I rooted my jade scindapsus plant from a single leaf/node I got from a local plant buy, sell, trade group.
It has taken forever for it to grow, giving me only two new leaves this entire growing season. But it sure is worth it to have this beauty in my collection! (Want to learn how I grew this plant? Check out my article about how to root scindapsus jade satin cuttings.)
In conclusion…
These are definitely not all of the scindapsus varieties available to you…but they will give you a good start! I love scindapsus and think they are absolutely gorgeous plants. Let me know which one you get next!
Here is a link to the Dropbox folder with the guide!
Pin my article about 9 scindapsus varieties to collect!
Brittany is a seasoned DIY home and garden expert, running a creative brand since 2014 that inspires others with approachable plant care guides, woodworking tutorials, and decor projects. She is a certified project manager and has completed extensive coursework in the art and science of growing your own plants. Her work has been recognized by major publications, and she routinely collaborates with fellow DIY industry leaders—but her favorite thing to do is inspire you! Learn more about her here.
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