House Plant Identification: Tell 8 Common Houseplants Apart

Start with three checks, in this order. First, look for the grower's tag in the pot; it often gives the genus even when the shop label only says "tropical foliage". Second, photograph the whole plant and a single leaf close-up in even daylight and run the photo through a plant identification app. Third, confirm the answer against the features for that species below, because many houseplants are sold under loose common names and have look-alikes.

The features that separate most houseplants are the same few: whether the leaf is simple or divided into leaflets, the leaf shape and size, whether the plant climbs with aerial roots, whether it has a visible stem, and small details on the leaf stalk. For a longer walk-through of photo identification, see what is the name of this plant.

• Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). A climbing or trailing vine. NC State describes the leaves as heart-shaped to elliptic-ovate, 3 to 4 inches long, glossy and leathery, often variegated, with brown aerial roots that clasp supports. The leaf stalk is grooved. Pothos care.
• Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum). Also a vine. NC State gives heart-shaped leaves 3 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide; new leaves emerge bronze and turn green; the leaf stalk is not grooved, and new growth carries large, free, lance-shaped stipules. Philodendron and pets.
• Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata, formerly Sansevieria). No visible stem. NC State describes stiff, upright, flat, succulent leaves up to 4 feet long and 2 to 4 inches wide, banded crosswise in shades of green, sometimes with yellow or white edges. Snake plant care.
• ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia). What looks like a stem with many small leaves is one compound leaf. NC State counts around 25 elliptic leaflets per leaf, each 1 to 2 inches long, glossy and leathery, on thick fleshy stalks rising from an underground rhizome. ZZ plant care.
• Monstera (Monstera deliciosa). A climber with large leaves. NC State notes it grows 6 to 8 feet indoors against 70 feet in the wild, rarely flowers as a houseplant, and needs sturdy support. Young leaves are plain; the splits and holes come with maturity. Monstera care.
• Peperomia (Peperomia species). Small and compact: NC State gives 6 to 12 inches tall and wide, with very variable leaves (round, heart-shaped, ridged, striped like a watermelon) that are often thick and fleshy. Peperomia care.
• Money tree (Pachira aquatica). A small tree, often sold with several trunks braided together. NC State describes palmate compound leaves of 5 to 9 leaflets spreading from one point, like fingers of a hand. Money tree care.
• Bird of paradise (Strelitzia). Large, stiff, paddle-shaped leaves rising from underground rhizomes. NC State gives 3 to 4 feet for Strelitzia reginae, with gray-green leaves; Strelitzia nicolai has banana-like leaves up to 6.5 feet long. Bird of paradise care.

• Pothos or heartleaf philodendron? Look at the leaf stalk and the newest leaf. NC State lists grooved petioles and no conspicuous stipules on new growth for pothos, and ungrooved petioles with conspicuous stipules on new growth for heartleaf philodendron. Both contain calcium oxalate crystals and both are toxic to cats and dogs, so the mix-up changes the care more than the pet answer.
• Snake plant or another Dracaena? NC State notes it is often confused with Dracaena angolensis and Dracaena masoniana. These are close relatives with similar care.
• ZZ plant or Zamia? NC State lists Zamia integrifolia as a look-alike. Zamia is a cycad, not an aroid; see our sago palm entry for why a cycad in a pet household needs a vet's view.
• "Split-leaf philodendron." NC State lists split-leaf philodendron and cutleaf philodendron among monstera's common names. If a label says philodendron but the mature leaves have holes, check both monstera and philodendron.
• "Bird of paradise." The ASPCA warns that Strelitzia reginae should not be confused with Caesalpinia (Poinciana) gilliesii, a different shrub sold under the same common name that it treats as more toxic.
• "Money tree" and "money plant." Pachira aquatica is sold as money tree, and NC State also lists money plant among its common names. Other unrelated plants are sold as "money plant" too, so check the scientific name before looking up care or toxicity.

Yes. A phone photo is enough for most common houseplants, as long as the photo shows the features that separate look-alikes. Take one shot of the whole plant, including how it grows (upright, trailing, climbing), and one close-up of a single leaf with its stalk, in even light and without a filter. If the plant has a flower, add a third photo. Young plants are harder: a juvenile monstera has plain heart-shaped leaves, so a result of "philodendron" for a small, unsplit monstera is a common error. When the app is unsure, re-shoot the leaf stalk and the newest leaf, which is where pothos and philodendron differ.

Six of the eight plants above are listed as toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA or NC State: pothos, heartleaf philodendron, snake plant, ZZ plant, monstera and bird of paradise. The money tree and the two common peperomias the ASPCA lists by name (Peperomia obtusifolia and P. caperata) are listed as non-toxic. Our plants and pets pages give the ASPCA entry for each. If a pet or child has chewed a plant you cannot name, call your vet or poison control and bring a photo of the plant.

Research and drafting for this page were done with the help of AI, and every figure was then checked line by line against the sources listed at the end of the page. Sources were opened on 2026-09-25. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.