What Aroid Plants Are and How to Identify Them

Aroids are a group of plants in the Araceae family that do not grow wood on their stems (meaning they’re herbaceous), are perennial, and flowering under the right conditions. This genus of Aracae can be identified by:

• A spathe with a spadix (the flowers and protective leaf)

• Non wood bearing stems

• Dramatic foliage

• Epiphytic and hemiepiphytic growth

Popular houseplants in the Aroid family include Monstera, Philodendrum, Anthurium (Flamingo Flowers), Alocasia, and Pothos. The famous “Corpse Flower” (Amorphophallus Titanum) that people flock to when they bloom at botanic gardens is also in the Aroid family, although it is likely one you do not want in your home when it does bloom. Most are considered toxic to pets as they contain calcium oxalate crystals, so keep them out of reach for pets and small children.

Fun fact: Some species of Aroids can generate heat through thermogenesis like the Titan Arum and Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus Foetidus) as a way to attract pollinators or melt snow.

Aroids are perennials meaning they can grow back each year or continue growing from the same roots after each dormant season vs. producing seeds and dying in a year. This is one of many reasons plant parents and collectors love them. On top of their long life, Aroids are relatively easy to propagate if you want to give them away as holiday or housewarming gifts, or trade with other collectors. 

Ready to identify if your houseplant is an Aroid, here’s the four main characteristics and what to look for.

A Spathe is a large protective leaf on a plant that can be a different color than the green leaves including reds, white tones, and pinks, that shields the flower of the plant. The flower on Aroid plants is called a Spadix.

Spadix are a spike surrounded by the Spathe and consist of multiple tiny flowers. For some species like the skunk cabbage, the Spadix generates heat which can melt snow and attract pollinators.

Aroid plants are herbaceous meaning they do not have wood covered stems like Ficus plants. The stems remain green and are softer and allow the plant to die each year and regrow from the ground up via their root systems. 

But don’t worry, not all herbaceous plants are annuals and need to regrow, many in the Aroid plant family are perennials and will survive for many years before they start a new lifecycle. Philodendron can live for up to 20 years as a houseplant, and longer in the wild as an example.

Unlike other tropical and regular houseplants, members of the Aroid family have dramatic foliage including leaves that fenestrate (grow holes) which is how Monstera got the nickname “Swiss Cheese Plants”. Some of these dramatics include:

• Fenestration where the leaves develop holes.

• Variegation where the foliage has colored spots and patterns that can range in colors from creams to reds, black, silver, and more.

• Textures that resemble velvet, wax, or glossy surfaces.

• Shapes other than standard ovals like the ZZ Plant can be a signature of Aroid plants like heart shaped leaves on the Philodendron.

• Large leaf sizes can be a final sign that the plant is an Aroid as some can grow up to two meters like the ones on the Giant Taro (Alocasia Macrorrhizos).

In their natural habitat Aroid plants live under the canopy in the rainforest which prevents them from getting direct sunlight. In addition to their ability to grow large leaves so they can absorb more to make food via photosynthesis, they evolved into epiphytes and hemiepiphytes.

Epiphytic plants grow up another tree or structure without absorbing its nutrients making it non parasitic. It uses the tree or structure to secure it while it climbs so that it can reach sunlight while its roots can drink water dripping along the trees and absorb nutrients. Plants that both get nutrition and sunlight from climbing while also using their roots in the ground are known as hemiepiphytes.

Aroids are some of the most unique tropical plants with their striking foliage in multiple shapes, sizes, and colors, and their unique ability to adapt to living both in a person’s home and in tropical rainforests. Their Spadix and Spathe add pops of color to a room, and their foliage becomes a conversation piece in your home. Click here to find species of them and other rare tropical plants at BWH Plant Co.