How to Care for Pothos

With its showy foliage in glossy shades of green, gold, and white, pothos complements any home setting. While it seldom blossoms when planted in a container, this vining houseplant with slender, flexible stems is grown for its shiny, heart-shaped, green leaves. In most settings, each leaf can reach up to 4 inches long. 

One of the easiest houseplants to grow, pothos is a tough vining plant that grows in most conditions, with little water or dry soil, and in low light levels. Several varieties offer cream or golden variegation.

Pothos is a member of the aroid family (Araceae). You’ll often find it listed under the name golden pothos after its most widely available form, which has medium green leaves streaked with gold. The variegation may be less intense in low light.

Pothos is toxic to humans and pets.

Where to Plant Pothos

When grown as a houseplant, which is commonly the case, place pothos in a warm, draft-free location where it receives bright, indirect light.

Outdoors, it is hardy in Zone 10-11 where winter temperatures don’t drop below 50 degrees F. It needs a location in dappled light or partial shade where it is protected from strong, harsh sunlight.

Pothos Care Tips

Sure, pothos has a reputation for being virtually impossible to kill, but it still needs some basic care.

Light

Most pothos varieties prosper in partial shade or bright, indirect light. This yields the lushest plants and prevents them from looking scraggly. However, pothos tolerates extremely low light. In direct, full sun, the leaves are likely to burn and bleach out.

Soil and Water

Start with a good-quality potting mix that retains water well or use potting mix specially formulated for aroids. 

Ideally, the soil should be evenly moist and dry out slightly between waterings. Try to keep the water level even, the plant doesn't do as well when water conditions fluctuate. Avoid overwatering or allowing the soil to remain soggy.

Temperature and Humidity

The best temperature range for pothos is between 65 and 75 degrees F. Any temperature below 50 degrees potentially damages the plant.

As tropical plants they thrive in high humidity. Either keep the plant in the bathroom, kitchen or another area of your home where the air tends to be more humid, or increase low relative humidity by using a humidifier.

Fertilizer

Give your pothos a low monthly dose of an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer in spring and summer while the plant is doing its most active growing. Skip the fertilizer during the winter months when the plant goes dormant.

Pruning

As a pothos continues to grow over the years, it tends to have poor branching and often becomes a single, long vine. All you need to do is occasionally trim back the stems when they become long and sparse.

Potting and Repotting Pothos

Unlike other plants that do well when they fit snugly in the pot, pothos should be repotted promptly when the roots fill the pot or grow out of the drainage holes. Depending on the growth rate of your plant, this may happen every two years or earlier. Repot the plant during its active growing season. Use a pot one or two sizes up and fill it with fresh potting mix.

Pests and Problems

Pothos is not often bothered by any serious pests and diseases, however, it attracts mealybugs, spider mites, and scale insects. Control any pests early with organic pesticides such as insecticidal soap before they turn into an infestation.

Overwatering may cause root rot.

How to Propagate Pothos

It is easy to start a new plant from a cutting. Simply cut off a piece of vine with at least two leaf nodes and remove the bottom leaf. Place the cutting in a vase or glass of water so the nodes are immersed but the remaining leaves do not touch the water. After three or four weeks, you will see a root beginning to grow. Once the root is several inches long, plant it in a pot filled with potting mix. Keep it evenly moist and pinch this new shoot early to help encourage branching from the base of your new plant.

Types of Pothos

'Marble Queen' Pothos

This variety has heart-shaped leaves that are heavily variegated with creamy white. In low light conditions, the white color in the leaves may be lost and revert to green.

'Neon' Pothos

This bright, acid green pothos adds a great note of color to a corner of a room. Be careful though not to place it in a dark spot as too little light will cause the leaves to turn pale green and become smaller in size.

'Pearls and Jade' Pothos

For a smaller pothos, consider 'Pearls and Jade'. It only grows 6 to 10 feet in length. Its leaves have random splashes of white, cream, and grey.

'N'Joy' Pothos

This variety originated from the popular marble queen pothos, It has smaller, thinner, and more variegated leaves.

'Manjula' Pothos

With its strongly variegated green and white leaves that have a curly appearance, it is understandable why this pothos is a rare, sought-after variety.

'Cebu Blue' Pothos

Not a cultivar of Epipremnum aureum, but a cultivar of a different species, Epipremnum pinnatum, ‘Cebu Blue’ is a rare variety with soft, steely-blue foliage.