Pothos Care and Popular Varieties

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is often the first plant recommended to new houseplant owners, and for good reason. It tolerates a wide range of conditions, grows quickly, propagates effortlessly in a glass of water, and rewards even the most distracted carer with long, trailing vines of glossy heart-shaped leaves. Here is everything you need to know to keep yours thriving.

Light requirements

Pothos is famously adaptable to light, but it does have preferences. Bright, indirect light produces the fullest growth and the most vivid variegation. A spot a metre or two back from an east or north-facing window is usually ideal, or further back from a south or west-facing one where direct sun is filtered by a sheer curtain.

In low light, pothos will keep growing, but you can expect smaller leaves, longer gaps between them on the vine, and a tendency for variegated varieties to revert to plain green. Direct, harsh sun, on the other hand, will scorch the foliage and bleach colour from the leaves.

Signs of light problems

• Too little light: sparse, leggy growth and fading variegation.
• Too much light: pale, washed-out leaves or crispy brown patches.

Watering and humidity

Pothos prefers a cycle of thorough watering followed by partial drying. Allow the top 3-5 cm of compost to dry out before watering again. When you do water, do so generously, letting excess drain freely from the bottom of the pot. Sitting in soggy compost is the quickest route to root rot.

The leaves will tell you when the plant is thirsty: they begin to droop slightly and lose their usual firmness. Water at this point and they should perk up within hours. Average household humidity is fine, although a slightly more humid spot — a kitchen or bathroom with good light — will encourage lusher growth.

Soil and potting

A well-draining, airy potting mix is essential. A standard houseplant compost amended with a handful of perlite and a little orchid bark works beautifully. Always use a pot with drainage holes; decorative cover pots are fine, but tip out any water that collects after watering.

Repot every two to three years, or whenever roots begin circling the pot or pushing out of the drainage holes. Go up just one pot size at a time — pothos actually flowers and grows more vigorously when its roots are a little snug.

Trailing or climbing?

In its native habitat, pothos is a climber, scrambling up tree trunks using small aerial roots. In the home, you can grow it either way, and the choice affects how the plant looks over time.

Trailing

Grown in a hanging pot or on a high shelf, pothos will produce long, cascading vines. Leaves tend to stay relatively small in this form. Pinch back the tips occasionally to encourage branching and keep the plant looking full rather than stringy.

Climbing

Given a moss pole, coir totem or similar support, pothos will climb and the leaves will gradually become larger, sometimes developing the fenestrations (splits) seen in mature plants. Mist the pole to keep it slightly damp and tie new growth loosely to it until the aerial roots take hold.

Popular varieties

All pothos share the same easy-going nature, but the foliage varies considerably between cultivars.

• Golden Pothos: the classic, with mid-green leaves splashed in buttery yellow. Vigorous and very forgiving of low light.
• Marble Queen: heavily variegated in cream and white. Slower-growing than golden because of the reduced chlorophyll, and happiest in bright indirect light to keep its marbling crisp.
• Neon Pothos: uniform, electric chartreuse leaves with no variegation. New growth is especially bright. Holds its colour best in good light.
• Satin Pothos: strictly speaking Scindapsus pictus rather than a true pothos, but cared for identically. Matte, almost velvety dark leaves dusted with silver spots.
• Marble Queen, Pearls and Jade, and N'Joy: all worth seeking out for collectors who want smaller, more patterned leaves on more compact plants.

Propagation in water

Few plants are easier to propagate. To make new pothos plants:

1. Choose a healthy vine and cut just below a node — the small bump on the stem where a leaf and aerial root emerge.
2. Take cuttings with two or three leaves and at least one node each.
3. Place the cuttings in a glass of room-temperature water with the node submerged but the leaves above the waterline.
4. Set the glass in bright, indirect light and refresh the water every four or five days.
5. Roots should appear within one to two weeks. Once they are 4-5 cm long, pot the cuttings up into moist compost.

Keep the newly potted cuttings a little more consistently moist than an established plant for the first few weeks while the water roots adjust to soil.

Common problems

• Yellowing leaves: usually overwatering. Check that the pot drains freely and let the compost dry out more between waterings.
• Brown, crispy leaf tips: often dry air or inconsistent watering.
• Loss of variegation: the plant is asking for more light. Move it closer to a bright window.
• Pests: mealybugs and spider mites occasionally appear. Wipe leaves with a damp cloth and treat with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil if needed.

Final thoughts

Pothos is the perfect entry point into houseplants but also a long-term favourite for experienced growers. With minimal effort it will reward you with metres of lush vine, and a single plant can quickly become a whole collection through water propagation. Give it bright indirect light, water thoughtfully, and it will look after itself for years.