Pothos, botanically known as Epipremnum aureum, is a favored houseplant celebrated for its striking heart-shaped, glossy leaves and elegant trailing stems. Often called Devil’s Ivy due to its resilience, this plant is a staple in homes and offices. Its adaptability and ease of care make it an excellent choice for both novice and seasoned plant enthusiasts. Pothos adds vibrant greenery to any indoor space, whether cascading from hanging baskets or trained to climb.
Pothos Plant Care Essentials
Maintaining a healthy Pothos requires understanding its fundamental needs: appropriate lighting, consistent watering, and a suitable growing medium.
Light Requirements
Pothos plants prefer bright, indirect light for optimal growth and to maintain their vibrant variegation. Placing them near an east or west-facing window usually provides ideal conditions. While Pothos can tolerate lower light environments, prolonged periods in dim settings may cause variegated varieties to lose their distinctive patterns, reverting to an all-green appearance. Conversely, too much direct sunlight can lead to scorched leaves or a pale, washed-out look.
Watering Practices
Proper watering is fundamental to Pothos care, and the key is to allow the soil to dry out between waterings. It is generally recommended to water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch. When watering, thoroughly saturate the soil until water begins to drain from the bottom of the pot, ensuring excess moisture can escape. Overwatering is a common issue that can lead to root rot, characterized by soggy soil and yellowing, limp leaves. Conversely, underwatering will cause the leaves to droop or wilt, indicating the plant needs a drink.
Optimal Soil Mix
Pothos plants thrive in a well-draining, aerated soil mix that retains moisture and is rich in organic matter. A standard houseplant potting mix is often suitable, but enhancing it can further benefit the plant. Amending the mix with ingredients like perlite, orchid bark, coco coir, or horticultural charcoal improves drainage and aeration, preventing waterlogging. This ensures the roots receive adequate oxygen while still having access to necessary moisture. An ideal pH range for Pothos soil is neutral to slightly acidic, typically between 6.1 and 6.8.
Temperature and Humidity
Pothos plants prefer average indoor temperatures, ideally ranging between 65°F and 85°F (18°C-30°C). It is important to avoid exposing them to temperatures consistently below 50-60°F (10-15°C), as this can cause damage or stress. While Pothos can adapt to typical household humidity levels, they generally benefit from higher humidity, around 40-60%. Increasing humidity can be achieved through regular misting, grouping plants together to create a microclimate, or placing the pot on a pebble tray filled with water.
Fertilizing Your Pothos
Pothos plants are not heavy feeders, but providing nutrients during their active growing season supports robust development. A balanced liquid fertilizer, often with an NPK ratio around 3-1-2, is suitable. Fertilize approximately once a month or every 4-6 weeks during spring and summer. It is advisable to dilute the fertilizer to half the recommended strength to prevent over-fertilization, which can harm the plant. During fall and winter, when the plant’s growth naturally slows, reduce or cease fertilization.
Propagating Pothos
Propagating Pothos is a straightforward process, allowing you to easily create new plants from existing ones. The most common method involves using stem cuttings.
Begin by selecting a healthy stem from the parent plant and make a clean cut directly below a node, which is the small bump on the stem where a leaf attaches. Each cutting should have at least one or two leaves remaining at the top, with any lower leaves removed to expose the nodes. These nodes are where new roots will emerge.
Pothos cuttings can be rooted successfully in either water or soil. For water propagation, place the prepared cuttings in a container of room-temperature water, ensuring the nodes are submerged but no leaves are in the water. Change the water weekly to keep it fresh, and roots typically develop within a few weeks. While water propagation allows you to observe root growth, roots developed this way may be less robust when transitioning to soil.
Alternatively, cuttings can be rooted directly in soil. Fill a small pot with a moist, well-draining potting mix. Optionally, dip the cut end in a rooting hormone to enhance success. Plant the cutting into the soil, ensuring at least one node is buried, and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Place the cuttings in a location that receives bright, indirect light to encourage rooting. Once roots are well-established, water-rooted cuttings can be transplanted into soil.
Common Pothos Problems
Pothos plants are generally resilient, but they can encounter a few common issues that indicate underlying care problems. Recognizing these signs and applying appropriate solutions will help keep your plant healthy.
Yellowing leaves
Yellowing leaves are a frequent concern and can stem from several factors. Overwatering often causes leaves to turn yellow and feel soft or mushy, particularly if the soil remains consistently wet. Conversely, severe underwatering can also lead to yellow, crispy leaves. Nutrient deficiencies or simply the natural aging of older leaves are other possible causes. Adjusting watering practices, ensuring proper drainage, and providing appropriate fertilization can help resolve this.
Brown leaf tips or edges
Brown leaf tips or edges typically point to issues with humidity or inconsistent watering. Low humidity in the surrounding environment can cause the leaf margins to dry out and crisp. Irregular watering schedules, where the plant experiences cycles of extreme dryness followed by saturation, can also contribute. Increasing ambient humidity through misting or a pebble tray can alleviate browning tips.
Drooping or wilting leaves
Drooping or wilting leaves usually signal either underwatering or, less commonly, root rot from overwatering. If the soil is dry to the touch, the plant is likely thirsty and will perk up after a thorough watering. However, if the soil is wet and the plant is drooping, it suggests root rot, requiring immediate attention such as inspecting roots and repotting in fresh, drier soil.
Leggy growth
Leggy growth with sparse, smaller leaves indicates insufficient light. Pothos will stretch towards a light source, resulting in elongated stems and diminished foliage. Moving the plant to a brighter location with indirect light and occasional pruning can encourage bushier, more compact growth.
Pests
While generally pest-resistant, Pothos can occasionally attract common houseplant pests such as spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, or scale. Regular inspection of the leaves, especially the undersides, helps in early detection. Minor infestations can often be managed by wiping leaves with a damp cloth or applying insecticidal soap or neem oil. For mealybugs, a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol can be effective.
Popular Pothos Varieties
The world of Pothos offers a diverse array of varieties, each showcasing unique leaf colors and patterns. While their care requirements remain largely similar, their distinct appearances allow for varied aesthetic choices.
Golden Pothos
The classic ‘Golden Pothos’ is widely recognized, featuring vibrant green leaves generously splashed with streaks of yellow or gold. Its variegation becomes more pronounced in brighter indirect light.
Marble Queen Pothos
‘Marble Queen Pothos’ displays green foliage with creamy white or off-white variegation, creating a beautiful marbled effect. Ample indirect light helps maintain its striking coloration.
Neon Pothos
‘Neon Pothos’ stands out with its bright, almost fluorescent, chartreuse or lime-green leaves, lacking the traditional variegation of other types. Its uniform, luminous color adds a bold pop to any plant collection.
Pearls and Jade Pothos
‘Pearls and Jade Pothos’ (often confused with ‘N’Joy’) offers smaller leaves with a crisp, well-defined white variegation, sometimes flecked with green specks.
Jessenia Pothos
‘Jessenia Pothos’ presents a more subtle variegation, with dark green leaves speckled and marbled with lighter green or yellow tones. This variety offers a delicate and unique appearance.
Satin Pothos
Although botanically classified as Scindapsus pictus, ‘Satin Pothos’ is frequently grouped with Pothos due to its similar trailing habit and care needs. It is distinguished by its velvety, dark green leaves adorned with silvery-grey spots, offering a sophisticated texture and visual appeal.