Pothos care: the perfect beginner plant

Origin and traits

Native to the forests of Southeast Asia, pothos is an evergreen vine with heart-shaped leaves, often variegated in yellow, white or silver. The most common varieties: Aureum (green-yellow, the classic), Marble Queen (white-green), N'Joy (white with smaller leaves), Neon (bright green), Cebu Blue (metallic grey-green).

In nature it can reach tens of metres climbing trees; indoors it produces stems up to 3-4 metres that can trail from a shelf or be trained onto a support.

Light

Pothos tolerates medium to low light, but performs best in bright indirect light. In low light it grows more slowly and variegation fades (leaves turn greener). Avoid prolonged direct sun: it burns variegated leaves.

Watering

Water when the top 3-4 cm of substrate is dry. Generally every 5-10 days in spring-summer, every 10-15 in autumn-winter. Pothos prefers to dry between waterings: it's far more tolerant to drought than to excess.

Thirst sign: leaves become slightly limp. A watering revives them within hours. Overwatering sign: leaves yellow and go mushy.

Humidity and temperature

Tolerates normal indoor humidity (30-40%), but grows better at 50-60%. Ideal temperature 18-25°C. Below 12°C it suffers and may drop leaves.

Substrate and repotting

All-purpose substrate with added perlite for drainage. Repot every 2 years in spring, in a pot 2-3 cm larger. It doesn't like oversized pots.

Fertilising

In spring-summer, feed every 4-6 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser for foliage plants. In autumn-winter, suspend.

Propagation

Pothos propagates in water with almost embarrassing ease. Cut a 10-15 cm cutting with at least 2-3 leaves, just below a node (the small swelling on the stem where a leaf emerges). Place in a glass of water, changing the water every 3-4 days. In 2-3 weeks white roots appear. When they're 5 cm long, transfer to a pot with substrate.

You can also plant several cuttings in the same pot for an instantly bushy plant.

Pruning

Pruning stimulates new stems and keeps the plant compact. Cut the longest stems above a node, in spring. The resulting cuttings can be planted in the same pot to bulk it up.

Common problems

• Yellow leaves: overwatering or a very old plant that has never been repotted.
• Leaves losing variegation: too little light. Move to a brighter spot.
• Brown crispy tips: air too dry or hard water.
• Mealybugs in leaf axils: alcohol and potassium soap treatment as described in the mealybug guide.
• Long bare stems: prune to stimulate new branching.

Fun facts and tips

Pothos is toxic if ingested by pets (cats, dogs) and children: it contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate mouth and stomach. Keep it out of their reach.

In the wild it can produce huge leaves when climbing a trunk: indoors, with a moss pole, some varieties (especially Cebu Blue) can develop much larger leaves than usual.