Pothos Plant

Epipremnum aureum

Pothos plants, native to the jungles of Malaysia, are highly adaptable, glossy-leafed plants with heart-shaped leaves. A Golden Pothos has yellow and green leaves, a Marble Queen Pothos has white and green leaves, and a Jade Pothos has solid green leaves. These attractive plants can sit on a table, on the floor, hang in a basket, or grow 5ft tall when attached to a pole. Pothos plants are easy to care for and grow almost anywhere, the perfect houseplant for beginners.

These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants

Light

There is a pothos plant variety for almost any light situation. Green Jade pothos with their solid green leaves do well in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron.. The Golden pothos variety, with yellow and green leaves, likes medium light. Marble Queen pothos, with green and white leaves, grow best in medium to bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. The lighter the color in the leaves, the more light a plant requires.

Water

Water well and then allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before watering again. Over-watering is the main reason a pothos plant dies. Bright yellow leaves indicate that the soil has gotten too dry before you watered it. New growth and older leaves turn pale yellow and may get black spotHow to identify and treat Black Spot Disease, a houseplant disease caused by a fungal infection.s on the leaves when a pothos is over- watered.

Fertilizer

Fertilize every two weeks in the spring and summer when the plant is actively growing and monthly in the fall and winter. Use a well-balanced plant food diluted to ½ the recommended strength.

Temperature

Pothos plants do well in temperatures between 55° and 80°F (12.8°-26.7°C). If temperatures drop below 45°F (7.2°C), a pothos plant stops growing and the leaves turn black.

Humidity

Basic household humidity

Pests

Pothos plants are relatively pest resistant. If the soil stays too damp, Fungus GnatsThis small dark skinny pest flies and jumps around plants and people driving us all crazy. Fungus Gnats develop in moist potting soil, feeding on root hairs and emerging as adults every 30 days. The best way to get rid of Fungus Gnats is to allow the soil to thoroughly dry out. This eliminates the eggs and gnats in the pot. Use yellow sticky cards to trap the Fungus Gnats that are flying around. may appear. Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. are another pest to look out for.

Diseases

Over-watering causes plant diseases such as crown, leaf, and root rot. Once pothos plant roots are destroyed, is difficult to save the plant.

Soil

Use a well-aerated, quick-draining potting soil that dries out quickly.

Pot Size

Pothos plants like to be root-bound in small pots. Do not re-pot until the roots of the plant have filled the existing container. There must always be drip holes in the bottom of the pot so excess water can escape.

Pruning

Trim long runners to keep a pothos looking bushy and full. 5”- 6” cuttings can be rooted in water or vermiculite and used to start new plants.

Propagation

Propagate using stem cuttings. You can find out how to propagate using stem cuttings in the Glossary of the website.

Clean Air Plant

NASA lists potho plants as " Clean Air PlantsCertain houseplants clean the air of harmful chemicals." that help remove harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde from the air.

Poisonous Plant Info

Pothos plants are poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. plants with a levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222****** Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant. Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties. Level #3: These houseplants are very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur. Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening. Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets. See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants #2 toxicity.

Why does my Pothos plant get yellow leaves a few days after I water it?

Pothos planst gets bright yellow leaves a few days after you water it when you allow the soil to get too dry before watering. Water well, until the water comes out the bottom drip holes. Don’t water again until the top 50% of the soil dries out or the leaves start to droop a little. You can save an under-watered pothos plant, but an over-watered pothos can quickly die.

Why are the stems of my pothos plants brown and mushy and the new growth all black?

Stems of a pothos plant get brown and mushy and new growth turns black when the plant is over-watered. Cut off the dead stems and don’t water again until the soil has totally dried out, this gives new roots a chance to develop. You can also carefully take the plant out its pot and allow the soil to air dry for a few days.

How do I get my pothos plant bushy again? I have long runners on my plant but nothing in the middle.

You can get a pothos plant full again by cutting several inches off of each of the runners. This encourages new growth all along the stem. You can use the cuttings to propagate new plants.

I kept my pothos in my sun room all winter. The plant is still barely alive, but the leaves are all black and ruined. Why do pothos leaves turn black?

Pothos plant leaves turn black when the air in the room is too cold. Cut off the bad leaves, trim back the stems, and move your plant to a warmer location. The roots are fine and your pothos should grow back in no time.