Pothos, whose scientific name is Epipremnum aurem is one of the most popular houseplant species. In some countries, they are also known as Scindapsus aureus, Rhaphidophora aurea, or Epipremnum pinattum.
Every household has owned a Pothos some or the other time. They are tiny houseplants that everyone loves to decorate their homes with. Pothos is a type of tropical vine plant that has long stems and heart-shaped leaves.
Pothos is one of the first houseplants that people buy and why not. They are very low maintenance and highly versatile.
Ways in Which you can Grow Pothos.
- You can grow and hang them in pots on your porch or in the garden.
- These plants can grow up to the totem or moss pole.
- They are so versatile that you can grow them horizontally on tabletops, windowsills, and mantles.
What Suits Pothos the Best
- They can adjust in low light but to get the best results it is advisable to give them a brighter light in an indoor environment.
- It does not require a lot of water. Just some moist soil will be the best to ensure the potting needs.
- Pothos has a very large variety and if you are a garden enthusiast, you can grow your own jungle with lots of variegation.
There is a plethora of Pothos varieties that you can choose from. We are going to talk about as many as possible in this article.
Types of Pothos Plants
Golden Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum aurem)
Golden Pothos is one of the oldest charms in the family of Pothos. This plant gets more popular when you want a hanging basket plant. It is not only one of the most traditional ones but also highlights a heart-shaped mid-green foliage with a splash of creamy golden or yellow.
The leaves of golden Pothos are glossy enough to brighten up the shaded corners. The best feature of this plant is that it is a low-light plant. This makes it an appropriate choice for your bedroom décor.
If you decide to grow this variety up to its authentic significance and provide it with adequate sunlight and warmth, the leaves can grow potentially large. In fact, in some frost-free areas, the leaves are expected to grow up to 12 inches.
This species is so common that you might end up finding it in your friend’s garden. You can just cut the stem and grow your own plant. It is that simple. This variety of Pothos is the most adaptable one out of all.
Neon Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum ‘Neon’)
Neon Pothos is a distinct character in the Epipremnum family. It is popularly known for its fresh and bright neon element. The leaves are almost translucent and bright green in color. It has a heart-shaped leaf in the shade of bright yellow with no variegation.
Growing up the new leaves tend to show brighter colors than the older ones. Therefore, the color of foliage depends upon the age of the tree. If you desire a bright yellow color then make sure you grow Pothos in bright light. Otherwise, you might experience a duller and, in some cases, a darker shade.
You can consider planting neon Pothos in water if you wish to keep it in a location that is hard to reach. Due to its unique color and perfect heart-shaped leaf, it becomes a monochromatic variety.
Cebu Blue Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Cebu Blue’)
Voila! Plant collectors. This houseplant does not show variegation while growing up. It has arrow-shaped leaves with a bluish-green shade. What makes it a distinct choice is the color of its foliage. The foliage has a bit of a metallic sheen on it.
Young leaves tend to grow in a very vague way but once all grown up you will see large blue-green leaves with natural splits. Instead of growing in a circular pattern, it grows in a lanceolate shape. However, this plant takes its own sweet time to mature into an adult-type leaf.
Marble Queen Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum aurem ‘Marble Queen’)
Marble queen is another popular pick when it comes to buying a Pothos. The leaves grow into a heart-like shape with creamy-white stripes. The foliage is grown in the footsteps of Golden Pothos.
Depending on the branch propagation, Marble queen can be variegated. Some farms are very ethical and prefer to grow this species from a highly variegated mother plant.
Because of the chlorophyll presence, the growth rate tends to decrease of Marble queen Pothos. Because of its great sculptural value, it can be the centerpiece for your table or can be a bold statement for any showroom.
Jessenia Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum’Jessenia’)
Jessenia Pothos also happens to have heart-shaped leaves which are tinged with dark and gives a hint of pea green. If you see this plant from a distance, you will notice an abundance of greenery.
Just like Marble queen Pothos, each leaf of this plant also grows in a different manner. In fact, it is difficult to differentiate between Jessenia Pothos and Marble Queen Pothos if placed next to each other.
The leaves of this plant come in very stable and come in two shades. One is chartreuse and another one is dark green. The pattern is in resemblance with the marble Pothos; therefore, two leaves can never be similar.
The variegation of Jessenia is limey-green in color and grows slower than the golden Pothos. Let us reveal a little secret to you, the Jessenia Pothos are so popular that it gets difficult to find this variety of houseplant.
Manjula Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum aurem ‘Manjula’)
Manjula Pothos is another wide, heart-shaped with green leaves. It is also known as the Epipremnum ‘happy leaf’. The foliage is blessed with shades of silver, cream, light green, and white. Each leaf grows in its own manner, some have bigger spots of white on them and some have smaller spots. You might also find some leaves that are all white.
Another way to identify a Manjula Pothos is to carefully observe the leaves. Unlike, the other varieties of Pothos, this one has a wavy edge that does not lay as flat as the other Pothos. This variety of Pothos was discovered by the University of Florida and thus, they still hold the patent for Manjula Pothos. Which means no one else can reproduce it.
This is a very rare variety and is also expensive as compared to other Pothos. So, if you are fortunate enough to have one, do take the utmost care.
Pearls and Jade Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum ‘Pearls and Jade’)
Pearls and Jade Pothos is a very attractive and elegant houseplant to date. This variety has dark green leaves variegated with silverish gray and white. If you shift your focus from the middle to the corner of the leaves, you will notice the variegation in a more particular sense.
, Unlike other varieties, white sections of the foliage are often spotted with green, silvery gray tones. Comparatively Pearls and Jades tend to grow smaller leaves and grow at a very slow pace. The only distinct feature of Pearls and Jade is that it requires a regular dose of moisture.
Pearls and Jade Pothos give you a very oriental feel. Try to place it in the limelight so that everyone else can also enjoy the natural artistic patterns on the leaves.
Silver or Satin Pothos (Botanical name – Epipremnum ‘Satin’)
This variety of Pothos offers dark green foliage with heart-shaped leaves. The dark green leaves are marked with many patches of silver color. The foliage is silver in shade but is smaller as compared to others.
The vine-like growing pattern and sparkling leaves can be a beautiful addition to your interiors. You can just hang them and let them grow up to their own beauty. For the best possible outcome keep the plant under bright light.
The blooming pattern of this plant is very occasional, unlike the other exotic-looking Pothos. You can add it as an element to your bookshelf or the coffee table.
N – Joy Pothos
If you have not heard of them before, it is because they just got discovered. This variety is a newer type in the market. But they are not very different from others in the family, they also have heart-shaped green leaves dappled with white.
The variegated plant is largely distinct because you can convert the foliage into white if you place N-joys in such a way that they get bright light.
Devil’s Ivy Pothos
Devil’s Ivy Pothos is also known as Jade Pothos. It is one of the authentic Pothos with a little variegation on the dark green shade of the leaves. They are one of the most popular choices as they do not require much care.
This plant comes with very dense foliage which you can trim later and make an attractive tabletop plant out of it. Devil’s ivy Pothos can potentially grow up to 3 ft long when kept indoors. If you are looking for a vertical accent, then this climbing plant that can grow up a moss pole is a perfect choice.
Unlike other Pothos, Devil’s ivy does not require a lot of bright light. Therefore, it can also become a perfect piece of décor for your bathroom.
Glacier Pothos
Glacier Pothos is a very soothing vine-like plant with tiny heart-shaped leaves. The foliage is green in color with strokes of silver and gray, which makes it like Pearls and Jades Pothos.
This plant is very bushy in nature and thus can be a perfect fit for your working space and desks. They can easily survive a room temperature with low light conditions. These plants tend to grow slow but if you happen to keep them in high humidity, you can notice a faster growth.
It has become a very common centerpiece for beautiful gardens. When it comes to the interiors it can be a perfect choice for your coffee table. Do not commit the mistake of making it a backdrop. For an enhanced look, prune it on regular basis.
Hawaiian Pothos
Hawaiian Pothos is a little different from other Pothos. They cultivate long leaves as compared to others thus, most people include them in a garden setup rather than keeping it inside the home.
An attractive vertical accent is created because of long vine-like leaves. If you still want to place them in your home, just do the required trimming on regular basis. It will stay short with controlled stem growth.
Trebi Pothos
Trebi Pothos is closely related to satin Pothos as they both are from Scindapsus genus. This means that Trebi is not an original cultivator of Pothos, despite having such a common name.
The leaves of this vining houseplant are long, longer than the satin Pothos. The foliage is decorated with a silver marbling effect, which gives the plant a silver-blue appearance. When compared with other cultivators, it is not that vibrant or bright.
There are other cultivators of Trebi Pothos, which are following –
- Scindapsus pictus ‘Argyraeus,’, this one is blessed with light silvery variegation on deep green leaves.
- Scindapsus pictus ‘Exotica’, this plant is quite like the ‘Trebi’, the one with silver splashes on the green leaves.
- Scindapsus pictus ‘Silver Ann’, this plant has leaves that are comparatively more silver than the dark green one.
What is Common in All the Pothos?
- All the Pothos are included in the list of clean air houseplants that are recommended by NASA.
- Almost all the Pothos plants come with a heart-shaped leaf.
- Pothos are sensitive with their watering requirements. Little can be a reason why you lost your houseplant.
- As you can see, all the Pothos come with a twin shade. The primary shade is green, it can either be light or dark. Secondary shade is white, cream or silver.
- All the species of Pothos are low maintenance in nature. They are also capable of surviving in low light.
- Most of the Pothos varieties can be used to decorate some or the other part of your home. It can be a bedroom, hall or even your bathroom.
How to Distinguish Pothos from One Another?
When it comes to Pothos, the most common types are Golden Pothos, Pearl and Jade Pothos, Marble Queen Pothos, and many more that we have discussed earlier. To distinguish between two Pothos only their leaf variegation can be helpful.
Some Pothos have dark green leaves, and some have lime-colored leaves.
What are the Light Requirements of Pothos?
Pothos are generally blessed with the capability to grow in low light but get vibrant and flourishes better when exposed to bright light. The Pothos that has dark-colored leaves can flourish even in minimal light conditions.
Pothos cannot survive in direct sunlight. So, do not find it a place where you are Pothos get exposed to direct sunlight, or else you will lose them soon.
What is the Best Soil for Growing Pothos?
When growing indoor plants, it is very important to use the right soil type. Pothos need light muddy soil that drains well but at the same time can also hold the required moisture for Pothos to grow better.
In case if the drainage is not well managed, the Pothos may get damaged due to excessive moisture. The ideal choice soil type for Pothos is that it should contain potting soil, peat moss, and pertile in equal proportions.
Signs that your Pothos Require Watering
Nature has its own way of communication. If you observe properly, your plant will talk for themselves. You just must act on the signs. The signs are –
Drooping Leaves
Dry soil and wilting leaves are the indicators that your plant is desperate for watering. However, if potting indicates moisture then wilting leaves means too much moisture causing a disease or root rot.
Dead Tips of a leaf
Plants that do not get enough water, will show brown and crispy leaves. Water deeply if the leaves are not only turning brown but are also overly dry.
Decrease in Growth Intensity
If you suddenly notice that plant is not growing as fast as it should even after you are watering them, this is because you are watering them but not on regular basis. As a result, the new leaves will be shorter. To rectify this water deeply and keep a weekly check on the dryness of the soil.
When and How to Water Pothos?
Thinking about watering Pothos, make sure that soil dryness is your ultimate guide. There are few tricks that might help you in making a decision –
- Normally, when the top 1 to 2 cm is dry, that is the right time to water your plant. The usual time is once in three weeks. However, this keeps on changing depending upon the external factors. The external factors are Soil, humidity, heat, light, and season.
- When the plants are growing in hanging baskets, check the potting soil by pressing firmly on it. If the same is completely dry, then water the plant. However, if you can still feel some moisture, wait until it’s completely dry.
- Water Pothos as often as possible because they sustain on minimum water levels.
Now, the question is how to water plants. Well, we have tips for that too –
- If the soil is partly dry, pour as much water as required proportionately unless the water drains out from the bottom. This is known as the deep watering technique. This will help your plant with deep nourishment and helps in avoiding diseases.
- If you can see the roots through the drainage, that means the plant is rootbound. In such a case, make sure that you either consider repotting or go easy while watering them.
- Pothos are known for their distinct features, similarly, every plant has its own wagering requirements. The best way is to check the watering needs before watering them.
When is it Necessary to Use a Moisture Meter?
If none of the above options work for you, then a moisture meter is your ideal choice. A moisture meter is an instrument that will do the guesswork of when does your plant requires water. These are not very expensive and can save all the trouble of guessing when to water the plants and when not to.
Also, this will save your plant from rotting. A moisture meter will stand by you through all the seasons guiding you about the watering needs of your plant. For instance, houseplants require more watering in summer than in winters.
But you do not have to worry about all these because you have a moisture meter.
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What are the Best Pots for my Houseplants?
Yes, a suitable container is equally important for your houseplant. Given below is the list of such suitable containers –
Plastic Pots: Plastic containers are not only cheap but also helps in keeping the soil moist for a longer period. This will reduce the number of frequencies of watering the plants in a year.
Terracotta Pots: These pots have lots of pores in them, which allows the moisture to evaporate faster. Houseplants growing in this pot may lead to frequent watering needs as compared to clay pots.
Ceramic Pots: Ceramic pot ensures that the moisture is attained and stays even on all levels. When in summers, the potting in ceramic pots does not dry up as fast as it does in terracotta pots.
Conclusion
Pothos is a very delicate-looking low maintenance houseplant. It can reach all the pockets and will also add an element of greens in your home. It has a variety of species to offer. You can pick what suits you and your home the best.
We hope we were able to help you with not only the types of Pothos but also how to take the best care possible. Stay tuned for more such articles.