Pothos "The best plant for beginners"

Pothos Latin name- Epipremnum aureum

Meaning in Greek:

'epi' meaning "Upon"

'premnon' meaning 'Trunk"

Pothos go by many names including, devils ivy- called this for the fact that it is incredibly hard to kill.

Pothos are by far some of the most popular house plants. Why? Because they are incredibly easy to grow and take care of. This is the perfect plant for the beginner as it is almost foolproof to grow. With all the amazing varieties of pothos available it is a great plant to add to any household, even collectors!

Plant Care:

~These plants do best in bright, indirect light, but can tolerate low light as well! The one thing to consider- If your plant is variegated it will do best with more light. If placed in an area with low light level the plant can lose its variegation. Be careful to not place in direct sunlight as the leaves can burn.

~Let the plant dry out slightly between waterings and make sure to not overwater. Always ensure your pot has proper drainage! Pothos can be grown as a hanging plant, or in a regular pot. This plant will also climb and can grow up walls!

~Notice your pothos is becoming long and leggy? Give it a trim and you can even start new plants from the cuttings. As long as you have a node you can start a new plant in some water, soil, or moss.

Marble Queen Pothos cuttings rooting in water

Native Habitat:

~Did you know that in some areas where pothos is not native it can become highly invasive?

Pothos is native to Southeastern Asia. In the wild these incredible plants leaves can reach 1 foot long and the vines- up to 50 feet long! In the house you can expect the leaves to get approximately 5 inches long and the vines up to 10 feet in length.

Toxicity:

~Pothos is considered middle to moderately toxic due to the presence of Calcium Oxalate. These microscopic crystals can cause swelling and irritation to the mouth, throat and intestines.

Do I have a Pothos or a Heart Leaf Philodendron?

~ These plants are very similar looking at first glance and are often confused for each other.

Leaves: Pothos leaves are usually thicker, waxy and have a texture to them with a indented midrib. A philodendron leaf is thinner and very smooth and usually more heart shaped than the pothos.

New growth: Another easy way to tell them apart is to look at the new growth. New leaves on philodendrons come from a cataphyll or sheath while new pothos leaves do not.

Stems: If you take a look at the petiole (The area that joins the leaf to the stem) you will see that the philodendron is round and the pothos petiole with have an indentation.

Left: Philodendron Right: Pothos

Epipremnum Vs Scindapus:

I couldn't finish this article without talking about Satin Pothos. These plants are growing in popularity and can be found at most garden centres, but tend to sell out quick! The Latin name is Scindapus pictus. Although its common name is 'satin pothos' it is not considered a true pothos. Very confusing as they look very similar and have the same growing habits and needs! As you can tell I choose to include the satin pothos in my group photo to show how important Latin names are as the common names can become confusing and can cause mixups. Plus its a pretty cool plant, too cool not to share!

Satin Pothos

I hope that you enjoyed reading this article and maybe even learned a thing or two!