Golden Pothos
Epipremnum aureum
It trails and grows faster than almost anything else you'll put on a shelf. The gold variegation gets bolder in brighter light, so give it a good spot if you want those colors to pop.
Buy this plant $15 In Stock- Light
- Medium Light
- Humidity
- 40-60%
- Temperature
- 60-85°F
Light Requirements
Medium Light. Works well in spaces that get indirect light most of the day. A few feet from a bright window, or near an east-facing window.
Watering
Every 1-2 weeks, letting the top inch of soil dry out between waterings. It's more forgiving of drought than most plants you'll own. Back off in winter and let it go a bit longer between drinks.
Humidity
Target humidity: 40-60%. Average home humidity of 40-50% is usually sufficient. Avoid placing near heating vents, which dry the air significantly.
Temperature
Keep between 60-85°F. Avoid cold drafts from windows in winter and hot air from vents year-round. Most tropical houseplants suffer below 55°F and should never be exposed to frost.
Soil and Potting
Standard indoor potting mix does the job, or go 2 parts potting soil with 1 part perlite for better drainage. Avoid anything dense and water-retentive. The roots don't like sitting in wet soil any more than you'd like sitting in wet socks.
Propagation
Cut a 4-6 inch stem section just below a node, strip the lower leaves, and drop it in water with at least one node submerged. Roots appear in 2-4 weeks. Move to soil when they're 2-3 inches long. It's that easy, which is why half your friends' apartments are full of pothos cuttings.
Common Problems
Losing the gold variegation means it needs more light. New leaves that come in solid green won't revert on their own, so move the plant first and wait for fresh growth. Yellow leaves all over the plant point to overwatering.
Worth Knowing
- In the wild in French Polynesia, mature Pothos leaves reach 30-40 inches long. What you're growing is a juvenile plant, and it'll stay that way indoors forever. It never reaches full maturity inside a house. You're essentially keeping a plant in permanent childhood.
- Epipremnum aureum is classified as an invasive species in several countries where it escaped cultivation, including Sri Lanka and parts of Australia. Its shade tolerance makes it almost impossible to remove once it establishes outdoors.
- Pothos flowers only in full adult form, which almost never happens indoors. The flower is a cream-colored spathe around a purple spadix. Most owners never see it. You might never see it. That's fine.
Toxicity
Toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and humans. All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals causing oral irritation, excessive drooling, and vomiting. Don't let pets chew on the trailing vines.