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Pothos types are a fail-safe option for you, If you’ve been struggling to keep your houseplants alive or if you’re just getting started with plants.
Photos plants are tropical vines distinguished from philodendrons by the coloration in the waxy leaves, laden with gold, white and yellow markings and they are usually larger in size. Pothos grows incredibly well indoors and it is extremely versatile.
Easy-care and foolproof, pothos needs low to bright light, well-drained potting mix, slightly moist soil, and a monthly fertilizing in spring and summer and average temperature. Prune gently once or twice a year.
Continue reading to learn about 17 types of pothos varieties and concise care requirements.
Fun fact: Pothos ivy was found to clean the air indoors by cleaning the chemical formaldehyde (NASA).
About Devil’s Ivy
Pothos or Devil’s Ivy is an easy plant that can be cultivated indoors with some trimming and it tolerates low-light situations beautifully, so it is commonly seen framing windows or spanning beams on the ceiling.
It is grown for foliage and it is aptly named Devil’s Ivy because it is difficult to eradicate once it prevails on trees. It will not likely flower in our homes. Also, juvenile and mature leaves differ significantly and, grown outdoors, the leaves grow a lot larger, so it is a very nice experience observing them grow.
Botanical name: Epipremnum aureum
Family: Araceae
Origin: the Society Islands, Solomon islands, Southeast Asia
Type: Evergreen climbing to semi-epiphytic herbs
Zones: 10-11 USD
Size: In indoor cultivation, these vines can grow 3 to 6 m long if left untrimmed. Extremely fast growers.
Devil’s Ivy Care
Light: Green varieties with yellow marbling can tolerate low light such as a north window, but prefer a medium-light within a few feet of the west or east window. You will know it needs more light if it reverts to being an all-green plant and it will soon regain its variegation. Shifting light also works for pothos. To be on the safe side, best provide bright to medium indirect light throughout the year and a strong light throughout winter.
Temperature: 13-21 degrees C
Watering: Keep it evenly moist, but never allow it to stand in water. Water liberally in the summer to promote strong growth without breaking, water far more sparingly during winter. Always allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry out. You know it is dry when every leaf wilts over the edge of the pot, looking soft and droopy.
Humidity: Mist the leaves frequently as this plant enjoys high humidity.
Soil: Use rich, humusy, well-draining soil like all-purpose soil mixed with perlite, orchid bark, or coco coir chips.
Fertilizing: Once a month in early spring to late autumn.
Trimming: Keep your plant regularly trimmed and full. Cut a few of the stems back to the soil line and new sprouts will emerge.
Propagation: Root stem cuttings in water or potting medium, moist peat, or vermiculite. Monitor the water level and change the water once a week to keep bacteria at bay if you go for the liquid mode of propagation.
Toxicity: Extremely toxic to pets and humans because of calcium oxalate crystals.
Common issues: Mealybugs, scale insects, and mites. No major diseases.
Related species: Monstera, Philodendron hederaceum, Epipremnum pinnatum.
Companion plants: Combine them with begonias, ferns, ivies, peace lilies, peperomias, philodendrons, and pileas.
Styling: Epipremnum aureum pothos are vigorous and fast growers usually sold in hanging baskets and you can display them in the same way. Or, use their climbing habit and encourage them to climb up the stairs or a bookshelf or stretch them across the wall in your preferred pattern – the leaves will mature to be larger and assume a new shape similar to Monstera species. It even makes a nice kokedama plant.
For more information on how to take care of pothos, check out my Pothos care guide!
17 Types of Pothos Plants
1. Silver Satin
Scindapsus pictus “Argyraeus” or Silver Satin is a pothos of a completely different coloration. It is absolutely elegant, especially in a verdigris umbrella stand. It has thick, matte gray-green leaves, curved slightly and irregularly on the stem with silver splotches. It performs well in hanging baskets.
Place silver satin pothos where it will get noticed. Pair it with Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema). It is nearly indestructible, drought-tolerant, and also tolerant of lower light levels.
2. “Pearls and Jade”
Epipremnum aureum “Pearls and Jade” pothos is a new hybrid pothos that is exceptionally attractive with its patches in white and green, hence very evocative of “N’ Joy”. It also has tiny dots of green that soften the edges. This plant was developed in the University of Florida like aglaonemas. It needs to be filtered and by no means direct sun.
Epipremnum aureum “Pearls” pothos is a great space holder in offices and waiting rooms because it lightens the mood.
3. “Marble Queen”
Epipremnum aureum “Marble Queen” pothos is one of the most widely sought-after varieties of pothos and most commonly cultivated in the entire genus.
Marble Queen pothos features green foliage splotched with white and are exceptionally beautiful. This highly variegated cultivar needs more light as it has a lot of light on the leaves, but by no means full sun because those white parts will burn.
4. “Cebu Blue” Pothos
Epipremnum pinnatum Cebu Blue pothos is a very adaptable climbing pothos variety with glossy green leaves as is the case with most plants in the genus. It is an all-green variety with arrow-shaped blue-green leaves with very prominent venation.
5. “Jade” Pothos
Epipremnum aureum “Jade” pothos looks pretty much like Heartleaf Philodendron. It is an all-green, glossy species that best tolerates medium light. Position pothos “Jade” on a high bookshelf and let the leaves fall down. It doesn’t have any leaf variegation.
6. “Golden” Pothos
“Golden” pothos Epipremnum aureum is a cultivar that resembles “Jade” pothos to a large extent, though it is predominantly green with yellow markings. It is also tolerant of medium light. It can thrive in a medium-lit bathroom too because of the increased humidity.
7. “Neon” pothos
Epipremnum aureum “Neon” is an attractive, glossy, solid, bright yellow-green to golden yellow cultivar with heart-shaped leaves that refreshes any room with its positive vibes. Pothos “Neon” displays no variegation whatsoever.
8. “Manjula” Pothos
Epipremnum aureum “Manjula” is another unique and intensely variegated type of pothos recognizable at once. The foliage is ovate and so abundantly variegated in cream that some leaves are completely cream.
9. “Satin” Pothos
Unlike other pothos species that belong to Epipremnum, Scindapsus pictus “Exotica” or Satin Pothos belongs to a separate genus, Scindapsus.
Scindapsus pictus differs from other green hanging plants because of the silvery, sage green color, so they look good with dark green plants like Alocasia amazonica or Ficus elastica “Burgundy”. It looks best if suspended in the air where it receives medium to bright indirect light.
10. “Jessenia” Pothos
Epipremnum aureum “Jessenia” is another interesting green species with lime or apple-green variegation. Pothos Jessenia is best displayed in a white pot. Fun fact, this is the rarest pothos to find.
11. “Snow Queen” Pothos
Snow Queen pothos resembles Marble Queen pothos to a large extent. How can you distinguish between them?
Observe the foliage. One of the reasons Snow Queen is called so is because white color prevails over the green. On the contrary, Marble Queen has about the same amount of green and white. Both, however, need bright indirect light to maintain the lovely white variegation.
12. “Glacier” Pothos
This type of variegated pothos is often mixed with pothos “Pearls and Jade” and “N’ Joy”. However, Epipremnum aureum “Glacier” pothos is a smaller leafy species with a lot of silvery-gray speckles and mottling than other smaller pothos and is definitely more compact.
13. “N’ Joy”
Epipremnum aureum “N’ Joy” is a newer hybrid of pothos that has patches in shades of white and green. It closely resembles “Pearls and Jade”.
14. Pothos “Tricolor”
This type of pothos has almost white stems and green foliage variegated with white shade and adorned with prominent yellow markings.
15. “Hawaiian” Pothos
Epipremnum Aureum “Hawaiian” is glossy variegated leaves larger than the leaves of other pothos cultivars. The leaves of this one are predominantly emerald green with cream and lime green variegation, curling a bit. It performs better in the outdoor garden.
16. “Trebi” Pothos
Scindapsus Pictus “Trebi” is a thick-leaved form that boasts different patterns of green and silver. Some leaves are deep green with some silver mottling while other leaves are predominantly silver with green central vein and some splotches. As implied by the name, it doesn’t belong to the same genus as Epipremnum, so that’s why the leaves differ so much.
17. “Harlequin” Pothos
Epipremnum aureum “Harlequin” is one of the rarest pothos of the genus because of its immense leaf variegation. Some leaves are so heavily variegated that they are entirely cream, while other leaves of the same plant are deep green. With it, you never know what you get. Pair it with the silver pothos or in a colorful pot for a powerful and mesmerizing display.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light does my pothos need?
Pothos plant species heavily variegated in white or cream need more, usually bright indirect light than all-green cultivars. Also, if pothos has thicker, dark green leaves, it can tolerate low-light levels better.
How do I identify my pothos?
A typical pothos has long, trailing stems that bear fist-size, green heart-shaped leaves, rarely oval. You might mix it up with philodendron at this point. But, the foliage of pothos is waxy, glossy, and pale green, more or less variegated, usually with irregular yellow marbling or streaking. To further identify different a type of pothos, look at leaf coloration and leaf shapes in a botanical book or garden center with different varieties of pothos or search the Web.
Can my pothos lose variegation?
Yes, variegated pothos types like pothos marble queen may lose their distinctive variegation due to insufficient sun exposure. Ensure a lot of bright indirect light for variegated forms.
What is a solid green pothos called?
This question refers to whether a pothos plant exhibits variegation or not. One type of pothos that’s solid green is “Neon” pothos.
What’s the difference between Scindapsus and Epipremnum aureum?
One plant name-pothos, yet two different genera. Both of them are climbing vines with a round to heart-shaped glossy green leaves arranged in opposite ranks that spiral around the stem. They are often grown indoors because of low-light tolerance. Epipremnum plants usually display cream to white variegation, while Scindapsus have thicker leaves with silver variegation.
Conclusion
Pothos types are perfect climbing and hanging, easy-care indoor plants usually in bright to lime green with yellow or white variegation or in shades of silver, ideal for beginners who want to limit the risks and start easy.
What is the best type of pothos, you ask? As you have seen, there are different types of pothos and whichever you choose, you won’t be wrong. Each one is unique, low-maintenance, undemanding, and very friendly.
Hopefully, this list has helped you make a decision on which ones to try cultivating. And in case you are a beginner, check out some other easy-care plants like Peace Lily, Snake Plant, Spider Plant and Aloe Vera.
