The Pothos is a common house plant that has many different known varieties. Today, I want to talk to you briefly about the history and care of Pothos. Did you know some people call the Pothos, The Devils Ivy or Hunters Rove? Over time, this plant has had a few different scientific names. However, as of right now, its botanical name is Epipremnum aureum. You might ask why scientists changed the name so much. Let's take a brief dive into that with the plant's history.
The Pothos belongs to the Araceae family and is native to Asia. In 1880, it was introduced as the Pothos aureus. Then, in 1964, George Bunting gave the name Rhaphidophora aurea. Scientists reclassified this plant several times due to its flowering, location, and leaf shape but eventually came back and settled on Epipremnum aureus instead of Epiprmnum pinnatum. It's said that the first Pothos vines came to us from the Solomon Islands to Hawai'i. No seeds have been found in America; rather, plants have been grown and sold from cuttings.
The Pothos is invasive to several places, such as Australia, Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, and Hawaii. Even though it is considered invasive, people have taken it from place to place with them. Fun fact. Or rather not so fun fact. While the Pothos don't necessarily harm humans but, they can be harmful if consumed in large quantities because they contain calcium oxalate, which can cause stomach issues. Pothos can harm structures due to their weight and growing into structures or harm wildlife due to how invasive they can be.
Another thing to note is these plants are toxic to your pets, so if you have them, keep them away from your pets. (I have five dogs and haven't had any issues but I did want to let you guys now that fact.) They rarely cause death in an animal, but like in humans, the ingestion of too much calcium oxalates can cause severe gastrointestinal distress. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about how you will care for the Pothos.
The Pothos plant thrive in bright, indirect light, but they can tolerate medium to low indirect light. If it gets too much intense direct light, its leaves will burn. If your pothos leaves are turning yellow, if means your plant is getting to much light. If your plant has any colorations like gold, white, or pale yellow and starts turning all green, it means they are not getting enough light. One of my favorite things about these plants is that I can have one in my office at work. Even though natural light is best for plants, my office's lighting is sufficient for these guys. Now what about soil and watering?
You can plant Pothos in just about any potting mix. Just sure it is well-draining soil, being as that is what they prefer. Another fun thing about these plants is you don't have to plant them in soil; you can also keep them in water! Keep in mind that if you keep them in water and then transfer them to soil, they might not do so well. If you have them in soil, you'll need to water and feed them, Let's dig into that.
Pothos do best when the soil dries about between watering. This cycle typically happens within a week or two. You'll water more during the growing season and less during winter. The Pothos leaves will droop when it needs water but don't wait until they wilt up, or the plant will lose a few leaves. If the edges of the leaves turn brown and dry, it means the plant was left dry for too long. Give the poor thing some water! If the leaves start to yellow or brown, you need to slow the watering down. The Pothos enjoy being fed once a month in spring and summer with good quality houseplant fertilizer. If you keep your plant in water, be sure to provide food supplements in the water during its growing season. We haven't talked about everything yet. Let's go ahead and wrap this blog entry up so you can return to tending your babies.
The Pothos likes being in warmer temperatures, preferably between 65°F and 75°F. If you want to keep your Pothos in good shape, occasional trimming will help; it also helps the plant look and grow fuller. If you decide to prune your Pothos, have sterilized plant scissors. You'll want to cut below a node close to the crown and leave two leaves/nodes on the vine you're pruning. For propagation, remove a healthy stem with at least three leaves and cut at an angle about 1-1.5 inches below the lowest leaf. Remove the lowest leaf, leaving the other leaves on. Place it in a jar or vase of water and keep the remaining leaves out of the water. Within 7-10 days, you should see some root growth! Plant your propagation in a pot suitable for its size. Keep it in bright, indirect light while keeping the soil slightly moist but not wet. You'll have a whole new plant in no time at all.
We hope you enjoyed our blog on the Pothos and hope you found it useful! We can't wait to see you next time. If you want to check out what Pothos we have in stock right now click here: Take me to your Pothos.