How to care for a pothos (devil's ivy)
Epipremnum aureum
Trailing and near-unkillable, pothos grows happily in bright indirect light and even tolerates shade, asking only that you let the top couple of centimetres of soil dry before the next drink. Ordinary potting compost suits it. Overwatering — especially in winter — rots the roots, while a long bare stem usually just means it wants more light.
Care at a glance
- Light
- Bright indirect light; tolerates some shadeGrows in shade but more slowly and with less variegation; keep it out of direct summer sun, which scorches the foliage.
- Water
- When the top 2 cm of compost is dryRoughly weekly in summer, every couple of weeks in winter. The leaves droop slightly when genuinely thirsty, then perk up fast.
- Soil
- Ordinary, well-aerated potting compostMultipurpose mix with a handful of perlite or orchid bark for drainage is plenty.
- Humidity
- Happy in average household humidityTolerates dry rooms but enjoys an occasional misting.
- Temperature
- Comfortable room warmth, 15–29 °C (60–85 °F)Keep above 12 °C (54 °F); it sulks and stops growing in the cold.
- Difficulty
- EasyA classic beginner plant — the hardest thing is resisting the urge to over-water.
- Pets
- Toxic to petsToxic to cats and dogs — contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that cause oral pain, drooling and vomiting if chewed (ASPCA).
Where it comes from
Propagation
Pothos roots almost too easily. Cut a length of vine just below a node (the small bump where a leaf meets the stem and aerial roots emerge), strip the lowest leaf, and stand the cutting in a glass of water. Roots appear within one to two weeks; pot several rooted cuttings together once the roots are a few centimetres long for a full, bushy plant.
You can skip water and push cuttings straight into damp compost — keep it lightly moist and they take just as readily. Because each node can root, one leggy vine can become half a dozen new plants.
Common problems
Likely cause: Most often overwatering; soggy compost suffocates the roots. Old age and underwatering can also yellow a leaf or two.
Fix: Check the soil — if it is wet, let it dry well before the next water and make sure the pot drains freely.
- Long bare stems with leaves only at the tips
Likely cause: Legginess from too little light — the vine stretches toward the window.
Fix: Move it brighter and pinch the growing tips to force bushier side-shoots; tuck cuttings back into the pot to fill it out.
- Brown, crispy leaf edges
Likely cause: Dry air combined with letting the soil go bone dry for too long.
Fix: Water a touch more consistently and keep it away from radiators and hot draughts.
Frequently asked questions
Should I grow my pothos in water or soil?
Either works. Pothos lives indefinitely in a jar of water if you change it and add a drop of liquid feed, though it grows fastest in soil. Moving a long-term water plant into soil can shock it, so do it while the roots are young.
Why does my pothos have small leaves and no holes?
Indoor pothos almost always stays in its juvenile, small-leaved form. The big fenestrated leaves only appear when a mature vine climbs a tall, damp support such as a moss pole in warm, humid conditions.
What is the difference between pothos and a heartleaf philodendron?
They look alike but pothos has thicker, slightly waxy leaves and aerial roots in clusters, while a heartleaf philodendron has thinner, matte leaves and single aerial roots. Their care is nearly identical, so a mix-up rarely matters.
How do I make my pothos bushier?
Pinch or trim the vine tips regularly, which triggers branching, and plant the rooted cuttings back into the same pot. Bright light keeps the internodes short so the foliage stays dense rather than stringy.
Sources
- RHS — How to grow epipremnum — Royal Horticultural Society, checked 2026-06-13
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants — Golden Pothos — ASPCA, checked 2026-06-13