Plant Library
Types of Pothos: 11 Varieties Identified
A guide to pothos types — Golden, Marble Queen, Neon, N'Joy, Manjula, Cebu Blue and satin Scindapsus — with ID and care. All are mildly toxic to pets (ASPCA).
Types of Pothos: 11 Varieties Identified
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), also sold as devil's ivy, is one of the most forgiving trailing houseplants you can grow — which is exactly why breeders have produced so many varieties. Most of the named types you'll see at a garden centre or plant shop are colour variants of the same species, differing mainly in their variegation pattern, leaf size and how much light they need to keep that pattern. A few "pothos" on the shelf are actually different plants: Cebu Blue is a separate Epipremnum species (E. pinnatum), and satin or silver "pothos" belong to the genus Scindapsus.
This guide identifies the real, widely traded cultivars, gives you a quick visual ID signal for each, and pairs it with a simple light-and-water cue. We've flagged the botanical naming honestly so you know what you're buying. One thing applies across the board: the ASPCA classifies pothos as toxic to cats and dogs, so whichever type you choose, position it out of a curious pet's reach.
Match a pothos to your space: Snap your room in Growli — we'll measure the light level and tell you which pothos variety will hold its look in your conditions.
Related: Pothos care guide · how to care for pothos · types of monstera
The 11 most common types of pothos
1. Golden Pothos — Epipremnum aureum 'Golden'
The classic. Heart-shaped mid-green leaves splashed and streaked with buttery yellow variegation. The most vigorous, fastest-growing type and the one most often sold simply as 'pothos' or 'devil's ivy'.
Care signal: Tolerates low to bright indirect light (the most shade-forgiving variety); water when the top 2.5cm/1in of soil is dry.
2. Marble Queen — Epipremnum aureum 'Marble Queen'
Heavily marbled green-and-creamy-white leaves with fine, busy flecking rather than bold blocks. Often close to 50/50 green-to-white, which slows its growth compared with Golden.
Care signal: Bright indirect light keeps the white crisp (low light makes it revert greener); let the top 2-3cm dry between waterings.
3. Neon Pothos — Epipremnum aureum 'Neon'
Solid, unvariegated leaves in vivid chartreuse-to-lime; new growth is the brightest, maturing slightly deeper. No white or yellow patterning at all.
Care signal: Bright indirect light preserves the neon colour (it dulls and darkens in shade); water when the top 2.5cm/1in is dry.
4. Jade Pothos — Epipremnum aureum 'Jade'
Uniform, deep glossy-green heart-shaped leaves with no variegation. Easily confused with a plain golden that has reverted, but Jade is consistently solid green throughout.
Care signal: The best choice for genuinely low-light spots since it has no variegation to lose; let soil dry out well between waterings.
5. Pearls and Jade — Epipremnum aureum 'Pearls and Jade'
Smaller leaves (about 7-8cm long) with green centres edged in white and silvery-grey mottling that pushes to the leaf margins. A University of Florida release (US Plant Patent 21,217) selected from Marble Queen; slow and compact.
Care signal: Bright indirect light to hold the variegation; water when the top few centimetres are dry — it sulks if overwatered.
6. N'Joy — Epipremnum aureum 'N'Joy'
Compact, smaller leaves with bold, well-defined blocks of green centre and clean white margins — not fine flecking. A stabilised Marble Queen sport discovered in Mumbai; tidy, slow-growing habit.
Care signal: Bright indirect light to keep the white blocks; allow the top 2-3cm of soil to dry before watering.
7. Manjula — Epipremnum aureum 'Manjula'
Wide, heart-shaped leaves with distinctly wavy, ruffled edges that don't lie flat — a giveaway no other common pothos shares. Variegation swirls green, cream, white and silver. A patented University of Florida cultivar ('HANSOTI14').
Care signal: Bright indirect light for best variegation and slow, mounding growth; water when the top few centimetres are dry.
8. Snow Queen — Epipremnum aureum 'Snow Queen'
Looks like a whiter Marble Queen — leaves carry much heavier, brighter-white variegation with little green, and no yellow at all. The white panels can dominate individual leaves.
Care signal: Needs bright indirect light (it has little chlorophyll to spare in shade); water sparingly, letting the top of the soil dry.
9. Global Green — Epipremnum aureum 'Global Green'
Two-tone green with no white or yellow: lighter chartreuse centres framed by darker green margins, giving each leaf a bold defined border.
Care signal: Bright to medium indirect light; water when the top 2.5cm/1in of soil is dry.
10. Cebu Blue — Epipremnum pinnatum 'Cebu Blue'
A different species from the others here. Narrow, arrow-shaped silvery blue-green leaves with a metallic sheen; mature climbing growth develops natural splits (fenestrations) like a small monstera.
Care signal: Bright indirect light keeps the blue tone; let the top 2-3cm dry between waterings — it dislikes staying wet.
11. Satin / Silver Pothos (Scindapsus) — Scindapsus pictus 'Argyraeus'
Not a true pothos — a separate genus often sold as 'satin pothos'. Matte, almost velvety olive-green leaves dusted with silvery-grey spots and a thin silver edge.
Care signal: Medium to bright indirect light; let the top 2-3cm of soil dry, as it is sensitive to overwatering.
Are pothos toxic to cats and dogs?
All true pothos are toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists Golden Pothos / Devil's Ivy (Epipremnum aureum) as toxic to dogs and toxic to cats, with the toxic principle being insoluble calcium oxalates. These crystals are released when an animal chews the leaves or stems, causing oral irritation, intense burning of the mouth, tongue and lips, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing — the reason oxalate aroids are generally described as mildly toxic oral irritants rather than deadly. This applies across every Epipremnum aureum cultivar in this guide (Golden, Marble Queen, Neon, Jade, N'Joy, Pearls and Jade, Manjula, Snow Queen, Global Green) and to Cebu Blue (E. pinnatum). The "satin" or "silver" Scindapsus is a different genus but no safer: the ASPCA lists Satin Pothos (Scindapsus pictus) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, again via insoluble calcium oxalates. No pothos-type plant is ASPCA non-toxic, so none should be treated as pet-safe. If a pet ingests any part, contact your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Frequently asked questions
Are pothos toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. The ASPCA lists pothos (Epipremnum aureum, Golden Pothos / Devil's Ivy) as toxic to both dogs and cats. All parts contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that, when chewed, cause oral irritation, a burning sensation in the mouth, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. The reaction is usually described as mildly toxic rather than life-threatening, but it is painful, so keep pothos out of pets' reach. The satin/silver Scindapsus often sold as pothos is also toxic (dogs, cats and horses), so no pothos-type plant counts as pet-safe. If your pet ingests any, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control.
What is the easiest pothos to grow?
Golden Pothos is the easiest and most beginner-friendly. It is the fastest grower, tolerates a wide range of light from low to bright indirect, and visibly droops to tell you when it needs water, recovering quickly once watered. Because its variegation is yellow-on-green it copes better in dimmer rooms than the white-variegated types. Jade Pothos (solid green) is the best pick for genuinely low-light corners, since it has no variegation to lose in shade.
What is the rarest pothos?
Among widely discussed cultivars, Harlequin Pothos is generally considered the rarest — it carries very heavy, near-pure white-and-green variegation and is hard to find and propagate. Other sought-after, less common types include Jessenia and the highly variegated Albo forms. Patented cultivars such as Manjula and Pearls and Jade (both University of Florida releases) are more available because licensed growers propagate them commercially. Rarity and price shift with demand, so check current availability with a reputable seller.
Is Cebu Blue a real pothos?
It is sold and cared for as a pothos, but botanically it is a different species. Cebu Blue is Epipremnum pinnatum 'Cebu Blue', whereas most named pothos (Golden, Marble Queen, Neon, N'Joy and so on) are cultivars of Epipremnum aureum. They share the genus Epipremnum and similar care, but Cebu Blue has distinctive narrow, silvery blue-green arrow-shaped leaves that develop natural splits as the plant matures and climbs.
Is satin pothos the same as pothos?
No. Satin pothos (also called silver pothos) is Scindapsus pictus, a separate genus from true pothos (Epipremnum), though both are in the arum family Araceae. It is named and sold as a pothos because the care is similar, but its matte, silver-spotted leaves are distinctive. It is not safer for pets either — the ASPCA lists Scindapsus pictus as toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Which pothos has the most variegation?
For bright white variegation, Snow Queen typically shows the heaviest white with very little green and no yellow, followed by Marble Queen. For yellow-on-green, Golden Pothos is the classic. Bear in mind that heavily white-variegated types have less chlorophyll, so they grow more slowly and need brighter indirect light to keep their colour — too little light pushes them to revert to greener leaves.
Are Marble Queen and Snow Queen the same plant?
They are very closely related and often confused, and some sellers treat them as the same. The practical difference is the amount of white: Snow Queen carries much heavier, brighter-white variegation with little green, while Marble Queen shows a finer, more balanced green-and-white marble. Care is identical — both need bright indirect light to hold their pattern and will revert greener in low light.