Plant care

Pothos (devil’s ivy) care

Epipremnum aureum

Also called devil’s ivy, golden pothos, money plant.

Light

Pothos prefers the middle of the household lighting range — bright enough to read by all day, but never in the direct path of midday sun. Bright indirect light keeps variegation crisp on golden, marble queen and N’Joy cultivars. Will survive low light but variegation fades and growth slows dramatically. A useful test: hold your hand a few centimetres above the leaves at noon. A faint hand shadow means good light; a sharp dark shadow means direct sun and likely too much for this species.

Watering

Water pothos when the top half of the soil is dry, every 7-10 days. The actual day count varies with pot size, light level, and the season — the finger test (or, better, lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a calendar. Empty any drainage saucer after watering so the pot is never sitting in water. Pothos signals thirst by drooping a little — water before the leaves go fully limp. Soggy pots cause yellow lower leaves and root rot within a week or two.

Soil and pot

Pothos grows best in standard potting compost with extra perlite. Any free-draining houseplant mix works. Refresh the top inch annually and repot when roots circle visibly. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Pothos sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 18-27°C (65-80°F). Average household humidity is fine. Boost in winter if leaf tips brown. If you keep the room above 18 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed pothos sparingly. Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4-6 weeks from spring to early autumn. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on pothos in the Growli community. Where a problem matches one of our diagnostic guides, click through for the full step-by-step recovery plan written for pothos specifically.

Yellow lower leaves — Overwatering or pot-bound roots.
Brown leaf tips — Low humidity or fluoride from tap water.
Slow or stalled growth — Too little light or seasonal dormancy.
Variegation reverting to solid green — Low light — move closer to a window.
Long bare vines (legginess) — Pinch tips regularly to encourage branching.

Companion plants

Pothos pairs well with Monstera, Philodendron, Spider plant, and Snake plant. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Snip a vine just below a node, root in water for 2-3 weeks, then pot up in moist potting mix. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Pothos is toxic to pets. ASPCA lists Epipremnum aureum as toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalates. Chewing causes intense oral pain, drooling, and difficulty swallowing. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Pothos care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Epipremnum aureum?

Epipremnum aureum is most commonly called Pothos, but it is also known as devil’s ivy, golden pothos, money plant. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Pothos apply identically to anything sold as devil’s ivy.

How much light does pothos need?

Pothos grows best in medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window). Bright indirect light keeps variegation crisp on golden, marble queen and N’Joy cultivars. Will survive low light but variegation fades and growth slows dramatically.

How often should I water pothos?

Water pothos when the top half of the soil is dry, every 7-10 days. Pothos signals thirst by drooping a little — water before the leaves go fully limp. Soggy pots cause yellow lower leaves and root rot within a week or two. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is pothos toxic to cats and dogs?

Pothos is toxic to pets. ASPCA lists Epipremnum aureum as toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalates. Chewing causes intense oral pain, drooling, and difficulty swallowing.

What USDA hardiness zone does pothos grow in?

Pothos is rated for USDA zone 10-12 (indoor-only in most US homes) and RHS hardiness H1b. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Pothos deep-dive guides

Every aspect of pothos care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Related guides

Pothos is also known as devil’s ivy, golden pothos, and money plant.