Mature size & growth rate

How big does Pothos 'Shangri La' (Epipremnum aureum 'Shangri La') get?

Also called Sleeping Pothos, Curly Leaf Pothos.

More about pothos 'shangri la'

About Pothos 'Shangri La'

Epipremnum aureum 'Shangri La' · also called Sleeping Pothos, Curly Leaf Pothos · houseplant

Pothos 'Shangri La' is a sport of golden pothos whose leaves curl and fold inward, giving a sleepy, ruffled look. It is a forgiving trailing aroid that tolerates low light, dries between waterings, and roots readily in water. Slower and more compact than common pothos, it suits shelves, hanging pots, and beginner growers.

Mature size: Vines reach 1-2 m indoors over time, with leaves 5-10 cm long; stays denser and shorter than common pothos.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Pothos 'Shangri La' does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims. Indoors and in a pot, expect vines reach 1-2 m indoors over time, with leaves 5-10 cm long. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — stays denser and shorter than common pothos. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Growth rate and years to mature

Pothos 'Shangri La' is a fast grower. Realistically, expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertiliser at half strength; stop in autumn and winter when growth slows.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the pothos 'shangri la' repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast pothos 'shangri la' grows.

How to keep pothos 'shangri la' smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For pothos 'shangri la' specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — pothos 'shangri la' takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut.
Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser.
The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants.
Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Decide the length you want. Pick the point each vine of pothos 'shangri la' should stop — you can be aggressive; it regrows readily.
Cut just above a node. Snip about 0.5 cm above a leaf node so the stem branches there instead of dying back.
Root the cuttings. Drop the trimmed pieces in water or mix — they root in 2-4 weeks and can fill the same pot for a bushier look.
Repeat as it runs. Re-trim whenever it overshoots; regular light pruning keeps it both smaller and fuller.

How to grow pothos 'shangri la' bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for pothos 'shangri la' the accelerators are:

More (indirect) light dramatically lengthens the vines and enlarges the leaves.
Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing.
Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The pothos 'shangri la' light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When pothos 'shangri la' outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for pothos 'shangri la':

Vines pooling on the floor or wrapping past where you want them — purely a trimming cue, not a repot one.
Bare, leggy stems with leaves only at the tips (usually a light problem, not a size one).
A tangled mass that has outrun its support and needs cutting back and re-training.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the pothos 'shangri la' repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the pothos 'shangri la' propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Pothos 'Shangri La' size — frequently asked questions

How big does pothos 'shangri la' get?

Pothos 'Shangri La' reaches vines reach 1-2 m indoors over time, with leaves 5-10 cm long when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (stays denser and shorter than common pothos.). Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Is pothos 'shangri la' slow or fast growing?

Pothos 'Shangri La' is a fast grower. Expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Pothos 'Shangri La' does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims.

How long does pothos 'shangri la' take to reach full size?

Roughly one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep pothos 'shangri la' smaller?

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — pothos 'shangri la' takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut. Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser. The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants. Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

How can I make pothos 'shangri la' grow bigger or faster?

More (indirect) light dramatically lengthens the vines and enlarges the leaves. Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing. Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.