No houseplant collection is complete without at least one pothos plant.
These famous indoor beauties belong right on your shelf, with stunning leafy vines cascading to the floor. They even add a splash of green to your kitchen if you place it on top of your fridge. Rest assured, no matter where you place your pothos, they’ll look right at home.
The elegance of this plant isn’t its only draw, however. If you’re a newer houseplant parent or perhaps a very busy one, then pothos is perfect for you.
Pothos Basics
The pothos doesn’t need much to thrive – just a cozy spot that receives plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. It’s also not fussy about its environment, flourishing in a range of temperature and humidity conditions. It does grow best in warmer environments, with high levels of humidity, but will continue to flourish in drier, cooler conditions too.
Pothos doesn’t have intense watering needs either, often preferring its soil to dry out a bit between waterings. And if you forget to water, your pothos comes with a handy indicator to let you know when it could use a drink – its leaves begin to curl.
If you want to enhance your pothos collection, it’s really easy to propagate from cuttings and grow new plants.
The only downside of pothos is their toxicity to people, cats, and dogs. No matter where you place it, it’s best to keep it out of reach of your children – the human and furry kind.
When it comes to this easy-going plant, plant collectors and newbie gardeners can’t seem to get enough. Luckily, there are several cultivars, each with a unique flair of leaf shapes and patterns to fulfill all your pothos desires.
Here are the eight best pothos varieties to either start or add to your pothos (and houseplant) collection.
1. Golden Pothos
The Golden Pothos is the true Epipremnum aureum, which is the scientific name for pothos. Its common name makes sense, as aureum is Latin for gold, most suitable for its golden streaked leaves.
Golden pothos is the perfect first pothos for many, as it’s the most common and adaptable of all the pothos varieties. It also grows remarkably quickly, reaching 12 feet indoors in what seems like no time at all. This pothos and its gold-splashed heart-shaped leaves add a sense of charm to your decor.
Golden pathos is not just for the indoor gardener, however. Outdoors, it’ll resort to its natural climbing behavior. Under the right growing conditions, it will quickly wrap around trees, or spread across open ground. This fast-growing nature adds to their appeal, but in many areas, the pothos is considered invasive when planted outdoors and left to spread freely.
2. Cebu Blue Pothos
The Cebu Blue Pothos subtly stands out among the crowd. It’s a great understated plant that still manages to be eye-catching.
Unlike other Pothos, Cebu Blue sports narrow pointed leaves that resemble arrows. These arrowhead leaves are also darker than the rest of the genus, often having a blue-green tinge and a shiny texture. It’s a truly unique pothos and houseplant.
The Cebu Blue pothos is so different because it belongs to a different species, E. pinnatum. Don’t worry though, it stays true to its genus characteristics. This special blue pothos is still easy to care for and also grows quickly, rewarding you with long vines and large blue-green leaves if it’s well maintained.
3. N’Joy Pothos
This cultivar is a relatively new addition to the pothos family but it’s by no means one to overlook. This compact pothos is perfect for smaller spaces that need a pop of color. It may not grow as long or quickly as other members of the pothos family, but it more than makes up for it in looks.
The N’Joy pothos has small, clustered leaves that are covered in large white and cream patches. This variegation may not be an entirely new look, with a few other cultivars sporting similar leaf styles. The N’Joy is different, however, as it isn’t spotted like other cultivars. Instead, its creamy patches are solid, creating a striking contrast of white and green.
To bring out the best in your N’Joy Pothos, keep it in bright, indirect light. The more light it receives, the better and more pronounced its variegation will be.
4. Marble Queen Pothos
While we’re on the topic of white and cream pothos, one cannot fail to mention the Marble Queen Pothos.
This cultivar may be similar to other white speckled pothos, but its looks are slightly different, allowing it to stand out in the crowd. Its variegation pattern is similar to the Golden Pothos, but instead of gold streaks, its leaves sport bright white spots. These splatters of white blend so well with the green that they truly resemble marble.
It’s easy to become obsessed with these striking marbled leaves. Luckily, the Marble Queen Pothos is one of the earliest cultivars, so it’s easy to find and just as easy to care for.
5. Snow Queen Pothos
We cant talk about the Marble Queen Pothos without mentioning the Snow Queen pothos. The Snow Queen is the most variegated in this short collection, with white patches covering the majority of its leaves.
In some cases, this cultivar sports leaves that are more white than green. With this almost all-white look, it’s no wonder it’s called the Snow Queen.
Unfortunately, this stunning plant needs a little more TLC than other pothos. The limited amount of green means that this plant has far less chlorophyll than usual, meaning it will process light a lot slower than greener plants.
Snow Queen needs plenty of indirect sunlight to truly thrive. The extra sunlight keeps these pothos growing and happy.
6. Neon Pothos
The Neon Pothos is quite similar to the Golden Pothos, but this cultivar does have a few notable differences. Instead of gold streaks, it has solid luminescent lime-green leaves, hence its name.
While most chase the variegation of other pothos varieties and cultivars, the simplicity of the Neon Pothos makes it highly unique. The brightness of its leaves makes it stand out amongst its genus members and other houseplants alike.
This cultivar is so bright, it can even appear to glow. Younger leaves are extremely neon and tend to dim slightly as they age. However, keeping your neon pothos bright and glowing is as simple as giving it plenty of bright light. Dull leaves are a sure-fire sign that your Neon Pothos isn’t getting enough light.
7. Manjula Pothos
The Manjula pothos is another unique cultivar with a completely different leaf shape. It also has interesting variegation – deep green leaves with spots of white and olive.
The Manjula pothos has broad leaves with waved edges, distinguishing it from the rest of the pothos genus. The mixed green, white and olive variegation makes this plant even more unique, as this combination is tricky to find in most plants.
But the allure of the Manjula Pothos doesn’t stop there. Each leaf of this pothos has a different pattern of variegation, making this the ultimate statement plant.
Like the Snow Queen pothos, the Manjula may have some spots that lack a significant amount of chlorophyll. For it to truly thrive, it needs plenty of light.
8. Pearls & Jade Pothos
The last cultivar on this list seems to have it all. The Pearls & Jade pothos is an extremely sought-after pothos, and it’s easy to see why once you look at it. Its variegation comes in white, cream, and green spots and solid blocks, making each leaf different.
Making this plant even more special is the white variegation that typically appears on the edges of the leaves. This rare leaf pattern frames the center of the leaves, making the green and cream pop even more.
Pearls & Jade is a smaller and more compact cultivar, and like N’Joy, it’s a slow grower. Despite its uniqueness, Pearls & Jade is often mistaken for N’Joy and Marble Queen, or vice versa. But, whichever pothos you choose, you’re sure to have a statement piece that looks like no other indoor plant.
When it comes to choosing a pothos cultivar, you can’t go wrong. These plants are little fuss and suit all types of gardeners, from beginners to seasoned green thumbs.
The different leaf shapes and variegation that some of these cultivars offer also means that there is a pothos out there for everybody.
You have a choice of stand-out leaves like the Marble Queen and its descendants – Manjula and Pearls & Jade. Or you could opt for a more monochromatic look with the Neon or Cebu Blue. You could also choose the Golden Pothos, which has a more traditional look.
No matter which pothos you choose, you can be sure it’ll fill your space with long-lasting trails of pretty leaves.