Specific name: Epipremnum aureum
Family: Araceae
Kingdom: Plantae
This beautiful specimen originates from the hot & humid tropical climate found in Southeast Asia. Average temperature for this location is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The growth habit of this plant is vining, growing up the trunks of large tropical trees in search of the sun’s light. Leaves of these plants grow much larger in the outdoor native settings due to the met sunlight needs, abundant airflow, high humidity, and natural fertilizers. Interestingly, even in outdoor tropical environments, these vines rarely flower. The current understanding for the lack of flower production is due to insufficient production of gibberellin, the hormone that catalyzes flower production.
For the interior setting, this plant is commonly found in a hanging container or as a trailing plant. This is a great low maintenance plant as its sunlight, watering, and pest control needs are not so demanding. Other common names for this plant are, but not limited to, devil’s ivy, hunters rove, and ceylon creeper. The name ‘devil’s ivy’ originates from its almost impossible to kill disposition, making it a great beginners plant. Surprisingly, these plants can stay green even when kept in the dark while tolerating moderate drought! Though they tolerate these conditions, they thrive in bright indirect light and waterings when the soil dries. Bright intense sunlight will create the appearance of yellow leaves and could possibly brown and burn. If planted outdoors, it’s best to keep contained as it could become invasive and overwhelm the tree it grows on.
In our Exotic Foliage Inc. greenhouse, we fertilize these hanging and trailing plants once a month with a mixture of 20.10.20, epsom salt, and micronutrients. We control pests with suffoil-x and translaminar pesticides. With our client locations, we love using these vines in our living arrangements as our ‘spiller’, a plant that drapes over the container creating a more aesthetic piece. We thoroughly enjoy these plants as they come in varying shapes, sizes, and colors, all the while being reliable in differing settings.
Attached is a link by Cori Sears for ‘Spruce’ going through the steps of propagating your pothos, a gift that keeps on giving. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-propagate-pothos-5323307
Written by Eryn Fisher, Devin Coleman