Epipremnum aureum
Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos) Care Guide
Featured photoepipremnum-aureum.jpgEpipremnum aureum is the everyday golden pothos: a tough, vining aroid with heart-shaped leaves marbled in green and yellow. It tolerates low light, irregular watering, and dry air better than almost any other tropical houseplant, which is why it has been the default beginner plant for decades. Many cultivars exist, from Marble Queen to Neon to Cebu Blue.
Care facts at a glance
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Water when the top 3 to 4 cm of mix has dried; tolerates a little dryness.
- Humidity
- 40–60 %
- Temperature
- 18–29 °C
- Soil
- Standard well-draining houseplant mix with extra perlite.
- Toxicity
- Mildly toxic. Calcium oxalate sap can cause oral irritation if chewed. (humans) · Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA Pothos listing). (pets)
- Origin
- Originally Mo'orea in French Polynesia; widely naturalised in tropical forests worldwide.
- Mature size
- Vines to 3 metres or more indoors with support.
Overview
Epipremnum aureum is one of the most-grown houseplants worldwide. In its juvenile form indoors it stays small-leaved and trailing; mature plants up a tree in the tropics produce huge fenestrated leaves resembling Monstera deliciosa.
Care Priorities
- Bright filtered light produces the boldest variegation; lower light still works but slower.
- Water on the dry side; pothos rots faster than it dries.
- Pinch back leggy stems to encourage branching.
- Wipe leaves every few weeks; dust matters here.
Common Problems
Yellow leaves with mushy bases is overwatering. Long bare stems with tiny leaves at the tip is too little light. Brown crispy edges in winter are dry heating air.
Sources & further reading (3)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-28
- botanical-garden — accessed 2026-04-28
- toxicity-database — accessed 2026-04-28
Frequently asked questions
Marble Queen vs Golden vs Neon — same plant?
All cultivars of Epipremnum aureum. Marble Queen has heavy white variegation, Golden has yellow flecks, Neon is uniform chartreuse. Care is the same.
Will it flower indoors?
Almost never. Pothos only flowers from the mature, climbing canopy form, which it rarely reaches in cultivation.
Best for low-light rooms?
Among the best. It survives further from a window than most tropicals, although it will lose much of its variegation in deep shade.
