Epipremnum aureum
Epipremnum aureum 'Neon' Care Guide
Featured photoepipremnum-aureum-neon.jpgEpipremnum aureum 'Neon' is a cultivar of pothos, a French Polynesian aroid widely naturalised across the wet tropics. A pothos cultivar with leaves entirely chartreuse-yellow rather than green, the colour produced by reduced chlorophyll levels. Vivid lime-green when grown in bright light and pales toward chartreuse in shade. Like all pothos cultivars it climbs in the wild via aerial roots, tolerates lower light than most variegated houseplants, and propagates almost trivially from stem cuttings.
Care facts at a glance
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Water when the top 3 cm of mix has dried.
- Humidity
- 40–70 %
- Temperature
- 18–27 °C
- Soil
- Free-draining houseplant mix with perlite or bark for aeration.
- Origin
- French Polynesia (Mo'orea) — wild origin only, although pothos has naturalised across the wet tropics.
- Mature size
- Vining stems to 3 m or more on indoor specimens with support.
Overview
Epipremnum aureum is endemic to French Polynesia (specifically Mo'orea) but has naturalised across the wet tropics, sometimes invasively. A pothos cultivar with leaves entirely chartreuse-yellow rather than green, the colour produced by reduced chlorophyll levels. Vivid lime-green when grown in bright light and pales toward chartreuse in shade. The species exists in the wild only as a juvenile vine — adult flowering plants are unknown outside cultivation, where they require a moss pole and several years to develop the larger fenestrated mature foliage.
Care Priorities
- Bright filtered light intensifies the variegation.
- Free-draining mix; pothos tolerates a wide range of substrate.
- Water when the top 3 cm of mix is dry; pothos tolerates extended drought.
- Pinch growing tips to encourage branching.
Common Problems
Reverting (loss of variegation) signals insufficient light — move to a brighter spot and prune away all-green shoots. Yellow leaves are usually overwatering. Pale weak growth on long vines is often nutrient depletion; refresh the upper potting mix.
Sources & further reading (2)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-29
- botanical-garden — accessed 2026-04-29
Frequently asked questions
Why is 'Neon' so yellow?
Neon pothos has reduced chlorophyll levels, exposing the underlying yellow carotenoid pigments. The cultivar is genetically fixed and propagates true. In dim conditions the colour pales toward almost-white, and brighter light deepens the chartreuse.
Will pothos tolerate low light?
Plain green pothos tolerates surprisingly low light, but variegated cultivars need bright filtered light to keep the cream or yellow patches stable. In dim conditions variegated cultivars revert toward solid green; once a shoot reverts it stays green permanently.
Can I root pothos in water?
Yes — pothos is one of the easiest plants to root in water. Cut a healthy section with at least two nodes, place in a glass of water, and roots typically emerge within two weeks. Pot up in mix once roots reach 3 to 5 cm long.
