The Golden Pothos is one of the most popular Pothos plants for a good reason! Also known as Devil's Ivy, hunter's robe, and botanically as Epipremnum aureum, formerly Scindapsus aureus, this easy-care vine is loved for its heart-shaped, variegated leaves and steady growth rate. Golden Pothos are low-maintenance plants and don't need much water to feel happy. These green beauties are attractive in hanging planters, cascading from shelves, or styled in a ceramic or terra cotta pot where their trailing vines can spill beautifully over the edge. Valued for greenery and air purification, the Golden Pothos also makes an ideal addition to your bedroom, bringing fresh greenery and positive energy to your favorite indoor spaces.
Golden Pothos Care & Buying Guide
This plant loves low to medium indirect light.
Allow the top two inches of soil to dry out between waterings. Use this as a simple watering schedule rather than watering on a fixed day each week.
Pothos plants love high levels of humidity. Spritz occasionally or place the plant near other humidity-loving houseplants.
Ideally, the Pothos grows best when temperatures are between 70°-90°F.
Outside: Grow in full sun to partial shade where nights are above 60°F. Indoors, avoid harsh direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves.
Indoors: The Golden Pothos prefers bright, indirect light for at least six hours in south-, east-, or west-facing windows.
Fertilize every two to three months during their growing period in the spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer or topical granular soil fertilizer. Let the plant rest in the fall and winter.
When receiving the plant in its nursery pot, do not repot immediately. Wait at least 6-12 months, or repot when the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes. Repot in spring using a 2" bigger pot to keep the roots drier. A terra cotta container can help excess moisture evaporate, while a soil-based potting mix with perlite and orchid bark can improve soil drainage. This soil type helps keep the roots lightly moist but not soggy. (Too big of a pot could cause the soil to dry slower, which is not helpful.) Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage.
Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let sit an hour. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow to drain. Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen. Inspect the root ball.
Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling. Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over. Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.
To clean the leaves and alleviate dust particles: Shower them from above. Fill a watering-can with filtered, distilled, or tap water that has been sitting for 24 hours and is free of chemicals (chlorine or fluoride). Place the plant in a sink and lightly wash the leaves with a shower spray end watering can. Trim off any yellow leaves with sterile scissors. Remove any debris from the soil and replenish soil if needed. Inspect for any insects at this time. Prune the vines up to 2 inches from the soil line to create lushness at the top. As they spills over the rim of the container, trim to maintain their shape and size at your preference. Remove any dried or discolored leaves to keep the plant vigorous.
Stem Cutting: In early spring, take a pothos cutting by using sharp pruners to remove a cutting from the tip of the vine. Cut at least 5-6 inches of stem and make the cut just below a leaf node, where new roots can form. Place the cutting in a vase with water to root. Change the water each week with filtered, bottled, or tap water that has been sitting at least 24 hours.
Leaf-eye cuttings can also be rooted in a small nursery pot with moist potting soil once the node begins to develop roots. After 3-4 weeks, check to make sure the stem has 1-2 inch, well-formed roots. If so, it's time to plant. *Fill a small container with drainage holes (too large of a container for the cutting will make it challenging to regulate watering needs) using an indoor well-draining potting mix. Mix a little rooting hormone into the soil. Poke a hole in the soil with a pencil. Then, place the cutting in the hole and tamp the soil down around them. Water the plant and keep them in medium to bright indirect sunlight. After 4-6 weeks, the roots should establish.
Division: Divide the Golden Pothos in the early spring when emerging from dormancy. Pull from the container and cut through the roots with a sharp knife or pruners. Repot in a rich, indoor potting soil mix. Use a container 2 inches bigger than the root ball with drainage and is deep enough for the roots to grow. Place the roots at the same level as the previous pot adding soil at the bottom if necessary. Set them in bright, indirect sunlight and water. Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish. After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to form. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are establishing.
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Golden Pothos: Overview
The Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a vibrant, drought-tolerant plant, popular for its lush green foliage, heart-shaped leaves, and trailing growth habit. Also known as the Devil's Ivy, it belongs to the Araceae family and thrives in USDA zones 10-11. Golden Pothos is often associated with warm, humid tropical regions across the West Pacific and Southeast Asia, and one common nickname is Solomon Islands ivy. Like many Pothos plants, Golden Pothos has a moderate to fast growth rate indoors. Its mature height and spread depend on pruning, container size, and placement, but its vines can trail several feet or climb when supported by a moss pole or other climbing totems. In warm outdoor climates, Pothos plants can also be grown as tropical ground cover where conditions stay consistently warm and humid.
A popular vining plant with stems reaching up to 6 feet indoors, this tropical plant can grow in various light requirements or conditions indoors and thrives in high-humidity environments. You can grow it in hanging baskets on the porch or plant it in the ground outdoors in warmer climates.
The Golden Pothos can tolerate occasional neglect, even as an indoor houseplant, making it perfect for people with busy schedules or novice gardeners.
Golden Pothos plants are associated with wealth and good luck in Feng Shui. However, remember that it is toxic to pets, so keep it out of reach of playful dogs and cats. Like many Pothos plants, Golden Pothos contains calcium oxalates, so keep it away from cats, dogs, and children who may chew the leaves.
Epipremnum Aureum: Benefits
- A resilient and low-maintenance plant that is almost impossible to kill
- Aesthetically pleasing, perfect for greening up indoor and outdoor spaces
- Often valued for indoor greenery and air purification support in plant-filled spaces
- Symbolizes good fortune, success, and financial prosperity
Golden Pothos: Care Guide
The Golden Pothos is an easy-care plant, ideal for plant lovers who are new to indoor gardening or looking to add more low-maintenance Pothos plants to their home.. This hardy houseplant will flourish in almost any setting, provided you meet its watering needs correctly. Smart watering your pothos plant is always a good option. Here are some Golden Pothos care tips to help your plant stay healthy and happy:
Watering and Light
The Golden Pothos is a low-water potted plant, so overwatering can be one of the most serious problems with your green companion. Water your Pothos only when the top two inches of soil feel dry. A consistent watering schedule can help, but always check the soil first because light, humidity, pot size, and season can change how quickly the plant dries out.
This plant prefers bright to medium, indirect natural light. Resilient in nature, it can also tolerate low-light conditions, making it a flexible indoor plant for offices, bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause scorched leaves with brown spots and tips, while outdoor plants may tolerate full sun to partial shade in warm climates.
Temperature and Humidity
Golden Pothos enjoys a warm and humid environment with temperatures between 70-90°F and high air moisture levels. Spritz your plant occasionally or place it on a pebble tray to maintain humidity. Alternatively, keep it in the bathrooms or kitchen.
Soil, Feeding, and Repotting
Your Epipremnum aureum prefers a well-draining soil-based potting mix with good aeration; adding perlite or orchid bark can help improve soil drainage. Fertilize your Golden Pothos with a balanced fertilizer in the growing season. Repot it every 2 years or when the plant outgrows its container. Replant your pothos plant if it's struggling or suffering from root rot to refresh the soil, trim damaged roots, and move it into a better-draining container.
Pruning and Propagation
Trim leggy stems to promote a bushier appearance. Cut off damaged foliage promptly to encourage the plant’s energy to turn into healthy new growth.
Propagating your pothos from cuttings in water or soil is the most popular method. In addition, you can multiply your plant by division or via the air layering technique.
Common Issues
Common issues with your Golden Pothos include soft, yellow, browning, curly, or drooping leaves. Avoid overwatering your plant and maintain high humidity levels indoors. Direct sunlight exposure can harm your Golden Pothos, causing brown leaves. Pests like mealy bugs, spider mites, and fungus gnats can be a problem, so check your plant regularly and treat it with an insecticide or plant-safe pest solution if necessary. If the soil stays soggy, refresh the potting soil and inspect for root rot.
Golden Pothos Plant: Common Golden Pothos Problems And Solutionsement, Companion & Alternative Plants
The Golden Pothos plant is a must-have green beauty that can enhance any indoor living or office space, from cozy bedrooms to office interior landscaping. While Golden Pothos is common at garden centers, ordering through Lively Root gives plant lovers a curated option with helpful care guidance that many garden centers do not provide.
Best Locations & Uses
- The Golden Pothos is ideal for your bedroom due to its proven air-purifying properties.
- It flourishes as a porch plant in warmer climates; bring it indoors in the cooler months.
- The Golden Pothos makes a great gift for various occasions, including Easter.
- It’s ideal for households with no cats and dogs unless you keep it out of reach.
- This vining plant looks great in hanging baskets, trained up a moss pole, or placed cascading from shelves to green up vertical spaces.
Best Companion Plants For Golden Pothos
Consider growing these lush companion plants together with your Golden Pothos:
- Money Tree (Pachira aquatica): The Money tree complements the Golden Pothos money plant perfectly, attracting financial prosperity and good luck.
- ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia): The ZZ Plant is another favorite among plant enthusiasts and its easy-care needs make it a great companion to your Golden Pothos.
- Philodendron Cordatum (Philodendron cordatum ‘Green'): The Philodendron Cordatum complements the Golden Pothos with its similar look and growing requirements.
Pet-Friendly Alternative Plants To Golden Pothos
Other Pothos Varieties To Consider: If you love the trailing look of Golden Pothos, other variegated varieties like Marble Queen Pothos offer a softer white-and-green look. Marble Queen is a beautiful option for plant lovers who want brighter variegation, while Golden Pothos keeps the classic green-and-gold appearance. Looking for pet-friendly alternatives to the Golden Pothos? See below our select non-toxic green beauties:
- Pearls and Jade Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Pearls and Jade’): The Pearls and Jade Pothos plant has unique foliage with beautiful variegation and makes a great alternative to the Golden Pothos plant.
variegated option, consider the Marble Queen Pothos, known for its creamy white and green leaves. - Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides): The Chinese Money Plant is a gorgeous non-toxic and lucky houseplant that can enhance your indoor garden.
- Hurricane Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata): The Hurricane Fern is a pet-safe fern, boasting vibrant fronds and a unique appearance.
Order the Beautiful Golden Pothos From Lively Root Today
Buy the much-loved Golden Pothos from Lively Root and transform your indoor space! Order your Golden Pothos from Lively Root and enjoy a beautiful, low-maintenance houseplant delivered with plant-safe packaging. During colder months, add a heat pack when available to help protect your plant in transit. Shipping timing may vary by availability and business days, but eligible plants are marked ready to ship when they're prepared for delivery.
