Houseplant of the week: Pothos

By Hayden Riesenbeck

Basic Info:

Pothos are a beautiful vining plant that can be spotted in almost any house plant lover's home. The most common is the Golden Pothos, which has a darker green color with a little bit of yellow variegation mixed in. They are considered to be low maintenance and a common houseplant.

Pothos will vine anywhere, such as a wall, floor, or whatever they can access. Once wrapped around something they will send out aerial roots that will help attach to whatever surface they are on. In nature, they climb up trees. A good way to get your plant to produce bigger leaves is to train it to climb upwards.

Care:

I tend to water mine around once a week or even a little less than that. One way to tell if your plant is overwatered is by yellowing leaves. The yellowing could also mean it is root bound and needs to be repotted if it has been in the same container for a long time. A good way to tell if it is extra thirsty is if the leaves look limp. I wouldn’t let this happen very often because it can cause the plant stress if it is constantly forgotten. They thrive on bright indirect light but can survive in fluorescent light settings such as in an office or lower light settings. Next time you’re in a mall, check the pots/decor of flowers, and you’ll more than likely see some variety of pothos in the container.

Additional Info:

Pothos are considered to be toxic to pets. They are sometimes confused with philodendrons because of how similar the leaves look. A good way to tell the difference is that pothos have a different texture. The philodendron leaf is usually more heart shaped.

There are many varieties; my favorite differs from week to week! My top three are the Satin, Neon, and Marble Queen Pothos. I always say once you have one variety you don’t need to get another. Pothos are so easy to propagate. The easiest way, in my opinion, is to snip the leaf right below the node that is located on the stem. Place it in water for a week and you will begin to see a root growing. After a few months, you can transplant the baby into soil to start a new plant. If you have a fish tank around, pop the propagations into the tank to speed up the process of the root growth. My propagations take off so much quicker when placed in a fish tank due to its natural fertilizers!

Contact The Turkey Shed Mercantile on Facebook if you are interested in a pothos, we have multiple varieties available.