Pothos Care: Light, Watering, Pruning and Propagation

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Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a forgiving houseplant, the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) says, and UW-Madison Extension rates it very easy to grow and a good first plant. Keep it in bright, filtered light away from direct sun, water once the surface of the mix is dry, and feed every other month outside winter. It survives dim rooms, though variegated leaves can fade to green there.

This guide gathers what university extension services, the NYBG and the ASPCA say about pothos care: light, water, warmth, potting, feeding, pruning, rooting cuttings, the common varieties, leaf problems and pet safety. When the sources disagree on a figure, we show each one and say whose it is. For other plants that cope with a dim room, see our low light houseplants guide.

Pothos at a glance

Light	Bright, filtered or indirect light; copes with low light for long stretches (NC State, NYBG)
Water	Once the top of the mix is dry; less in a dim winter spot (UW-Madison, NYBG)
Warmth	65 to 80 F ideal, never under 55 F (NYBG); 70 to 90 F (UW-Madison)
Feeding	Every other month, none in winter (UW-Madison, NC State)
New plants	Vine cuttings root in water or vermiculite in 3 to 4 weeks (UW-Madison)
Pets	Toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA)

Pothos goes by several names. UW-Madison lists devil's ivy, golden pothos and hunter's rove, and notes that Epipremnum aureum is the most widely used botanical name, though the plant has also been classified as Pothos aureus and Scindapsus aureus, among others. It is an evergreen climber in the arum family. The sources do not agree on its home: NC State's plant database gives the Society Islands, the NYBG gives the Solomon Islands, and UW-Madison places the genus between Southeast Asia and the western Pacific.

How much light does pothos need?

Bright light without direct sun is the ideal, and low light is survivable. NC State says pothos does best in bright, indirect light yet can get by in low light for long stretches. The NYBG's pothos guide agrees that filtered light is best and that the plant keeps growing in some light shade, but warns that in poor light it may slowly decline and lose the variegation in its leaves. UW-Madison puts it in filtered light and says it handles only a little direct sun.

The University of Minnesota Extension lists pothos among its low-light plants, the group it suits to a north-facing window or a fairly dim corner. It adds a caution that applies here: a plant may tolerate lower light, yet more light may be required for dense foliage.

In our reading, variegated leaves need more light than green ones. UW-Madison and NC State both say low light can cause a loss of variegation, and the University of Maryland's Maryland Grows blog says the yellow fades out to green when the plant sits in very low light. Too much light fades color as well, by the NYBG's account, and pale cultivars burn easily, so it keeps them out of direct light. For a dim spot, both UW-Madison and NC State single out 'Jade', a solid dark green type, as one that does well in low light.

Our reading of the sources: a solid green pothos copes with a north window or a fairly dim corner, while a gold, white or cream variegated one keeps its pattern best in brighter, indirect light, which the NYBG calls better for light-colored cultivars, out of the direct beam.

Grow lights for pothos in a dark room

For one or two pothos on a desk or shelf, our pick is SANSI's two-headed clip-on grow light, a 20 W lamp whose heads turn on goosenecks to aim at the vines.

The sources put the light a little differently. University of Minnesota Extension hangs lights 12 to 24 inches above foliage houseplants and runs them 12 to 14 hours a day on a timer when natural light is short. The NYBG's artificial light guide suggests 12 to 14 hours for most plants that also get some daylight, and says plants can need over 16 hours where there is little, with LED fixtures generally 12 to 24 inches away; it also reminds readers that every plant needs a few dark hours. Both put an LED 12 to 24 inches over the vines. SANSI's spec gives 195.82 as the clip-on's PPFD at 1 foot, the near end of that range.

How often should you water pothos?

Water by feel: once the upper layer of mix has dried, not by the calendar. UW-Madison lets pothos dry out slightly and waters only once the soil surface is dry, and NC State lets its well-drained mix dry between waterings. The NYBG waters moderately, lets the top of the soil dry between waterings while the plant is growing, and comes back after 15 minutes to empty any water left in the run-off dish.

Winter changes the routine. In the low light of October through February, the NYBG waters only often enough to keep the soil from drying out completely, and it notes that in general a pothos in a bright spot needs more water than one in a dimmer spot. The University of Minnesota makes the same point about every low-light plant: with less light they grow slower and drink less, so feel the soil before you water.

UW-Madison's general houseplant advice fills in the method: push a finger about an inch into the mix and water only if it is dry, water until it seeps from the drainage holes, then let the pot drain for 10 to 20 minutes and pour off the saucer. In our reading, overwatering does more harm to pothos than a dry spell. UW-Madison says root rots are most often due to overwatering, and the NYBG reads yellow, falling leaves and rotting stems as a sign of it.

Humidity and temperature

Pothos likes warmth and some humidity, but it is not fussy. UW-Madison names temperatures between 70 and 90 F and high humidity as the best conditions, while adding that the plant survives a wide range of conditions and should be kept out of drafts. The NYBG sets the ideal at 65 to 80 F, never below 55 F, and lets the plant rest at around 60 F in winter if possible, away from chilly windows and heating vents.

Average household humidity is adequate for the NYBG, unless the room runs warm in winter (above 65 F), when it adds humidity and mists daily if leaf tips begin to brown. NC State suggests a humidifier or a tray of wet pebbles under the pot. Watch for sudden chills: UW-Madison says low temperatures, or an abrupt drop from very high to moderate temperatures, can leave scattered brown patches, usually in the center of the leaf.

Potting mix, pots and repotting

Use a pot that drains from the bottom and move up only one size at a time. The NYBG repots pothos every spring into a container one size larger, and UW-Madison's houseplant guide, which generally moves a plant up one size, explains why the step is small: a pot that is too large holds extra wet soil around the roots and invites root rot. The surest sign it is time, UW-Madison says, is roots showing on the soil surface or growing out of the drainage holes.

The sources differ on the mix. The NYBG uses a soil-based potting mixture for pothos. UW-Madison says most houseplants do well in an all-purpose soilless mix for houseplants and suggests avoiding mixes that contain soil where possible, since they often drain poorly, and the University of Maryland Extension likewise steers buyers away from products sold as potting soil, which it says are usually too dense, toward a soilless blend of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. UW-Madison's own pothos page asks only for a well-aerated growing medium, which a soilless mix gives.

Feeding pothos

Feed lightly while the plant grows and stop in winter. UW-Madison and NC State both fertilize every other month and skip the winter months, when the plant is resting. The NYBG feeds more often: a balanced organic fertilizer at half strength every two weeks from March to September. Our reading: both schedules rest the plant in winter; the NYBG's more frequent, half-strength feeding is its route to a vigorous plant.

More is not better. UW-Madison says excess fertilizer can blacken leaf margins or tips, as salts build up in the soil.

Pruning and training pothos to climb

Older leaves yellow and drop as a vine grows, so a pothos left alone ends up with most of its leaves at the vine tips. UW-Madison calls this natural and prunes selectively to hold vines to a sensible length and push new growth, cutting a plant back to 2 inches above the soil line if necessary. NC State cuts stems back to keep the plant bushy, and the NYBG trims in spring to control size.

Pothos can also climb. NC State says the vines climb by brown aerial roots and that a plant given a support and adequate light starts to make large, mature leaves. The NYBG trains it up a moss-covered pole. Indoors, UW-Madison explains, only the juvenile phase is grown, with leaves up to several inches long; mature plants carry leaves up to 3 feet long, and the plant does not flower in cultivation.

Length varies by source as well: UW-Madison gives stems up to 65 feet long, NC State says the vines can reach 40 feet, and the NYBG gives up to 40 feet or more in the plant's native habitat.

How to propagate pothos from cuttings

Pothos is easy to multiply. UW-Madison propagates it from cuttings or by air-layering, and NC State says the vines easily root in water. The method, from UW-Madison:

1. Cut a length of healthy vine.
2. Stand it in water or set it in vermiculite. Roots form within 3 to 4 weeks, and in warmth new buds may appear after 1 to 2 weeks.
3. Pot several rooted cuttings together in one pot; in our reading that gives a fuller plant than a single vine.

Pruning and propagating fit together: the stems you cut to tidy a leggy plant are the cuttings for the next pot.

Pothos varieties

The varieties differ mainly in leaf color, and the color sets the light they need. The table lists the cultivars UW-Madison and NC State describe.

Pothos varieties, as the sources describe them

Variety	Leaves	Source
Golden Pothos	Gold and yellow-green variegation	UW-Madison, NC State
'Jade'	Solid dark green; does well in low light	UW-Madison, NC State
'Marble Queen'	Green streaked or marbled with white	UW-Madison, NC State
'Neon'	All yellow	UW-Madison, NC State
'Lime'	Bright yellow-green	UW-Madison, NC State
Pearls and Jade	Green with white and silvery-gray edges; tends to grow slower, with smaller leaves	UW-Madison, NC State
'Global Green'	Green-on-green variegation	UW-Madison
'Lemon Meringue'	Yellow edges that fade to green in lower light	UW-Madison
'Snow Queen'	Heavy green and white variegation	NC State
'Tricolor'	White-variegated leaves, off-white stems	UW-Madison, NC State

Yellow leaves, brown patches and pests

Most pothos problems trace back to water or light. Read the symptom against the table, then fix the cause before anything else.

Common pothos problems and what the sources blame

What you see	Likely cause	Source
Older leaves yellow and drop, leaves left only at vine ends	Normal aging; prune to renew	UW-Madison, NC State
Yellow, falling leaves and rotting stems	Overwatering, or a mix that holds too much water	NYBG
Brown or missing roots	Root rot, most often from overwatering	UW-Madison
Blackened leaf margins or tips	Can be overwatering, underwatering or excess fertilizer	UW-Madison, NC State
Brown edges together with brown spots	Root ball allowed to dry out while growing	NYBG
Scattered brown patches mid-leaf	Can be cold, or a sudden drop in temperature	UW-Madison
Pattern fading toward plain green	Can be too little light (or, by the NYBG, too much)	NC State, NYBG

Pests. Pothos generally has few pests, UW-Madison says, but mealybugs and scale are the most common indoors. Mealybugs look like white, cottony masses, often in the leaf axils and on leaf undersides; scale shows up as bumps the color of bark on stems and leaves. Both can leave sticky honeydew. Pesticides may be used, UW-Madison says, but it often finds it better to throw the plant out and begin again from clean cuttings. Spider mites turn up occasionally, and it says they can be controlled by cleaning the plant thoroughly and applying insecticidal soap often.

Damp potting mix can also bring fungus gnats to any houseplant pot; our fungus gnats guide covers drying the surface and the other fixes.

Is pothos toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. Golden pothos is on the ASPCA's list of plants toxic to dogs and cats. The toxic principle is insoluble calcium oxalates, and the signs it lists include "oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips", plus heavy drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing. NC State rates the poison severity medium and notes that the plant can cause contact dermatitis, and UW-Madison says the sap may also irritate skin. The NYBG's list of common poisonous houseplants includes devil's ivy and says all its parts contain calcium oxalate.

Keep pothos where pets and small children cannot chew it, such as a high shelf or a hanging basket. If a pet may have eaten some, the ASPCA asks you to phone its poison control line, (888) 426-4435, or your veterinarian; it notes a consultation fee may apply. For people, the NYBG gives the national poison control number, 1-800-222-1222.

What you'll need for pothos

Picks on Amazon

• SANSI 2-Head Clip-On Grow Light, 20W Check price on Amazon

Sources we used

The pothos figures above trace to these pages, which we saved as we read them in October 2026. Where they disagree, the text names who says what.

• "UW-Madison Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture: Pothos, Epipremmum aureum" (revised 2025) and "Houseplant Care" (revised 2024)
• "NC State Extension, Plant Toolbox: Epipremnum aureum"
• "New York Botanical Garden: Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)", "Artificial Light for Houseplants FAQ" and "Common Poisonous Houseplants"
• "University of Minnesota Extension: Lighting for indoor plants and starting seeds" (reviewed 2026)
• "University of Maryland Extension, Maryland Grows: Houseplants for Low Light Conditions" (2017) and "Potting and Repotting Indoor Plants" (2023)
• "ASPCA Animal Poison Control: Golden Pothos"
• SANSI's product page for its two-head clip-on grow light (the maker's own specifications)

Related guides

• Low light houseplants, the other plants for a north window or a dim corner.
• Wandering jew plant (inch plant), another trailing plant that roots from cuttings in water.
• Money tree care, a braided houseplant that wants brighter light than pothos.
• Fungus gnats, the small flies of damp houseplant pots.
• Grow lights for indoor plants, picks by room, with how high to hang a light over low-light plants such as pothos.

Frequently asked questions

How do you take care of a pothos plant?

Give it bright, filtered light out of direct sun, water once the surface of the mix is dry, and keep it between 65 and 80 F, as the NYBG advises. UW-Madison Extension feeds every other month except in winter and prunes vines to keep them a reasonable length. Use a pot with a drainage hole and move up one size at a time.

Can pothos live in low light?

Yes. NC State Extension says pothos can live for long stretches in low light, and University of Minnesota Extension lists it among plants for a north window or a rather dark corner. Expect slower growth, and the NYBG warns that variegated leaves may lose their pattern. Solid green 'Jade' does well in low light, UW-Madison says.

How often should you water pothos?

Let the surface of the mix dry first, and skip the fixed schedule. UW-Madison Extension lets pothos dry out slightly between waterings. In the low light of October through February, the NYBG waters only often enough to keep the soil from drying completely. Empty the saucer each time, since overwatering is the most common cause of root rot.

Why are my pothos leaves turning yellow?

If only the oldest leaves yellow and drop, that is natural aging, UW-Madison Extension says. If many leaves yellow and fall and stems start to rot, the NYBG points to overwatering or a mix that holds too much water. Let the top of the mix dry before watering again and check that the pot drains.

How do you propagate pothos?

Take vine cuttings and root them in water or vermiculite. UW-Madison Extension says the vines root within 3 to 4 weeks, and in a warm room new buds may show after 1 to 2 weeks. It plants several rooted cuttings together in one pot, which in our reading gives a fuller plant than a single vine.

Is pothos toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. Golden pothos appears on the ASPCA's toxic list for both dogs and cats, because of insoluble calcium oxalates. Signs include mouth irritation and burning, heavy drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing. If a pet may have eaten some, call ASPCA Poison Control or your veterinarian.

How do you make a pothos fuller?

Prune leggy vines and root the cuttings back into the same pot. UW-Madison Extension prunes selectively to promote new growth and plants several rooted cuttings together, and NC State cuts stems back to keep a bushy habit. More light helps too: University of Minnesota Extension says more light may be required for dense foliage.