You will always have an interesting moment with pothos, especially since several cultivars come up in the market daily.
They have continued to be the most common and versatile houseplants to grow at home or office and can do well in any indoor condition. Despite its enticing features, pothos is easy to grow and does not need much attention.
These unique cultivars are called devil's vine or Ceylon creeper, thanks to their rapid growth rate and vining nature. Many advantages come with this plant, and whether you like it or not, pothos will hardly run out of fashion.
However, given the numerous varieties out there, it can be challenging to keep track of every one of them out there. But below are the most common pothos varieties anyone can grow.
Jump to:
- What Are Pothos?
- Common Pothos Varieties for Anyone Can Grow
- 1. Golden Pothos
- 2. Pearls and Jade Pothos
- 3. Marble Queen Pothos
- 4. Glacier Pothos
- 5. Snow Queen Pothos
- 6. Neon Pothos
- 7. Satin Pothos Specie (Scindapsus Pictus 'Argyraeus')
- 8. Jessenia Pothos
- 9. Jade Pothos
- 10. Pothos Shangri La
- 11. Dragon Tail Pothos
- 12. Global Green Pothos
- 13. Scindapsus Pictus ‘Exotica’ Cultivar
- 14. Emerald Pothos
- 15. N'Joy Pothos
- 16. Epipremnum Pinnatum ‘Albo-Variegata’
- 17. Manjula Pothos
- 18. Scindapsus Pictus' Silvery Ann'
- 19. Cebu Blue Pothos
- 20. Baltic Blue Pothos
- Conclusion
What Are Pothos?
Pothos are flowering evergreen vine plants that come from the Araceae family. Native primarily to French Polynesia and the Solomon Islands, this plant has many different names in different regions.
They are among the most popular houseplants that are easy to care for and maintain and are ideal for many indoor growing conditions.
Many different names know this plant, but Epipremnum specie is the common scientific name for it, with the most common being the aureum. Meanwhile, this plant can survive low light conditions and is one of the most versatile indoor plants we recommend for beginner gardeners.
Again, pothos features long vines that grow as a climber, which makes it suitable for trellises or hanging baskets, or moss poles. They have heart-shaped leaves that come in green or silver color.
This unique plant is a rapid-grower that can reach around 2 meters tall and wide. It is also a perfect prospect to grow on top of aquariums, as it can absorb nitrates from the water to grow.
Common Pothos Varieties for Anyone Can Grow
1. Golden Pothos
Also known as Devil's Ivy, Golden pothos is at the top of our list, given that it is the most common pothos variety. It has been a popular houseplant and existence ever since the 1950s, and presently, anytime the name 'pothos' is mentioned, the first thing that will pop up in your mind is golden pothos.
It features a bright yellow variegation that contrasts beautifully with its dark green foliage and will display further with more light. Sometimes, golden pothos tends to display cream or almost white stripes. It can survive almost every light condition but does best with bright, indirect light and is a rapid grower.
2. Pearls and Jade Pothos
Pearls and Jade is a patented version of the Marble Queen pothos and features variegated leaves that look like those of Manjula pothos or a N'Joy.
However, contrary to other pothos cultivars, this variety needs assistance to develop its iconic leaf shape and color. It has dark green and silvery green leaves with white or cream variegation around its edges.
The pearl and jade pothos originated in the laboratories of the Division of Plant Industry in Florida, where scientists discovered an unassuming Marble Queen Pothos to gamma-ray radiation.
It resulted in mutations in the plant tissue, and a year later, the Pearls and Jade Pothos officially came into existence. Like many others, it thrives in bright, indirect light but is a slow grower.
3. Marble Queen Pothos
Marble Queen Pothos is an unpatented variety in our list that has widespread fame. Sometimes you can confuse it with the Golden pothos, but this one feature deeply variegated leaves alongside cream, white, and sometimes light green variegation.
Another thrilling part of this variety is that its variety can differ dramatically from one leaf to the other.
Thanks to its fascinating features, marble queen pothos has been used in several breeding programs to produce many pothos cultivars, like Pearls and Jade. It is a medium grower that can grow faster if you give it enough light, as it does best in bright indirect light conditions.
4. Glacier Pothos
If you are looking for pothos with an unpatented cultivar to add to your indoor collections, don't look beyond Glacier Pothos. However, we have yet to be able to get a clear origin of this plant for now.
This variety looks almost like N'Joy pothos, thanks to several identical features, but the glacier variety comes with more rounded leaves. It thrives in bright indirect light conditions.
A popular garden center called Costa Farms was a popular place you could get this specie a few years ago. Still, they are no longer growing it since it is increasingly becoming difficult to see a seller with a good reputation for this rare plant.
Glacier pothos cultivar is a slow-grower that features white and green or silvery green streaks without marbling.
5. Snow Queen Pothos
Another popular pothos variety on our list is the Snow Queen pothos, a more variegated relative of the Marble Queen.
Both species share the same features, apart from the fact the snow queen can produce almost wholly white or cream leaves alongside just a few green stripes and splashes.
Since it creates minimal chlorophyll, snow queen pothos is a slow grower and requires enough light to maintain its variegation.
6. Neon Pothos
Think of neon pothos if you want an absolute show-stopper for your indoor collections. Another fascinating about this cultivar is that it doesn't need variegation to stand out.
Rather, it uses every feature, including low maintenance, fast growth, and beautiful foliage, to put them all together to keep it in shape. This plant requires bright, indirect light to grow faster.
Neon pothos is hardy, tolerant of many conditions, and features various beautiful colors, including neon green, lime, or bright yellow-green.
Its leaves can sometimes produce dark green or yellow/cream splashes, especially around the edges. It has an uneven coloring, and the newer leaves will revert to the common neon green.
7. Satin Pothos Specie (Scindapsus Pictus 'Argyraeus')
There are several satin pothos cultivars, but the most common amongst them is the Scindapsus Pictus' Argyraeus.' It features small, heart-shaped leaves alongside silver stripes of variegation. It derives its "Argyraeus" name from Greek, which means "silvery."
In other words, this satin pothos cultivar features dark to medium green leaves alongside silvery variegation. It is a rapid grower and is unpretentious.
However, it can produce increasingly smaller leaves if you leave it to sprawl for over two years. Meanwhile, it will do best in bright, indirect light and grow slower in low light.
8. Jessenia Pothos
If you want an enjoyable and easy pothos variety to care for, consider growing Jessenia Pothos. It is a cultivar founded by the popular Costa Farms in 2014.
It has an identical appearance to the Marble Queen variety, but it features light green or chartreuse variegation and a unique dark green midrib vein. Bright indirect light is perfect for it as a medium grower.
9. Jade Pothos
Without a close look, you will mistake jade pothos for being the ugly duckling of the Epipremnum aureum specie. It features heart-shaped, monochrome leaves that resemble a cultivar, reverting to all-green foliage. However, it is exactly where its strength lies.
Jade Pothos is one of the most popular houseplants and pothos varieties that is ideal for homes with less natural light.
It is a timeless classic plant that needs little or low maintenance and is the perfect prospect for beginner gardeners. It thrives in low to bright indirect light conditions but will grow slower in minimal light.
10. Pothos Shangri La
Also known as Sleeping pothos, the Shangri la cultivar is the most distinctively-looking type of pothos. It has a curly leaf and features a ribbed texture, which gives them the appearance of wilted spinach.
However, Shangri la variety is a rare species, which makes it more expensive. It has a dark green leaf with yellow or white variegation and does best in low to medium light conditions.
11. Dragon Tail Pothos
Dragon Tail Pothos is the most popular cultivar among the Epipremnum pinnatum family. Also called the "green form," this cultivar features monochrome dark to medium green leaves., and is very hardy and easy to care for.
Meanwhile, this plant can easily reach 1 foot in size yearly but can grow leggy if you grow it in low light conditions. Again, without something to climb on, it can rapidly reduce the sizes of its leaves. Note that the dragon tail pothos is a rapid-grower.
12. Global Green Pothos
Global Green Pothos is another patented cultivar originating from Japan, and it's exclusively made available by the famous Costa Farms. It features rounded leaves with a lightly crumpled texture alongside light green splashes of variegation.
It was initially a rare pothos variety, but with the rise in its fame among growers, it has become increasingly easier to purchase.
Meanwhile, this plant features dark green leaves with yellow-green or olive-green variegation stripes in the center. It thrives in medium to bright indirect light and has a medium growth rate.
13. Scindapsus Pictus ‘Exotica’ Cultivar
The exotica cultivar is considered the largest among the three members of the popular Scindapsus pictus species.
Contrary to its siblings (Argyraeus and Silvery Ann), the exotica features large, oval-shaped leaves, thicker stems, and huge splashes of variegation. It has a medium growth rate.
Its leaves are often greener at the center, alongside highly variegated edges. However, if you must maintain its variegation and leaf size, always place it in bright indirect light conditions. Its leaf color ranges from jade or mint green, and a large silver splash and speckle.
14. Emerald Pothos
Emerald Pothos is among the top 20 pothos varieties anyone can grow, resembling the Global Green cultivar. However, a closer look reveals that both plants feature unidentical variegations.
For instance, Emerald Green comes with variegated edges, while the variegation of the Global Green cultivar comes at the middle of the leaf.
Emerald pothos is a unique plant with light green leaves and dark green splashes at the center. It is a medium-growing plant that thrives in medium to bright indirect light, as low light conditions can alter or minimize its growth rate.
15. N'Joy Pothos
The popular N'Joy pothos cultivar is very much identical to Pearls and Jade Pothos; without a closer look, you'll mistake it for the latter.
It is a patented cultivar of the Epipremnum pinnatum plant and was founded by plant breeder Ashish Arvind Hansoti in 2002, following a commercial greenhouse in Mumbai.
It is among the slowest growing pothos cultivars, featuring small dark green leaves alongside white and silvery green variegation. N'Joy pothos has a small space between leaf nodes with a compact growth nature. It thrives best in bright indirect light conditions.
16. Epipremnum Pinnatum ‘Albo-Variegata’
Epipremnum Pinnatum' Albo-Variegata’ is the variegated version of Dragon Tail Pothos. It's one of the rarest cultivars of Epipremnum pinnatum, and you can get its mature, fenestrated specimens for over hundreds of dollars.
Therefore, it requires a moss pole, especially if you want to maintain its unique leaf shape and size or its green and white variegation. It is a slow-grower that thrives in bright indirect light.
17. Manjula Pothos
Manjula Pothos is another popular pothos variety from India by plant breeder Ashish Arvind Hansoti in 2010. It is a specie of the Epipremnum pinnatum 'Compacta' plant and displays round leaves with ruffled edges and deeply contrasting variegation.
It can serve as a hanging plant, or, for bigger leaves, you can provide a pole to help it climb. Manjula pothos features cream or white leaves alongside dark green, silvery green, and mint green stripes and speckles of variegation. It thrives in bright indirect light and has a slow growth rate.
18. Scindapsus Pictus' Silvery Ann'
You can consider Silver Ann as the "big sister" of the Scindapsus pictus 'Argyraeus' cultivar. Even though both cultivars share similar traits, there are some subtle differences. Silvery Ann features bigger leaves with a lighter, almost silvery green color.
Again, this plant possesses thicker clusters of variegation, especially around its leaf edges. It is also more difficult to find than the Argyraeus and a little more expensive. Even though it can survive various light conditions, it does best in bright indirect light and has a medium growth rate.
19. Cebu Blue Pothos
Native to Cebu Islands, Philippines, the Cebu Blue Pothos is a beautiful pothos with narrow, silvery green leaves, which produce fenestrations whenever you allow the plant to climb. Cebu Blue was initially a veritable sensation a few years ago, and at that time, it wasn't easy to find.
However, presently, it still offers a rarer and more expensive option than most pothos varieties, yet you can still acquire one if you have what it takes. Meanwhile, the plant requires low to bright light conditions but does best in bright indirect light and is a rapid grower.
20. Baltic Blue Pothos
Baltic Blue Pothos is another Costa Farms staple from the Epipremnum species and the newest cultivar. It prides itself in its dark green leaves alongside a bluish stripe, which produces splits or fenestrations even at a tender age.
The Baltic blue pothos cultivar is a natural and rapid-growing plant that you can grow as a trailing or hanging plant. But if you want to retain its leaf fenestrations, you must provide it with climbing support. It thrives in low to bright indirect light.
Conclusion
You can hardly tell the number of pothos varieties, as you will find numerous cultivars worldwide. While some are on their own, some groups belong to patented cultivars; some are names invented by plant dealers, and so on.
However, despite their apparent differences, they all share some notable similarities, like the same bright indirect light conditions.
