Golden Pothos Epipremnum aureum

Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this

A trailing vine with heart-shaped green leaves splashed in buttery gold, golden pothos is one of the easiest houseplants alive. It tolerates low light, recovers fast from missed waterings, roots in a glass of water, and trails or climbs anywhere.

Light

Epipremnum aureum thrives in bright, indirect light, where its golden variegation stays vivid and the vines grow long and full. It will genuinely tolerate low light — one reason it's a fixture in offices and bathrooms — but in dim conditions the new leaves come in smaller, spaced farther apart, and far greener as the plant drops its gold to capture more light. A spot near an east window, or a few feet back from a brighter one, is ideal. Avoid harsh direct sun through glass, which bleaches and crisps the foliage. If your vine is leggy with sparse leaves, it wants more light.

Watering

Let the top inch or two of soil dry out, then water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes and empty the saucer. In a typical home that's roughly every 7–10 days in spring and summer and every 10–14 days in winter — but go by the soil, not the calendar. Pothos is wonderfully communicative: it droops and softens dramatically when thirsty and perks back up within hours of a drink. Don't let that fool you into overwatering, though — leaving it in constantly soggy soil rots the roots and yellows the leaves. Slightly too dry beats too wet every time.

Soil & potting

An ordinary, well-draining houseplant mix works beautifully. To improve aeration and drainage, loosen it with a handful of perlite or orchid bark; pothos roots like some air. Always use a pot with drainage holes. Repot every 1–2 years in spring when roots circle the surface or escape the bottom, moving up just one pot size — an oversized pot holds too much water around the roots. Refresh the top layer of mix in the off years to keep nutrients up.

Humidity & temperature

Average household humidity suits pothos fine, though it grows lusher above 50%, which is why it loves a bright bathroom. A pebble tray or nearby humidifier helps in dry winter rooms. Keep it between 65–85°F; growth slows below 60°F and cold damage shows below about 50°F. Protect it from cold drafts, frosty windowpanes, and the hot, dry blast of heating vents, all of which brown the leaf edges.

Fertilizing

Feed with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength every 4–6 weeks during spring and summer. Pothos isn't a heavy feeder, so don't overdo it — too much fertilizer shows as brown leaf tips and a crusty white build-up on the soil. Stop feeding in fall and winter while growth slows, and resume in spring. If growth has stalled and it hasn't been fed in months, a light feeding often greens it back up.

Pruning & maintenance

Prune freely to keep the plant full rather than leggy — pothos branches readily from where you cut. Snip just after a leaf node and the plant will push new growth from that point, encouraging a bushier shape. Trim back any bare, straggly vines and remove yellow or damaged leaves anytime. Save the cuttings: each healthy node-bearing piece is a free new plant. Wipe the leaves occasionally so they can photosynthesize.

Propagation

About as easy as propagation gets. Cut a vine into pieces, each with at least one node (the little bump where a leaf meets the stem) and a leaf or two. Drop the cuttings in a glass of water with the nodes submerged, set it in bright indirect light, and change the water weekly. Roots appear in 1–2 weeks; once they're a couple of inches long, pot the cutting into moist mix. A node is essential — a leaf alone will never root.

Common problems

Yellow leavesUsually overwatering — check the soil and roots first.→

Through the year

Spring

Growth resumes — resume regular watering and feeding, repot if root-bound, and prune leggy vines to encourage a fuller flush.

Summer

Peak growth. Water when the top inch or two dries, feed every few weeks, and take cuttings to fill out the plant or start new ones.

Fall

Growth slows — stretch the time between waterings and stop fertilizing.

Winter

Near-dormant. Water sparingly, skip fertilizer, and keep the vines away from cold glass and hot heating vents.

Recommended supplies for Golden Pothos

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