Pothos varieties, botanical name Epipremnum aureum, are popular houseplants that are easy to grow indoors with minimal care. These tropical indoor plants look stunning in hanging baskets or growing in pots.
There are many different varieties of pothos, many of which are fantastic for home decor or in an office. While only one species of pothos grows in nature – Epipremnum aureum – horticulturalists have developed many pothos varieties.
Telling the difference between different pothos plant varieties can be tricky. Usually, you will look at the unique variegation on each plant’s glossy leaves to tell the difference.
There is a lot of information about the many different types of pothos plants. This article will cover 12 pothos varieties and will include many photos and top to help you identify each pothos plant and tell the difference between them.
The pothos we have chosen to cover are perfect plants for home decor. And, despite the differences among the pothos varieties, they all need the same basic care.
Pothos Varieties (With Pictures)
Pothos is often one of the first houseplants that many beginner plant lovers start with, and for a good reason. All of the pothos plant varieties are easy to care for and highly versatile. Pothos can grow:
- In hanging pots where the trailing vines will cascade downward
- Up a plant totem or moss pole for plants
- Horizontally on table tops, mantles, or windowsills
We can’t decide which is our favorite, so we will tackle them alphabetically.
List of Pothos Varieties We Will Cover:
- Cebu blue pothos (HARDEST TO FIND)
- Glacier pothos
- Global Green Pothos (NEWEST)
- Golden pothos (MOST COMMON)
- Jade pothos (EASIEST TO GROW)
- Jessenia pothos
- Manjula pothos
- Marble queen pothos
- Neon pothos
- N-Joy pothos
- Pearls and jade pothos
- Satin pothos (or silver pothos)
- Cebu Blue Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum pinnatum Cebu Blue
While most pothos leaves are heart-shaped, the leaves of the Cebu Blue Pothos are arrow-shaped and much narrower. While the deep-blue-green leaves aren’t variegated, they have a metallic blue sheen, which is unique because most pothos leaves are matte.
As this plant matures and if you give it plenty of bright light, the Cebu Blue Pothos will get bigger, and you may even see fenestrations (splits) on the leaves like a Monstera or a Rhapidospora Tetrasperma.
Cebu Blue is more delicate than the other varieties of pothos. If you give this plant a moss pole, it will climb and keep getting bigger and bigger.
This beautiful trailing plant is an Epipremnum pinnatum, not Epipremnum aureum, making it the distant relative of the pothos family. It’s easily identifiable by its silvery-blue leaves.
- Glacier Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum Aureum ‘Glacier’
Beautiful green foliage with white variegation and silvery streaks make this a stunning pothos! It is a compact variety, so it is excellent in small spaces.
Glacier pothos is a highly variegated pothos variety. It displays striking green leaves accented with broad patches of crisp white variegation, freckled and splashed with silver and gray. Sometimes the leaves are asymmetrical.
Glacier is one of the more easily identified pothos plants because of the silver and grey. Also, its leaves are larger and flatter than the Pothos N’Joy or the Pearls and Jade.
As is typical with highly variegated plants, this variety grows slower than other pothos types. The decorative variegation, slow growth rate, and compact habit make Glacier pothos an excellent plant for a tabletop or desk.
3. Global Green Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum Global Green
Global Green Pothos is a new plant cultivated in 2020 by Costa Farms. Costa Farms says that they had been granted exclusive rights (the patent) to propagate this plant in North America.
Global green pothos plants have rich dark and light green marbling. More specifically, a darker green border and lighter green variegated splotches on the leaf’s interior.
Because this plant has plenty of chlorophyll in the leaves, you might find Global Green is a quick grower compared to more highly variegated varieties like Pearls and Jade or Manjula.
4. Golden Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum Aureum Golden
Golden Pothos is the most common variety of pothos plant and can be found just about anywhere indoor plants are sold. It’s inexpensive and easy to come by. The Golden Pothos is easily identified with telltale heart-shaped green leaves splashed with golden hues.
Also known as Devil’s Ivy, they’re pretty resilient and probably the easiest to grow of all of the pothos varieties out there. With lots of bright, indirect light, this plant’s leave can get highly variegated and really beautiful.
Variegation patterns vary from plant to plant and leaf to leaf. From dark green leaves with just a tiny speck of gold to leaves with just as much gold as there is green, you never know what variegation you’re going to get.
This plant will grow in low light or indirect lighting. Humidity and high temps help this pothos plant thrive. With plenty of warmth, moisture, and sunshine, the leaves can grow a foot wide.
Speaking of large leaves, some say there is a variety of golden pothos called Hawaiian pothos. Our research suggests that Hawaiian pothos is actually a mature Golden Pothos that has grown quite large. If Golden Pothos climbs something and has ideal growing conditions, the leaves get HUGE and even develop fenestrations.
5. Jade Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum Jade
Jade Pothos plants feature uniformly dark-green, heart-shaped leaves. This variety is a common houseplant and is typically available for sale anywhere indoor plants are sold.
This pothos variety looks lovely in a hanging basket or sitting in a decorative planter on a tabletop. It’s a beautiful trailing plant, and its leaves do not decrease in size as the plant trails.
Because there is no variegation in the leaves, this plant can handle even less light than some other pothos varieties mentioned here.
Tell the Difference: If a Golden Pothos gets very little light, it will lose most of its variegation and become a more solid color – like a Jade Pothos. If there is even a hint of yellow on the leaves, it’s not Jade Pothos.
6. Jessenia Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum Jessenia
Jessenia Pothos displays heart-shaped green leaves marked with chartreuse variegation. Its leaves are dotted with splashes of bright lime green and yellow. Jessenia Pothos is an exceptionally bright pothos plant.
As with all heavily variegated plants, Jessenia Pothos needs lots of bright, indirect light to thrive and to produce the most attractive colors.
Tell the Difference: The Jessenia Pothos look similar to the Marble Queen, but the difference can be seen in the colors. Jessenia features vibrant lime green/chartreuse tones, whereas the Marble Queen is cream, white and darker green.
7. Manjula Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum Manjula
Manjula Pothos is a patented variety of pothos, produced initially by the University of Florida. The key difference between Manjula and other types of pothos is that the heart-shaped leaves of Manjula pothos have curvy edges that refuse to lay flat.
Manjula pothos has a variegated green, cream, and white pattern that is more splotchy than speckled. As with other pothos varieties, your Manjula pothos leaves will each be different from one another. Some leaves will have large green patches, and others will be heavily freckled and painted with the other hues.
Tell the Difference: Manjula Pothos leaves are green and heart-shaped like other pothos varieties but have one significant difference. Manjula Pothos leaves have wany edges where the other pothos leaves lay flat.
Read our detailed Manjula Pothos Care Guide.
8. Marble Queen Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum Marble Queen
This stunning pothos variety has fresh moss-green leaves and stems streaked with white. Each individual leaf on the plant is different and may produce more or less variegation, depending on the variegation of its parents and the amount of light it gets. The green and white on this variety tend to appear woven or marbled together instead of arranging themselves into chunky blocks of color, hence the name Marble Queen.
It is easy to find but not quite as common as golden and jade pothos, and you can typically buy it at your local plant store or from many different online retailers.
Like any variety of plant that is highly variegated, growth will be slower. In general, be sure to give any highly variegated plants a little more light and avoid too dark locations; otherwise, growth will be poor.
Read our detailed Marble Queen Pothos Care Guide.
9. Neon Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum Aureum Neon
Neon pothos is a special and unique type of pothos due to its distinctive color. The heart-shaped leaves are a brilliant, lime green color. The older, mature leaves take on a deep neon tone, whereas the newly sprouted leaves are bright green.
If you want your Neon pothos plant to maintain its signature striking neon color, then grow them under bright, indirect light. In low light conditions, the leaves tend to get dull and dark. Your plant will survive just fine in lower light conditions, but it will deepen in color when given the correct amount of light.
Neon pothos is easy to identify and adds a fun pop of color to your plant collection.
10. N’Joy Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum N’Joy
Pothos N’Joy is one of the newer types of pothos varieties available. Its variegated green leaves are heavily speckled with white. The variegation is largely distinct – meaning there are distinct lines between colors. Leaves are often noticeably asymmetric. If you keep N-Joy Pothos under bright light, you can help your plant produce more white variegation on the foliage.
The Njoy has short internodes meaning it has more of a bushy growth habit. Internodes are the sections of stem between leaves.
With regular pruning, the Pothos N’Joy will maintain its bushy appearance. Because it is more compact, it will never look at its best as a trailing or climbing plant.
11. Pearls and Jade Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum Pearls and Jade
Pearls and Jade Pothos plant has green leaves that are variegated with silver-gray and white hues. The variegation here is seen on the leaf edges more than in the middle, like other pothos plants.
Pearls and Jade Pothos have relatively smaller leaves than other pothos varieties and tend to grow slower.
Tell the Difference: A close look at the leaves will help you tell the difference between these three pothos varieties:
- Glacier – specks in the white parts only
- N’Joy Pothos – no specks at all
- Pearls and Jade – specks in the white AND green parts
Read our detailed Pearls and Jade Pothos Care Guide.
12. Satin Pothos
Botanical Name: Scindapsus pictus
This variety of pothos is known for its gorgeous dark green, heart-shaped foliage dotted with shiny silver spots and leaf edges.
Satin Pothos is also called Silver Pothos. Although it doesn’t belong to the same genus, it is still considered a Pothos variety. The foliage of Silver Pothos is smaller than other types.
The vine-like quality and the sparkling look of the leaves make it a fantastic addition to your plant collection. For the brightest shades of silver, make sure you keep it in bright yet indirect light.
Satin pothos is slightly smaller than other pothos varieties. It will like to climb a trellis or moss pole or trail beautifully out of the pot.
Care for this plant in the same way that you would care for any other pothos type. Give it plenty of bright, indirect sunlight to promote more of the variegation on the leaves.
How To Care For Pothos Plants
Pothos varieties are very easy to care for. There are a few tips you will want to follow, and your pothos plants will give you years of enjoyment:
- Soil: Pothos likes a well-draining potting mix. A bagged soil available at any garden center will do just fine. You can mix it with some perlite or coconut coir for better drainage.
- Feeding: Pothos plants do not need much feeding. Use a well-balanced generic fertilizer once every 2 to 3 months. Pothos plants grow so easily you might find that it does just fine without fertilizer.
- Watering: Water your pothos plants when the top inch or so of the potting mix is dry. Feel the potting mix with your finger to determine the moisture level. You will notice if the plant is thirty because its leaves will droop. It will tolerate erratic and infrequent watering too.
- Light: Pothos varieties prefer bright, indirect light, though they will also tolerate low light conditions. The leaf color may change with light exposure, though. Variegated pothos varieties need brighter light to maintain their variegation. Do not place them in direct sunlight as this can burn the leaves.
- Repotting: Repot your plant when it has outgrown its pot. You don’t want it to become rootbound. If you see roots coming out of the drainage holes or your plant generally looks unhappy, then it’s most likely rootbound. When repotting, choose a pot that is the next size up with good drainage.
- Climbing and Support: Most pothos varieties like to climb using their aerial roots. Training them to climb something like a moss pole will help them grow to their full potential.
Read our detailed guide: Moss Pole for Plants | What They Are and Why You Need One
- Temperature: The ideal temperature range for most pothos varieties is between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They will survive in lower temperatures but will start to suffer below 55 degrees.
- Humidity: Pothos plants are tropical plants, so they will thrive in higher humidity but will be just fine in average household humidity.
- Pruning: Prune your pothos plants as needed. Use clean scissors to prune above a node to remove any leggy stems, help your plant grow thicker, and encourage new growth. Also, remove any dying leaves when they can be plucked away.
FAQ’s About Pothos Varieties
What is the rarest type of pothos variety?
Harlequin is the rarest of the pothos varieties. It is very similar to Manjula Pothos, making it similar to the Marble Queen. Harlequin pothos plants have even more variegation than those pothos plants.
What is the most common pothos plant?
The Golden Pothos is the most common and popular pothos plant variety. You will find this plant at your local nursery, garden center, and anywhere houseplants are sold. Golden Pothos has pretty, green, heart-shaped leaves splashed with gold. This plant will grow in low light or indirect lighting.
Is there a giant pothos?
What is sometimes referred to as a giant pothos is just a pothos plant that has gotten really, really large. When a pothos is able to grow up a support such as a tropical tree trunk or a pole as a houseplant, its leaves get larger and larger.
Buying a Giant Pothos
If you see a “Giant Golden Pothos” for sale, what you are getting is the same plant as a standard big box store Golden Pothos that has matured to have more giant leaves.
Any pothos variety can become mature and large (including Jade, Cebu Blue, Marble Queen, etc.) when it is able to climb. A pothos naturally wants to climb towards the sun. In its natural habitat, the pothos will climb by finding a tree to grab on to. The tree’s support allows it to develop larger and larger leaves and, in some cases, fenestrations.
This growth takes a long time! A pothos will take about 20 years to mature. Purchasing a “giant pothos” that is already mature allows you the joy of the large leaves without having to wait.
Buying a cutting of “giant pothos” is different. In this case, what you are buying is a cutting of a Pothos that had matured and gotten large. There is no guarantee that the cutting you are purchasing will get that large, and even if it does, you’ll be waiting a long time to see it happen.
Which is better, pothos or philodendron?
Although they belong to the same plant family (Araceae, or the aroid plant family), they are different. Pothos generally refers to plants in the Epipremnum genus, while Philodendron plants belong to the Philodendron genus.
They are both easy to grow. Since both plant types have very similar light, soil, and moisture requirements, one isn’t necessarily better than the other. It’s all about personal preference.
Are pothos plants toxic to cats?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is that yes, pothos plants are toxic to cats. Contact your vet immediately if you suspect that your cat has ingested any part of a pothos plant.
Symptoms of pothos toxicity include skin irritation, oral irritation, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. If you notice any of those symptoms in your cat or other pet, and it is possible they have had contact with a pothos plant, contact your vet right away.
Why is pothos called Devil’s Ivy?
The Golden Pothos is sometimes referred to as Devil’s Ivy because it is nearly impossible to kill. The Golden Pothos will stay green in the dark. It won’t grow very well, though, so best to take good care of it.
Do pothos get fenestrations?
Although the pothos plant varieties we grow indoors usually have intact leaves, many pothos plants in their natural habitat produce fenestrations as they mature.
If you want your indoor Pothos plant to split, here is what you need:
- Time. Some pothos plants may take more than 15 years to mature, and others will mature much faster. It’s really a waiting game to see when and if your pothos will produce fenestrations.
- A pole or other structure for your plant to climb. When you train your pothos to grow upwards on a pole, the plant will grow more giant leaves. It’s the bigger, more mature leaves that will fenestrate (split).
Keep your plant as healthy as possible and give it ideal growing conditions, and maybe you’ll get lucky enough to see these incredible split leaves!
If you’re a fan of split leaves, check out this beautiful plant you may not have heard of: Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma.
Final Thoughts on Pothos Varieties
After reading about all those different pothos varieties, don’t you want one of each? Whatever indoor plant aesthetic you’re going for, there’s a pothos for you.
The Golden Pothos and Jessenia Pothos have more muted variegation patterns. The N’Joy and Pearls & Jade – descendent from Marble Queen – will stand out in any room no matter where they are placed.
If you prefer a more monochromatic look, the Neon or Jade Pothos plants will be right for you.
Cebu Blue will give you a unique color with its bluish-green hues.
Whether you find one pothos that you love or collect them all, they will all provide you with long-lasting and beautiful vining leaves, all with little to no fuss.
From beginners to experienced plant enthusiasts, pothos is a plant for everyone.
