Neon Pothos Care Guide
Epipremnum aureum 'Neon' better known as the Neon Pothos, is a cousin of the Pothos but his care is very similar. This cheerful chap appreciates a bit of warmth and dislikes wet feet. New leaves emerge bright neon lime and slowly fade to emerald over time, giving a gorgeous ombre effect. We give this chap an LTLC rating of 2 out of 5. Easy care. More care details below.
Temperature & Light
This low maintenance chap will adapt to low to medium light levels, but thrives in bright, indirect light. No direct light on those neon leaves though or he could burn. He's a sucker for humidity but will tolerate drier air if his soil's kept moist. Kitchens, bathrooms and laundries are favourite spots. A humidifier in winter is a smart idea too, especially if you use your fire place or run a heat pump, or have an HRV or DVS system going, which can all dry out the air.
Soil & Water
Like many Pothos, evenly moist rather than soggy or wet is the way to go. Avoid letting them fully dry out between watering. Depending on your conditions, around weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter is about right, but judge it based on the top couple of cm's of soil being dry to tell you he's ready for a drink. He's more tolerant than many if you do miss a water or two, but really not going to like being over-watered. When watering, let the water drain out fully before returning to his saucer or cover pot to avoid wet feet.
When re-potting, go for a standard free-draining potting mix. I use my standard mix of about 3/4 potting soil and 1/4 perlite or pumice. Pothos aren't typically a hungry plant, so frequent fertilising isn't a must, but a feed every month or so in summer will be appreciated. We use Groconut at 1/2 the dose the packet says with great results.
Neon Pothos pro tips & problem solving
This guy's a pretty easy-care, low-maintenance chap and more tolerant of various light, temperature and humidity conditions than others in his family. If you do have a problem though, here's the most likely causes:
Drooping or yellow leaves
Drooping leaves is normally a sign of too much water but if you've let your Pothos get bone dry, it can also be a sign of thirst. Check your soil to find out which. If the leaves droop no matter what you do though, he's likely telling you it's time to upgrade his pot. Pop him out and check those roots in case he's just root bound.
Brown tips or edges
A common sign your air is too dry. Up the humidity or move him to your bathroom, kitchen or laundry and that should put a stop to those brown tips.
Small or pale leaves
This guy wants plenty of bright, indirect or filtered light, otherwise you may find he puts out smaller, paler leaves or just won't bother growing for you in protest.
Leggy or bare stems
Not usually a sign of something wrong, more just what this guy does if you let him. Regularly prune him back and new growth will appear bushier and closer together. Left un-pruned and dry though, and you could end up with bare stems near the soil and all the leaves at the ends. If you're just not loving those long bare stems and you're feeling brave, cut back to soil level and new stems will sprout.
Pothos propogation
I've found the Pothos easy to propogate. Take a stem cutting and root them in water first, or straight in to soil like I do, but it does depend on the time of year (you may find water propogation easier in winter than summer).
Pet safe?
Sadly no, all parts of the Neon Pothos are toxic if eaten and can irritate the lips, mouth and tongue. Best to get pets to the vet if they've chomped on your Pothos just to be safe. Pop your Pothos safely out of reach of pets and kids (they're not safe for us to eat either).
LTLC Rating (Love That Leaf Care Rating)
We rate the Neon Pothos a solid 2 out of 5. 1 being easy care, 5 being String of Pearls level fussiness (I have such a love/hate relationship with that plant, argh). The Neon Pothos however is an easy care intro to the Pothos and Philodendron family and will brighten up any room with his cheerful colours.