The Neon Pothos sports heart-shaped leaves in a brilliant lime green or electrifying neon green. Epipremnum aureum ‘Neon’ is one of the most distinctive pothos varieties. Younger leaves tend to be more neon yellow. As Neon pothos grow, they will darken as they mature. But, they still retain the bright chartreuse color. To get the best color, grow Neon pothos in bright light. In low-light, the color will be more dull and darker.
This shockingly bright lemon-lime plant makes a charming houseplant. It is just as tough, easy to grow, and carefree as all other pothos plants. Neon pothos are vigorous growers and do well in hanging baskets or anyplace where their trailing vines can fall freely. As if their easy care and bright chartreuse-green leaves aren’t enough, Neon Pothos is a living air purifier. Great at removing toxins found in paint, carpeting, and even insulation.
Water
Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between watering.
Light
Thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate low indirect light.
USDA Zone
11-12
Temperature
Prefers warmer temperatures between 60° to 80°F (16° to 27°C)
Soil
Pothos prefer slightly damp soil. Soil should not stay saturated with water.
Fertilizer
Liquid fertilizer diluted at half strength, once a month.
Size
12-15″ (30-38cm) tall/ 12-24″ (30-61cm) wide
Scientific Name
Epipremnum aureum ‘Neon’
Common Name
Neon Pothos, Devil’s Ivy, Solomon Islands Ivy, Hunter’s Robe, Taro Vine, Money Plant, Ceylon creeper, Ivy arum
Pronunciation
ep-ih-PREM-num AW-re-um
Pests
Mealybugs, thrips
Flower
Does not flower in cultivation. In the wild, flower stalks with a cream spathe marked with purple surround the spadix.
Toxicity
Toxic to humans and animals if ingested
Pothos are arguably the most popular houseplant. Like other closely-related aroids, their leaves will change in shape with age (similar to a Monstera). The leaves can be found in the wild sprawled out along the ground and climbing up trees. With its long cascading vines, it makes a beautiful table or hanging plant. It can be trained to grow on a pole or trellis.
Pothos have the ability to spontaneously generate variegation, which has led to several cultivars of variegation and color – marble, classic jade, golden, and neon. All members of the pothos family have glossy, heart-shaped, leathery leaves but in different colors. The Golden pothos are yellow and green, Jade pothos are solid green, Neon pothos are lime green, and Marble Queen pothos are green and white.
Neon pothos prefer their soil to be kept on the dry side. They are somewhat tolerant of neglect. Water when the top several inches of soil has dried out. Typically this will be every 1-2 weeks depending on your climate. Increase the frequency with increased light. Be sure to allow the soil to dry out between watering. If in doubt, be sure to use a moisture meter or wait for the leaves to become soft and droop a tad before you water.
Keep a close eye on the leaves. If you notice the edges getting brown and dry then you’re underwatering. Additionally, black leaves or light yellow leaves with soggy soil indicate overwatering. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in bright light.
Neon pothos thrive in medium to bright indirect light. But, can tolerate low indirect light. However, given their tropical nature they look better and grow faster in medium to bright indirect light. In low light conditions the plant will survive. However, leaves can lose their vibrancy. If your Neon pothos leaves begin to look pale, it may be getting too much light. Therefore, move it away from the sunlight. They can tolerate diverse growing conditions.
Be sure to avoid direct sunlight as the leaves are subject to sunburn. Furthermore, keep the plant away from drafts. Place Neon in a room that gets a medium amount of natural light, or even in an office or bathroom that gets low light. Use a grow light if needed during times of very low light conditions. Finally, rotate the plant occasionally to encourage even growth.
Neon pothos prefer warmer temperatures between 60° and 80°F (16° to 27°C). Leaves may be damaged if the temperatures drop below 55°F (12.8°C). Therefore, cold temperatures should be avoided. It survives winters indoors at room temperature with no trouble. Outdoors in warm tropical climates, it is grown as ground cover. In fact, she will readily scramble up a tree or a wall, growing several feet tall with dramatic leaves.
Neon pothos will do well with basic indoor levels of humidity. They love humidity, but will fine in normal humidity levels since they’re such low-maintenance plants. You can always give your Neon some extra humid love. I like using a pebble tray or a humidifier to increase humidity levels. Finally, when you grow Neon pothos indoors during colder months, watch out for brown leaf tips which indicate air dryness.
Neon pothos, just like other pothos varieties, are low maintenance. Well-draining soil is essential for keeping Neon pothos happy. If your plant is left sitting in water, it’s susceptible to rot and fungal diseases. Add pumice or perlite to the soil to help increase extra drainage. Be sure to pick a pot with a drainage hole.
Neon pothos need to be repotted every few years to avoid compacted soil. Repotting will replenish the soil with nutrients needed for your neon pothos to thrive. If you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, or if the plant appears to have stunted growth, it’s probably time to repot. Do so during the spring or summer when the soil is dry. First, start by gently brushing the soil off the roots. Next, inspect the roots for rot or other problems that are usually underground. Finally, place in fresh well-draining soil and hold off on watering for a few days. This will allow the roots to get comfortable and heal from any damage during transfer.
Feed monthly with a liquid fertilizer diluted at half strength. Remember that you fertilize only in growing months and completely cut back in winter. Indeed under fertilizing is better than over fertilizing.
Pothos are climbing plants and are found climbing up trees in their natural habitat. Neon pothos use their aerial roots to climb, and aerial roots also help with nutrient intake. In fact, allowing your pothos to climb will help it grow to its full potential. The easiest way to do this is to give it a moss pole.
All pothos are generally toxic to humans and animals. Therefore, visit ASPCA for more detailed information. Or, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Neon pothos require regular pruning to prevent the vines from getting leggy. First, trim long vines every few months to keep your plant full and bushy. Next, remove any discolored leaves and stems with pruning shears or sharp garden scissors for a clean look. Additionally, you can use the stem tip clippings to easily start new plants. This is the easiest way to propagate your pothos plant.
These are some of the easiest plants to propagate. I prefer my pothos plants to be full and bushy. To do so, I trim longer vines just before the growing season. Use stem cuttings to start new plants in the same pot. You can also twist back long vines into the pot. Use floral pins to hold the vines in place. Pinned stems will eventually root. Later, you can remove the pins.
Stem Cuttings are a very simple way to propagate Neon pothos and other pothos varieties. To remove stem cuttings be sure to have sharp pruning shears or garden scissors. Choose a strong healthy vine from the Neon Pothos mother plant. Cut the stem with 2-4 nodes and a terminal.
Remove leaves at the bottom to expose the nodes leaving only the leaves at the terminal. Plant cuttings back in the mother pot or in a new pot. If planting in soil, be sure it is well-draining. Neon Pothos cuttings are prone to rotting before rooting.
Rooting hormone is not needed, but it will speed up root growth. Place stem with at least one node well under the soil. Gently press down the soil for support. Keep the pot in a bright spot. But, away from direct sun. Water well and keep the soil moist until the cutting is established. This should take approximately 1 – 2 weeks depending on your climate.
You can also propagate Neon Pothos in water. Follow the steps above for cutting removal. Instead of placing it in soil, place it in a container with water. I like to use glass jars or antique milk bottles. Select a jar that is deep enough that the bottom two nodes of the cutting are under water but the terminal leaves are out. Place your cutting in the jar filled with clean water.
An option I like is to add a few pieces of activated charcoal or activated carbon to the bottle. This helps with the algae that may build up on the bottom of your bottle. Change the water every one to two weeks. New roots should sprout from the nodes submerged in water after 1 – 2 weeks. Water propagation is one of my favorite methods and you can read more tips here.
Transfer the cutting to soil once the roots are about an inch or two long. Or, you can let it grow in water. If you decide to keep the Neon pothos cutting in water, use a balanced liquid fertilizer (diluted at half strength) to feed your plant. finally, fertilize your plant once every month.
Pothos do not flower in cultivation. Houseplants typically only grow in only the juvenile phase. Flowering occurs only in the mature phase. In the wild, pothos plants produce a number of erect flower stalks together. Each with a cream spathe marked with purple surrounding the spadix.
Be wary of overwatering your Neon Pothos, which is the number one killer of houseplants. Overwatering kills plants much faster than underwatering. Symptoms of overwatering include yellow, mushy leaves that easily fall off. Remedy this issue by removing the plant from the overwatered soil and place it in fresh well-draining soil. Hold off on watering for a week or so. If you still aren’t sure of when to water, a moisture meter will take out the guesswork.
Underwatering is harmful to pothos, but much easier to fix. Give your plant a good drink and it will usually perk up. When underwatered, the leaves will wilt. They can also send out air roots. Read more about air roots here.
Etiolation is a common, but easily preventable problem with plants. When the plant isn’t getting enough sunlight, it stretches toward the sun. If you don’t keep your pothos in a bright location, it will grow stretched and less attractive than its typical compact form.
Once stretched out, it will not return to its original look. Propagate the stem as mentioned above to give it a second chance. This can also help increase your collection size.
Pothos are often mistaken for philodendron and vice versa. Probably because they both belong to the arum family or aroids. There’s also scindapsus pictus varieties that the houseplant community considers as pothos. This is likely because in the early 1900s, pothos were classified as Scindapsus Aurea. The current classification of Pothos is Epiprenum Aureum.
Pothos have a collection of names, just like any other plant. One of them, Devil’s Ivy, was given for how quickly it can grow without being killed. In fact, it is so resilient that it will stay green even when deprived of light.
All pothos plants do not require a lot of maintenance. Mealybugs or thrips may be the biggest pest threat to your pothos. Although, they are generally free of pests. Inspect your plants regularly. If signs of mealy bugs appear in the form of a white cottony web or disfigured leaves, be sure to eradicate them immediately. These small white scale insects drink the sap out of plants and secrete honeydew that attracts ants. A Q-tip dipped in alcohol or a spray from an organic pest killing soap will do the trick. Read my complete post on mealybugs eradication here.
Pothos Diseases
Bacterial Leaf Spot Disease causes dark spots with yellow halos. Keeping the leaves dry helps prevent bacterial diseases. Root rot and stem rot fungal diseases cause stems and roots to become mushy and die. These problems need to be treated with a commercial Fungicide and correcting how you are watering the plant.
Sunburned Pothos
Brown spots may appear on your neon pothos. These are most likely from sunburn. Move your plant out of direct heat to prevent further damage. Learn how to save your sunburned plants here.
Watch our pothos care video below!
SEE MORE HOUSEPLANT TIPS:
Related Articles
Join our email mailing list
Sign up for the MoodyBloomsCo.com blog alerts and once subscribed, I will send you a notification when a new post has been made.
Support Moody Blooms by using the affiliate links to shop. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Additionally, we receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Therefore, we can continue to create helpful free content. Thank you, we appreciate it!
