Looking for a houseplant that’s not only beautiful but also easy to care for?
Meet the N’Joy pothos – a stunning plant with delicate variegated leaves that will bring life and color to any room. But don’t be fooled by its dainty appearance; this plant is a survivor that can thrive in a variety of conditions.
Ready to learn more about this captivating houseplant and how you can add it to your collection? Let’s dive in.
A cultivator of the well-known marble queen pothos, the N’Joy pothos has thinner and tinier leaves with more pronounced variegation areas than the marble queen pothos. This type of pothos was discovered in 2002 by the University of Florida and has been highly enjoyed by houseplant enthusiasts ever since.
Like other pothos plants, the N’Joy pothos is easy to grow indoors and is known for being low maintenance. Plus, it looks excellent in tabletop planters, in a hanging basket, or trailing from bookcases and shelves. N’Joy Pothos is among the few successful genres enjoyed in offices and homes.
Coming from the Araceae family, this beautiful pothos resembles philodendrons in many ways.
Botanical Name: Epipremnum pinnatum ‘N’Joy’
Common Name: N-Joy pothos
Family: Araceae
Plant Type: Perennial, vine
Hardiness Zones: 10-11, USA
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Moist but well-drained
Soil pH: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
Height: 10 ft. long
Bloom Time: Spring and summer
Flower Color: Green and white
Native Area: Asia
What is an N’Joy Pothos?
While the pothos plants (Epipremnum Aureum genus) are native to the South Pacific Islands, the N’Joy pothos came into the world in 2002 after a natural branch mutation in a type of Marble Queen Pothos.
There is a minimal resemblance between these two types of pothos. N’Joy’s leaves are much smaller, vary in shape, and have a completely different variegation pattern.
This little tropical plant is brought to you by Dr. Ashish Hansoti, who developed the popular Manjula Pothos.
While most pothos originate in different parts of Southeast Asia and Australia, the United States is home to many pothos cultivars.
Photo Credit: Dreamstime.
N’Joy Pothos Care
Caring for N’Joy is similar to many of its relatives in the Epipremnum genus, although they are known for being the slow growers of Pothos types.
Since N’Joy’s leaves are highly variegated, they also require more light than other pothos, such as the golden or pearls and jade Pothos.
Generally, this tropical plant is considered a hardy, low-maintenance houseplant that is perfect for beginners and experienced houseplant collectors.
Let’s jump in to what the N’Joy pothos requires:
Light
When growing in native rainforests, pothos plants grow under canopy trees’ shade.
N’Joy Pothos’ light requirements are bright indirect light, and this need can easily be met by keeping this tropical plant close to an east or north-facing room window.
If south or west exposure is the only one available, you can look for a spot that does not receive full or direct sunlight cause the stronger rays of the afternoon sun can damage this small plant foliage.
This tropical plant can also tolerate low light levels and thrive with artificial light when placed in tricky areas like offices.
As long as the N’Joy pothos receives sufficient light, it will thrive happily.
Water
When grown indoors, the N’Joy pothos plant prefers to dry out slightly between waterings.
Allow the soil’s top 1 to 3 inches to dry, and then you can water thoroughly, allowing the excess moisture to drain from the pot’s bottom drainage holes.
N’Joy Pothos are susceptible to root rot if kept in overwatered conditions, so make sure your plant’s soil never gets waterlogged and soggy, as it can lead to fungal diseases like root rot.
If you’re an experienced plant owner, you can eliminate any watering need for your plant by growing it hydroponically.
Humidity
Pothos plants, in general, are used to high humidity levels. Their ideal humidity in the rainforest is 80%. However, N’Joy Pothos’s humidity needs are flexible. While its ideal humidity is between 60-80%, levels as low as 30% can also be tolerated.
In most places, N’Joy Pothos will not need to be provided with supplementary humidity sources (Such as humidifiers).
If the area’s air is too dry, the plant’s leaves will crisp around the edges. To avoid this, spritz them every few days with fresh distilled water. Avoid tap water, as the salts and chemicals in them can damage the plant’s foliage.
Temperature
The ideal temperature range for the Pothos N’Joy is 60 to 80ºF, as it is a tropical native plant.
However, this tropical plant has a limited temperature tolerance for temps below 50ºF, so you might want to keep your N’Joy Pothos away from air conditioning vents that blast cool air.
Extremely low temperatures may damage the plant’s leaves or may trigger dormancy.
This tropical plant has no frost hardiness whatsoever, so if you take your pothos N’Joy outdoors to enjoy the steamy summer weather, remember to bring it in before the temperatures fall.
Soil
N’Joy Pothos soil has to be well-draining as this plant does not tolerate sitting in wet soil, and its pH level should be mildly acidic or 6.1-6.6.
A special aroid soil will not need any arrangements to make the perfect soil for this plant. However, you can make your own if you can’t get a special soil mix.
Mix equal parts of perlite, peat moss, and potting soil for a well-draining light mixture your plant will love and thrive in.
If you switch a well-rotted compost for the potting soil, you won’t have to fertilize it.
Fertilizer
This plant enjoys being fertilized frequently during its active growing seasons to encourage healthy growth.
You can apply balanced liquid fertilizer once a month during its growing season in the spring and summer for better results.
Fertilizing N’Joy Pothos is an excellent way to keep its leaves as lush as possible.
Pruning
Pruning is not an essential part of your care N’Joy Pothos guide, but it can be done during its active growing season to control growth and ensure your plant is growing correctly. However, remember that N’Joy Pothos are relatively slow growers, so any growth you trim off will not grow back immediately. That being said, you can use any stem cuttings from pruning for propagation purposes and replant them back in the original plant to give them a much fuller appearance.
Potting & Repotting
N’Joy pothos plants are naturally slow growers, so repotting is unnecessary for up to 2 to 3 years.
When roots start growing out of the pot’s drainage holes, and the water runs tight during watering, it’s time to repot your tropical plant.
If the plant becomes rootbound, it will need more soil to hold the limited moisture needed to grow.
When reporting this pothos plant, move up at least one pot size and ensure it has suitable drainage holes.
Use fresh potting soil and water thoroughly to help it settle into its new home.
N’Joy Pothos Propagation
Propagating pothos N’ joy is very simple.
Like most pothos varieties, N’Joy is readily propagated by stem cuttings using a couple of tools and supplies.
Propagating is a fun way to create new plants and/or fill out an existing plant. To propagate this tropical plant by stem cuttings, follow these simple steps.
- Use a clean pair of scissors or pruning shears to take a couple of stem cuttings from a healthy pothos N’Joy plant. Ensure at least 2 to 4 nodes along the stem of each cutting.
- Remove the bottom leaves of each cutting.
- Prepare a freshwater jar and place the stem cuttings in it. The remaining leaves should sit above the water while the bare stem is submerged completely.
- Place the jar where it can receive bright indirect light and keep the water fresh by changing it once a week.
- After a week or so, you should be able to notice tiny white roots growing from the nodes.
- Once these white roots are at least 2 inches long, you can transfer the cuttings into the soil.
- Prepare a small pot containing a well-draining soil mixture, plant the cuttings, and water thoroughly afterward.
- Or, plant the cuttings back in with the mother plant to give a much fuller appearance.
N’Joy Pothos Common Problems
Pothos, in general, are easy to grow and generally problem free for the most part. However, as with any other houseplant, there are typical problems you may encounter while growing your N’Joy Pothos, especially if you are new to caring for pothos plants.
Here are some things you should keep an eye out for:
Stunted Growth
If you believe your N’Joy plant is not growing, you could blame the lack of light.
Pothos plants should be positioned within a few feet from a bright window. Your tropical plant may suffer stunted growth if placed far from the nearest natural light source.
Also, remember that N’Joy is considered one of the slow-growing pothos varieties compared to others.
Pests and Diseases
This tropical plant is susceptible to common pests and diseases like many houseplants.
Watch out for signs of common pests such as spider mites, fungus gnats, thrips, mealybugs, and other common conditions like root rot.
As long as you ensure your plant is pest-free before bringing it home, this pothos plant is not very prone to infestations.
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves can indicate different things, but it is the most common sign of overwatering, followed by lack of light, underwatering, or too much light.
Unfortunately, to find out what exactly is damaging your plant, you will need to take a closer look at the plant’s growing environment to make the proper adjustments.
Is the soil moist between waterings? Overwatering. Is the soil ‘crispy’ dry between watering? Underwatering. Ensure your N’Joy pothos receives the right amount of light, avoid hard direct sunlight, which can cause leaf burn, and avoid low light areas, or your plant will “sacrifice” its older leaves to preserve energy.
Brown Leaves
Brown leaves are usually easier to resolve -unlike yellowing leaves. If your N’Joy is developing brown spots or is turning brown around the edges, lack of water or humidity is the issue. Ensure you water your N’Joy correctly or increase humidity to prevent further browning.
Drooping leaves
Drooping leaves are caused by underwatering. Give your N’Joy pothos a good glug of water, and it should bounce back up.
Try to do the finger test in between waterings; if you let your plant’s soil dry completely in between waterings, your plant’s leaves will continue to droop.
N’Joy Pothos Toxicity
N’Joy Pothos is a member of the aroid family, and like many beloved houseplants, it is toxic for humans and pets. Its consumption can cause digestive irritation and other symptoms like nausea and vomiting.
Make sure you keep your N’Joy Pothos away from your little ones and four-legged friends.
For humans
While N’Joy pothos consumption is toxic for humans, you’d need to ingest a considerable amount to present serious complications. However, children may be more susceptible. Some of the symptoms that are caused by this plant’s ingestion include numbing around the mouth, swollen tongue, difficulty breathing, and vomiting.
For Pets
Unlike humans, animals don’t need to consume large amounts of this plant to have symptoms. Keep an eye out for any signs your pet might present (such as vomiting, drooling, or wheezing) and immediately take them to the veterinarian.
Other Indoor Plant Guides from Planet Natural:
Types of Pothos: 15 Varieties to Consider Growing Today
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Jade Pothos – Complete Guide
Copyright © 2004-2023