Pothos is, by far, one of the most popular houseplants available, which means that most of us have already owned one or know someone who does. What’s best is that there are 15 different types of pothos out there so it makes growing and caring for these stunning houseplants incredibly fun and rewarding.
It is common knowledge that pothos is among the simplest houseplants to maintain, which explains why they’re always so popular. They thrive indoors and can tolerate a variety of lighting conditions. Plus, they are excellent vining plants, making them common selections for pots and baskets hung from the ceiling.
Pothos are technically the Epipremnum spp. with Epipremnum aureum being the most common type. However, there are a number of other vining plants with similar maintenance requirements and appearance that are frequently referred to as pothos, which causes a great deal of confusion amongst home gardeners.
So, let’s first look at what exactly a true pothos is (and what isn’t) and then check out the 15 types of pothos and what distinguishes them from one another.
What Defines a True Pothos?
Before we start looking at the different types of pothos, we need to first consider what exactly makes a pothos a true pothos.
The problem with this common plant name, like the problem with many other common plant names, is that there is some confusion about which plants fall under the name and which plants have been incorrectly assigned it.
The confusion comes from the fact that some plants are called ‘pothos’ even though they have a different scientific name. There is also a bit of horticultural indecision in the mix that further exacerbates the issue. Let us explain what we mean:
For starters, Epipremnum spp. is the scientific name for true pothos. Although there are a number of different Epipremnum species, including E. pinnatum, Epipremnum aureum is the one most commonly known as a pothos. Most of the different kinds of pothos you can find in nurseries are cultivars of this Epipremnum species.
Silver Satin Pothos (Scindapsus pictus) is the most widely confused plant, as its appearance is very similar to that of some true pothos cultivars, despite the fact that it actually belongs to the genus Scindapsus.
Even worse, Epipremnum aureum used to be in the genus Scindapsus, but horticulturists changed this to better describe the species. Interestingly, the only big difference between the two plants is that Scindapsus only makes one seed and Epipremnums makes a lot of seeds. Whether that’s a big enough difference or not, we’ll leave it to you to decide.
Philodendron Hieracium, also referred to as the heartleaf philodendron, is another plant that is frequently misidentified as a pothos. The only similarity between these two plants is their appearance and growth pattern, but with a keen eye and some practice, you should be able to distinguish between them without much difficulty.
15 Types of Pothos to Consider Growing
Here are the 15 different types of pothos, what they look like, and other distinctions:
1. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
When you picture pothos in your mind, you’re probably thinking about this classic and ‘original’ pothos known as Golden Pothos.
Being the most common of all pothos plant types, golden pothos are simple to find at your neighborhood garden center or nursery. They have distinctive heart-shaped green leaves that are tinged with golden hues, making them simple to recognize.
This aroid tropical vine is indigenous to French Polynesia. In the wild, pothos frequently serves as a ground cover and climbs trees. The leaves of mature plants can grow to be 2-3 feet long!
The golden pothos, also referred to as Devil’s Ivy is quite hardy and most likely the simplest of all pothos varieties to grow.
2. Marble Queen Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen’)
Another common variety of pothos is marble queen pothos. This beautiful Pothos has white streaks running through its moss-green leaves and stems. As with any highly variegated plant variety, growth will be slowed because each leaf contains less chlorophyll.
In general, you should move highly variegated plants away from areas that are too dark and into brighter ones to promote healthy growth.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Marble Queen Pothos
3. Jade Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Jade’)
The solid jade-green foliage of the Jade Pothos makes it a fantastic choice for those with little access to natural light. It works well in a variety of lighting situations, from low light to bright indirect light.
The leaves of the jade pothos are slightly thinner than those of the golden and marble queen pothos, but otherwise, they are identical in shape and texture.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Jade Pothos – Complete Guide
4. Neon Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Neon’)
Neon pothos is a bright and stunning type of pothos. The heart-shaped leaves have a brilliant shade of lime green, since the ‘neon’ is in its name. Younger, budding leaves have more vivid colors, whereas older, mature leaves have a strong neon undertone.
Grow your neon pothos in bright light if you want them to have that distinctive, eye-catching neon color. When there isn’t much light, the leaves usually remain dark and dull and look washed out.
5. Manjula Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Manjula’)
Manjula Pothos is a patented variety of pothos that was developed by the University of Florida. The heart-shaped leaves of Manjula pothos have curvy edges that won’t lay flat, which is the main characteristic that sets Manjula apart from other types of pothos.
The leaves feature a cream, silver, white, and green variegation as well. As with other types of pothos, the leaves of your Manjula pothos will look different from one another. Some will have large green patches, while others will have a lot of freckles and other colors.
Additionally, the variegation of Manjula leaves is not distinct, so you can anticipate green flecks on the whiter areas. These color differences make this type of pothos quite fun and interesting to grow!
6. Jessenia Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Jessenia’)
The Jessenia Pothos, developed by Costa Farms, is essentially a highly variegated form of the more common Golden pothos. It has light green, heart-shaped leaves with chartreuse highlights.
Similar to Marble Queen, each individual leaf on a Jessenia pothos will turn out uniquely different from the others. Due to a lack of chlorophyll, Jessenia grows significantly more slowly than non-variegated types of pothos.
You’ll be able to tell the difference between Marble Queen and Jessenia because Jessenia’s lime-green color is much darker than Marble Queen’s lighter, whiter color.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Jessenia Pothos – Full Guide
7. Variegated Neon Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Neon Variegata’)
This Variegated Neon Pothos brings together the best qualities of both the neon pothos, with its bright lemon-lime pigment and the golden pothos, with its ornamental leaves. It’s a rare pothos, but it’s absolutely stunning.
Due to its yellow speckles and variegation, this type of pothos requires more bright lighting than its plain neon sibling. Apart from this, caring for this variety is similar to any other pothos you may buy.
8. Pearls and Jade Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Pearls and Jade’)
The Pearls and Jade Pothos is another patented type of pothos. Like Manjula pothos, it was produced at the University of Florida. The green leaves of Pearls and Jade Pothos are variegated with silver-gray and white tones.
Its distinctive pattern of variegation makes it easy to identify among other types of pothos. The jade pothos leaf variegation appears on the edges rather than the center. Plus, the whiter parts of the foliage are frequently clouded with green and silver-gray hues.
When compared to other types of pothos, Pearls and Jade Pothos have smaller, slower-growing leaves.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Pearls and Jade Pothos – Full Guide
9. N’Joy Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘N’Joy’)
When it comes to different types of pothos, the N’JoyPothos is one of the more recent varieties to hit the market. It also has heavily variegated, light green leaves that are heavily flecked with white.
People often mistake N’Joy for Pearls & Jade Pothos, but its leaves don’t have the small splashes of green that Pearls & Jade and Marble Queen do.
If you keep your N-Joy Pothos in bright light, the white variegation on the leaves will increase in size and spread.
You’ll find that growing Pothos N-Joy is just as simple as growing any other type of pothos. The plant will continue to thrive if you simply place it in an area of your home that gets lots of light. Be patient with it though, as it grows slowly.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for N’Joy Pothos
10. Global Green Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Global Green’)
The global green pothos is a relatively recent addition to the pothos family and is distinguished by its foliage, which is mottled with shades of dark and light green with lighter green shades towards the center of the leaf.
There is a striking resemblance between the distribution of coloring on the leaves of this pothos and that of the n’joy, pearl, and jade varieties.
This particular pothos is still quite uncommon; however, garden centers and nurseries are beginning to stock it more frequently as a result of its increasing popularity.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Global Green Pothos
11. Glacier Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Glacier’)
This Pothos has stunning green foliage with white variegation and silvery streaks! It stands out from the rest because it grows a little bit smaller than other cultivars. Planting them with a moss pole or training them to climb upwards brings out their full potential.
It’s not easy to track down this cultivar, which has rounder leaves than others. Due to the fact that it is more compact, it makes an excellent addition to small rooms or offices that value a more contained growth pattern.
12. Snow Queen Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Snow Queen’)
Snow Queen Pothos, like Marble Queen Pothos, is a gorgeous white- and green-colored variety. The main difference is that Snow Queen has a lot more white, with some green spots.
Like other types of white pothos, these leaves lack chlorophyll and grow much more slowly than those with a rich green color. So, it needs a little more light than a Marble Queen or a green-leafed pothos.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Snow Queen Pothos – Complete Guide
13. Harlequin Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Harlequin’)
Harlequin pothos plants are believed to be highly variegated cultivars of Manjula as opposed to their own distinct cultivar. Nevertheless, that is what makes it so beautiful.
Compared to Manjula, it has a lot more white and dark green foliage, making the contrast between the colors much stronger.
The intensely variegated Harlequin is difficult to propagate due to the lack of chlorophyll in this area. So, if you want to focus on just one plant or are looking for a new challenge, this is the one for you.
Grab one if you can because it is the most uncommon and rarest pothos Epipremnum aureum plant!
14. Cebu Blue Pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Cebu Blue’)
Cebu Blue, in contrast to all of the types of pothos mentioned above, is in fact a different species (pinnatum), though it still belongs to the same genus as Epipremnum. The leaves are more slender and have a stunning silvery-green color to them making them perfect for plant collectors.
This is a type of pothos that lacks the pothos’ signature heart-shaped foliage. Instead, Cebu Blue Pothos has blue-green leaves shaped like arrows. The distinctive blue-metallic sheen of these leaves is another way they stand out from others.
Although younger leaves of Cebu Blue Pothos have a vague arrow shape, with enough light, they will grow larger and form natural splits. However, they do need time to mature, so you will need to have some patience with the process.
15. Baltic Blue Pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Baltic Blue’)
Have you ever wanted to grow monstera but didn’t because it takes more care than other plants? If your answer is yes, then you should go with Baltic Blue. This dark green pothos has holes like Swiss cheese, much like a monstera, but is much easier to maintain.
Another great thing about growing Baltic Blue is that its dark green leaves get holes much faster than monstera does. It can grow in almost any setting, from moss poles to lateral desks to planters that hang from the ceiling making it a versatile variety to grow.
For more information, check out our article: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Baltic Blue Pothos – Full Guide
Related Articles:
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Marble Queen Pothos
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Alocasia (Elephant’s Ear)
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Calathea Plant Indoors
Wandering Jew: Complete Plant Care and Growing Guide
FULL GUIDE: White Bird of Paradise Care (Strelitzia Nicolai) + FAQ
ULTIMATE GUIDE to Stephania Erecta Care from Dormancy to Sprouting – All You Need to Know!
Melissa Pino is a biologist, master gardener, and regular contributor for Planet Natural. Melissa's work focuses on promoting environmentally-friendly practices, helping people create healthy gardens and finding ways to achieve overall health and wellness.
Copyright © 2004-2023