Is your golden pothos just a bald string? Enthusiast Carmen reveals how to make it lush

How did you become interested in golden pothos?

I started my houseplant hobby about six years ago, and the golden pothos was one of my first plants. I was immediately captivated by its ease of care and laid-back growth habit. Now I have ten different varieties and multiple specimens of most of them.

What’s the best part about the different varieties?

Their color variations are mesmerizing and each is picturesque in its own way. Sometimes I gather the varieties together and take a family portrait to admire the full spectrum of their colors and patterns. My favorite is ‘Marble Queen’; I doubt I'll ever tire of its beauty. Its white-variegated leaves display an endless array of patterns. This variety is steadily taking up more and more space in my home.

How do make golden pothos look their best?

I let them cascade down like a waterfall, which showcases their foliage beautifully. Lush, swaying growth adds some jungle feel to my home. While growing them upward—supported by a coconut or moss pole, for example—would produce significantly larger and more impressive leaves, it would be challenging to find places in my home with enough light for that. I could let the golden pothos climb along the wall, but I love constantly rearranging my plants. Being tied to one spot would probably lead to me growing tired of them.

How do you get your plants to become so lush?

In summer, I trim the golden pothos by shortening all the shoots to the same length. Often only one new shoot grows just below the cut, but several new shoots emerge from the base of the plant. During the dark winter, the vines may yellow their leaves or grow long stems with small leaves—in spring, I remove any that have become bare or grown poorly. If you leave a golden pothos unpruned, it will grow long stems and eventually branch out from the base. Regular pruning promotes branching.

What kind of growing spot does the golden pothos prefer?

An area with plenty of indirect light is the best alternative, but it adapts well to various lighting conditions. Many varieties can even be placed on a south-facing window, as long as you avoid suddenly exposing them directly to the sun. However, the light green ‘Neon’ is easily affected by direct sunlight, so I place it slightly to the side of a south window. In a dark spot, golden pothos vines become bare, and the leaf variegation diminishes. Since they have long vines, it's hard to light them with grow lights, and the base is often forgotten—this easily leads to the golden pothos being leafy only at the ends of its shoots.

Is there anything essential to know about caring for the golden pothos?

The golden pothos is sensitive to overwatering, so I only water my plants when the foliage starts to lose turgor—when it droops slightly and the leaves feel softer than usual. I pour water into the saucer and let the substrate absorb what it needs. When watering from above, it's easy to accidentally leave dry spots in the substrate. I always plant large and thirsty golden pothos in plastic pots to extend their watering intervals.

For fertilizing, I follow the instructions on the houseplant fertilizer package and stick to them. Occasionally, I add seaweed extract to the water, even during winter.

Do you propagate golden pothos yourself?

It's so effortless to propagate golden pothos from cuttings that I'm doing it all the time. The real problem child and exception to the rule is ‘Shangri La’, whose cuttings root very slowly and may go weeks without any growth.

I root the cuttings in water so I can easily monitor the development of the roots. When the roots are a few centimeters long, I plant the cuttings in airy coconut fiber. In dense and wet soil, the cutting easily rots. I place several starters in the same pot to make the plant bushy. I put the pot in a terrarium, where the seedlings grow quickly and develop long aerial roots. I transfer the cuttings to a larger container when they've filled their pot with roots and the root ball stays intact during the transfer.

7 of Carmen’s golden pothos

1. ‘Shangri La’

This dark green variety has a wildly curly growth habit. The plant is slow-growing and challenging to root, but well worth the effort.

2. ‘Marble Queen’

The variegated leaves range from dark green to light green and nearly white in color. For Carmen, this variety has been easy to care for and fast-growing.

3. ‘Neon’

Its vibrant lime-green foliage stands out among other plants. Once it gets going, this variety is fast-growing and has large leaves.

4. ‘Manjula’ or ‘Happy Leaf’

The white-variegated leaves often have patches and streaks, along with large white or cream-colored areas. The leaves are heart-shaped. Requires plenty of indirect light. Dry conditions easily brown the leaves.

5. ‘Global Green’

The glossy, somewhat small, green-variegated leaves are lighter in the center than on the edges. The stems grow stubbornly, twisting and turning.

6. ‘Aureum’

The most common golden pothos variety manages in dim conditions, thrives even in direct sun, and rewards its owner with rapid growth and ever-changing patterns.

7. ‘N’Joy’

The leaves are somewhat small and close together, with stiff, twisting stems. This variety forms a dense, bushy growth and enjoys bright light.