Garden Houseplants 10 Pothos Varieties You'll Want to Add to Your Houseplant Collection Pothos is a low-maintenance plant that can thrive in medium to low-light conditions. By Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano is an associate editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home and pets. She has five years of writing and editing experience in the digital publishing industry. Editorial Guidelines Published on June 14, 2024 Close Photo: Firn / Getty Images Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a beautiful houseplant that's known for its often variegated, glossy green leaves. It is a tropical vining plant that looks great in containers or suspended from a window in a hanging basket. Most varieties of pothos thrive in bright, indirect light, such as in an east- or west-facing widow. While this species can tolerate medium and lower light levels, low light conditions will cause slower growth, and the variegation may fade. Water pothos when the soil has dried out about halfway down from the top, which you can gauge by sticking a finger in the soil. Generally, pothos grows well in any general-purpose potting mix designed for container plants. There are many varieties of pothos to choose from, so we asked plant experts to share some of their favorites. All of the varieties below can grow at least 25 feet long and about 6 inches wide, though it can take a few years for them to reach this length indoors. Outdoors, pothos is only hardy in zone 11. Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms, a grower of more than 1,500 plant varieties on 5,200 acres. Keri Wilson, horticulturist and writer for Garden Media Group, a company that aims to instill a passion for nature and a love of gardening to all generations 3 Ways to Propagate a Pothos Plant 01 of 10 Golden Pothos Grumpy Cow Studios / Getty Images Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a classic, tried-and-true variety of this houseplant. "Golden pothos offers dark green heart-shaped leaves irregularly streaked and marked with gold," says Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms. "It’s one of the fastest-growing pothos species and the leaves will get larger if you grow it up vertically in bright light." 02 of 10 Global Green Pothos Courtesy of Costa Farms Global Green pothos (E. aureum 'Global Green') was developed in Japan and stands out from the crowd because of its green-on-green variegation. "Each medium green leaf is irregularly edged in dark green, giving this climbing plant a subtle look," says Hancock. "Occasionally, you’ll see the leaves show off a little bit of cream variegation, usually as a streak, but sometimes a splash of color." 03 of 10 Manjula Pothos Firn / Getty Images One of the most variable pothos varieties in terms of variegation pattern, Manjula pothos (E. aureum 'HANSOTI14') is a slow-grower that packs a punch. "The heart-shaped leaves are variegated with creamy white, but the cream may appear in large chunks of the leaf, streaked throughout, delicately marbled in with the green tones," says Hancock. Its leaves are generally wider than other E. aureum varieties. 04 of 10 Albo Pothos Courtesy of Costa Farms One of the most striking varieties of pothos, Albo pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Albo-Variegata’), is actually a different species than E. aureum, says Hancock. This type features longer leaves, and as the plant matures, the leaves develop jagged cuts. "This makes it look more like a variegated monstera than your typical pothos," he says. 05 of 10 Ceba Blue Pothos AnSyvanych / Getty Images Ceba Blue pothos (E. pinnatum 'Cebu Blue') is a distinctive variety with blue-green leaves, often with a silver sheen. "Like other Epipremnum pinnatum varieties, the leaves are longer and narrower than Golden pothos," says Hancock. "And as the plant matures, the leaves can form eye-catching Monstera-like slits in the leaves." How to Grow English Ivy Indoors, a Low-Maintenance, Elegant Vining Plant 06 of 10 Jessenia Pothos Courtesy of Costa Farms. Jessenia (E. aureum 'Jessenia') is a mutation of the popular pothos variety, Marble Queen. "The dark green leaves are heart-shaped and variegated with marbling in lighter green shades," says Hancock. "This is one variety where light makes a difference; the more light it gets, the more contrast there will be between the variegation colors. In less light, the lighter colors tend to fade, creating less contrast." 07 of 10 Silver Streak Pothos Courtesy of Costa Farms At first glance, many wouldn’t realize this variety is a pothos because of its unique leaf shape. "The foliage is long and narrow, looking more lance-shaped. It’s generally dark green but decorated with fine silver streaking up and down the leaf blade," says Hancock. "It’s the perfect variety to grow if you’re looking for something different or if you have other pothos varieties and want to create an eye-catching contrast." 08 of 10 Marble Queen Pothos Firn / Getty Images. Marble Queen (E. Aureum 'Marble Queen') is a popular variety with a beautiful blend of bright green and crisp white variegation. "It will display the brightest variegation in medium to bright indirect sunlight but can tolerate low light conditions as well," says Keri Wilson, horticulturist and writer for Garden Media Group. "I had my eye on this variety for quite some time and was happy to find it at my local garden center recently." 09 of 10 N'Joy Pothos Courtesy of Keri Wilson This variety will make a striking addition to your houseplant collection. "Epipremnum aureum 'N'Joy' is a smaller, bushy variety of pothos with charming green leaves splashed with white splotches," says Wilson. "This lively and vibrant pothos brightens up corners and other spaces with bright, indirect light." 10 of 10 Jade Pothos Raththaphon Wanjit / Getty Images Jade pothos (E. aureum 'Jade') adds beauty to pockets of your home with low light. That said, it will grow faster and display more vibrant solid green leaves in bright indirect light. "I like to use these varieties that can tolerate lower light in decorative glass plant propagation tubes that can be placed on bookcases or hung on the wall to add interest in areas where I wouldn’t otherwise be able to have plants," says Wilson. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit