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The marble queen pothos is known for its heavily variegated leaves that look like speckles of cream, light green, and dark green. In this post, I’ll review exactly how to care for and propagate the marble queen.
The marble queen pothos is one of many beautiful pothos varieties, with the scientific name Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen.’
Don’t be fooled by its fancy foliage, while this variety is not as fast of a grower as some other pothos, I wouldn’t consider it difficult to care for at all!
Where can I find a Marble Queen Pothos?
The marble queen is a sought-after pothos variety. You might not find it at your local garden center. The good news is that there are plenty of marble queen pothos plants and cuttings available on Etsy.
Check out this gorgeous marble queen pothos from one of my favorite Etsy sellers!
Marble Queen Pothos Care
Below are the basics of Marble Queen Pothos care, but this doesn’t mean you can skip the rest of my post! 🙂 Read on for more crucial care tips AND a step-by-step propagation guide.
Light | Bright, indirect |
Water | When the top inch or two of the soil is dry |
Potting Mix | Well-draining |
Humidity | Prefers high |
Temperature | Prefers warm, OK in average |
Fertilizing | General fertilizer once a month during the growing season |
Repot | When rootbound |
Climbing | Yes, give it a moss pole to help it grow larger |
Pruning | To fix legginess and maintain your desired size/shape |
How much light does a marble queen pothos need?
Marble queen pothos likes bright, indirect light.
Most pothos are typically OK in medium to even low light, but being that most people purchase the marble queen because of its heavy variegation, it’s important to consider the fact that plants lose variegation in low light!
It’s best to stick to bright, indirect light for the marble queen. If you’re concerned about the amount of natural light your plant receives, grow lights are a game-changing solution!
Below are two of my favorite grow lights. These are super convenient in the areas I need them—my greenhouse cabinet and my bookshelf. They also each have timers so I never worry about forgetting to turn them on/off. My plants are thriving under them!
How often should I water my marble queen pothos?
Rather than watering on a set schedule, you should water your marble queen when the top inch or two of the potting mix is dry.
This will probably be about every 7-10 days, but you should always stick your finger into the soil first to monitor moisture levels before watering. This is one of the best ways to avoid root rot.
And, if you notice your plant’s leaves are suddenly looking droopy, that usually means it’s in need of a drink.
Should I mist my marble queen pothos?
While pothos do fine in normal humidity levels, they will be happier in higher humidity.
Why? Because marble queen pothos is native to the tropical environment of French Polynesia. One way to provide your plant with humidity is to mist the leaves every few days. However, I personally prefer something more foolproof like using a humidifier.
It’s nice to just “set and forget” instead of constantly thinking about misting your plants. Plus if you’re not careful, misting your plants too frequently (keeping the foliage constantly wet) could cause harmful fungus.
Below is one humidifier I especially like because it can run for up to 96 hours—the less I have to try and remember to refill the humidifier, the better (for me, AND my plants)!
Temperature
Native to tropical regions, the Marble Queen Pothos prefers warm temperatures. However, it will grow just fine in your average household temperatures, so no need to start adjusting your thermostat!
One thing to be careful about, though, is the cold areas of your home. Keep your plants away from drafty hallways or windows—especially in the winter.
Aren’t those leaves lovely? Get a Marble Queen here!
Soil
Like its other pothos cousins, a well-draining indoor plant potting mix will work fine for the marble queen. I always like to add in a few handfuls of perlite, too, for even more drainage.
Fertilizing
Pothos are not heavy feeders and don’t need a lot of fertilizer to thrive. You can fertilize your marble queen pothos by using a general houseplant fertilizer once a month during the growing season (spring and summer).
Don’t overdo it or you could end up hurting your plant.
Repotting
My general pothos rule is if it looks happy, leave it. They can go a few years without being repotted provided they’re still thriving in their current pot.
Don’t leave your marble queen pothos to become overly rootbound, though. If the roots are coming out of the drainage holes, or if it has stunted growth and looks unhappy, then it’s most likely rootbound.
To confirm this, you can turn the plant on its side and slip it partially out of the pot to check on its roots. If they are all in a big coil around the outside/bottom of the soil, then it’s time to repot your plant.
Repot your plant in a pot the next size up from its current one that has good drainage. Try to only repot in the spring or summer (the growing season), if possible.
Climbing and Support
Pothos are climbing plants and use their aerial roots to climb up trees in their natural habitat.
Allowing your pothos to follow its natural tendency will help it grow larger and stronger! The easiest way to let your plant climb is to give it a moss pole.
Here is a stackable moss pole I use for all my climbing plants. I love this pole because it’s so easy to add another piece on top once your plant outgrows it, which is pretty inevitable!
Pruning and Maintenance
Legginess is a common problem with vining plants, but you shouldn’t worry too much about it. This is commonly caused by lack of enough light, the plant is “reaching out” to try to grow towards the light.
I’ve also noticed that legginess can happen after a while if you have lots of long, heavy vines hanging down from a table or basket, for example. (Remember in the previous section when I said pothos will grow their strongest when they can climb?)
To help fix legginess, use a clean pair of scissors to cut just above a node. Cutting above a node will encourage new growth.
Cutting above a node means the node is NOT included on the part you cut off—the node stays on the plant. That node will then push out new growth!
In addition to pruning, to fix the legginess, make sure your plant is receiving enough bright, indirect light.
To make a bushier plant, you can stick the parts you cut off right back into the pot! Stick the vine back into the pot so that the node is buried under the soil. I have a full propagation tutorial further down, so read on!
Problems and Pests
Pests
Marble queen is not particularly susceptible to pests, but some common pests include fungus gnats, spider mites, thrips, mealybugs, and scale. Be sure to check your plants regularly, taking a look in any stem/leaf crevices and underneath leaves.
I really like this insecticidal soap as well as Bonide Systemic Insect Control. Both work on a range of pests. Read the instructions on the label carefully and use caution if you have pets.
Can a Marble Queen Pothos revert?
Yes, the Marble Queen Pothos can revert. If the light level isn’t bright enough for your plant, it will lose its variegation and revert to a more solid green.
This is because the lighter the color of the leaves, the less chlorophyll there is. Heavily variegated plants need MORE light to make up for LESS chlorophyll. If not, they will revert as a defense mechanism.
This is not a problem for the plant itself, it will follow this natural process to survive and it’ll be just fine. However, the main appeal of this pothos is its variegation, so this can be a real bummer for US! Make sure you are giving your marble queen plenty of bright, indirect light.
Yellow leaves
The most common cause of yellow leaves on pothos is overwatering. However, other common causes for yellow leaves on pothos are underwatering, too much light, or occasionally, too little light.
Brown, crispy leaves
This is commonly caused by too much direct light or too little water. It can also be caused by too much water, extremely low humidity, or too much fertilizer.
Leggy vines
This is not a major health concern for your plant but can be unpleasing to look at. Leggy vines are commonly caused by too little light. Scroll up to my Pruning and Maintenance section for more details on correcting legginess.
Marble Queen Pothos Propagation
Marble Queen Pothos Propagation in Water
It’s really easy to propagate marble queen pothos in water, and any other pothos for that matter. You can even leave marble queen pothos in water permanently, but they won’t grow as fast or as large.
- To start, take a pair of clean scissors to cut about a quarter-inch below a node on a stem that has a few leaves.
- The node is where the leaves, roots, and aerial roots grow out of the stem. Cutting below a node means you’ll include the node on the cutting, which is important because that’s where new roots sprout from!
- Stick the cutting in a jar of room-temperature water, making sure at least one node is under the water’s surface. If there are any leaves under the surface, remove those or reposition the cutting so the leaves are above water.
- Place the jar in an area that receives bright, indirect light. Fill the water up when the level gets lower and replace it completely once a week or so in order to keep it clean.
- Once the roots are two to three inches long you can pot up your cutting in its permanent pot. Then, give it a good watering and care for it like a normal plant!
Note that it will take a couple of weeks to over a month for the roots to be long enough. Patience is key!
Marble Queen Pothos Propagation in Potting Mix – Method One
This first method follows the same general process as water propagation.
- Take a pair of clean scissors to cut about a quarter-inch below a node on a stem that has a few leaves.
- The node is where the leaves, roots, and aerial roots grow out of the stem. Cutting below a node means you’ll include the node on the cutting, which is important because that’s where new roots sprout from!
- Stick your cutting into a small container with moistened potting mix. At least one node needs to be buried. Don’t bury any of the leaves.
- Place the container in a location with bright, indirect light. You can also put a clear plastic bag over the top to lock in beneficial humidity, but be sure to remove it every few days in order to let in fresh air.
- Keep the potting mix moist but not wet as the roots develop. You can do this by adding a small amount of water in the mix or misting the mix as needed.
- It will be a few weeks to over a month before a new root system develops. You can test your plant by giving it a very gentle tug.
- If there is resistance, a root system has developed and you can start treating it like a normal plant. If not, just give it more time and keep doing what you’re doing.
Marble Queen Pothos Propagation in Potting Mix – Method Two
- Use a pair of clean scissors to cut off a piece of vine that has a few leaves. This time, you don’t have to worry about cutting below a node, because we’re going to use ALL the nodes!
- Instead of planting just the base of the cutting in the container, lay the entire cutting down so it’s all resting on top of the container with moistened potting mix.
- Position the cutting so that the nodes along the vine are all facing down into the potting mix. You can either nestle them into the potting mix or temporarily fasten the vine down using bobby pins or paper clips if needed.
- Place the container in a location with bright, indirect light. You can also put a clear plastic bag over the top to lock in beneficial humidity, but be sure to remove it every few days in order to let in fresh air.
- Keep the potting mix moist but not wet as the roots develop. You can do this by adding a small amount of water in the mix or misting the mix as needed.
- In this method, new roots will develop from each node in contact with the potting mix.
- It will be a few weeks to over a month before a new root system develops. You can test your plant by giving it a very gentle tug.
- If there is resistance, a root system has developed and you can start treating it like a normal plant. If not, give it more time and keep doing what you’re doing.
Where should I keep my Marble Queen Pothos?
You should keep your Marble Queen Pothos in an area that receives bright, indirect light. This is very important to maintain its beautiful variegation. Additionally, wherever you put it should not be a cold area or have extremely dry air.
How fast do Marble Queen Pothos grow?
The marble queen has a moderate growth rate. While it’s not as fast growing as other pothos, it still IS a pothos, which is a species of fast growers! Provide it with optimal conditions to help it grow as fast as it can.
How big do Marble Queen Pothos get?
If given enough time, in the wild they can grow to be a few dozen feet climbing high up a tree. In your home (if given optimal conditions), they can grow several feet in one year.
Giving it some support, like a moss pole, will help it grow stronger and larger.
Is there a difference between snow queen and marble queen pothos?
The snow queen pothos is often confused for the marble queen pothos and vice versa. You can tell the difference in the coloration of the plant.
The snow queen pothos is more white than green (hence, snow), while the marble queen pothos is more evenly variegated with shades of green and cream/white. Snow queens look more like they have a base color of white with green flecks.
Check out the differences below:
Is marble queen pothos toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes, pothos plants, including the marble queen pothos, are toxic, so be sure to keep them out of your furry friends’ reach.
Is the Marble Queen your new favorite plant? You can buy one here!
Marble Queen Pothos Care Summary
- Provide with bright, indirect light
- Water when the top inch or two of the potting mix is dry
- Use a well-draining potting mix
- Provide with additional humidity
- Keep away from cold areas
- Use a general houseplant fertilizer once a month during the growing season
- Repot when it’s too rootbound (every few years)
- Provide with a moss pole to help it grow strong and large
- Prune to fix legginess and maintain your desired size and shape
More Pothos Posts
Big pothos fan? Me too! Check out my care and propagation guides for these other pothos varieties:
- Shangri La Pothos
- Manjula Pothos
- N’Joy Pothos
- Neon Pothos
- Cebu Blue Pothos
- Golden Pothos
- Satin Pothos
- 13 Pothos Varieties That You Can Easily Care For
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