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Epipremnum aureum “Neon” is a variety of the classic favorite houseplant of many, the pothos. Commonly known as neon pothos, this plant’s shockingly bright lemon-lime color is sure to stand out on your shelf. In this post, I’ll review neon pothos care, propagation, and other common questions.
Where can I buy a neon pothos?
You can find plenty of neon pothos available on Etsy. Check out this gorgeous neon pothos from one of my favorite Etsy shops!
Neon Pothos Care
Does neon pothos like bright light?
Neon pothos prefers bright to medium, indirect light. More light will mean bigger and brighter foliage, just make sure it’s not direct light, which can actually hurt the foliage.
They will survive in low light but will not be very happy.
Is your neon pothos—or other plants for that matter—suffering from a lack of light? No problem! Try adding some grow lights.
I currently use a few different sets of grow lights but this set of grow lights is by far my favorite. They’re so easy to use and clip onto just about anywhere. They cover a lot of area, and my plants love them! Actually just bought myself a second set!
For more info, I also review more common grow light questions in this post.
If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of natural light, check out my guide to natural light for indoor plants for help figuring out where you should put your pothos.
How often should you water a neon pothos?
I generally water my pothos plants when they are dry about two inches down, but I have also seen it recommended to let them dry out in between waterings.
How often you’ll actually water depends on factors that help your plant dry out like light levels and temperature, so in order to determine if your plant actually needs water, you’ll have to stick your finger down into the soil to feel for moisture.
Pothos are pretty sturdy plants and they can take being dry or being a little overwatered. Just don’t overwater them consistently or you could put your plant at risk of root rot.
Humidity
Since neon pothos, and other pothos, are native to tropical areas, yes, they love humidity! They will also be OK in normal humidity levels since they’re such low-maintenance plants, but if you can, give your neon a little extra humid love and it will thrive.
There are a few easy ways to do this, but I feel that using a humidifier is the easiest and lowest maintenance.
I review more methods in my post on creating humidity for houseplants.
Potting Mix
Neon pothos, just like most other pothos, is low maintenance and will be fine in a regular well-draining potting mix. If I have it on hand, I always like to add an additional handful or two of perlite for even more drainage.
Fertilizing
Neon pothos doesn’t need fertilizer to thrive, but using a general houseplant fertilizer once a month during the growing season (spring and summer) will help it along. Just don’t overfertilize it, because they really don’t need it! (This is the fertilizer I use for almost all of my plants.)
Repotting
Every other year or so is a good rule of thumb, but neon pothos is OK with being a little rootbound, so if it’s still growing well then there’s no need to rush to repot it.
If you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, if the plant appears to have stunted growth, or if it just generally looks unhappy, then it’s probably time to repot!
Repot your plant in one the next size up from its current pot that has good drainage. If possible, it’s best to repot in the growing season (spring or summer).
Climbing and Support
Pothos are climbing plants and are found climbing up a tree in their natural habitat. Pothos use their aerial roots to climb, and aerial roots also help with nutrient intake.
Allowing your pothos to climb will help it grow to its full potential. The easiest way to do this is to give it a moss pole. Here is a stackable moss pole I recently bought for another climbing plant.
And don’t forget to mist your moss pole as part of your watering routine so that those aerial roots can get a nice drink, too.
Pruning and Maintenance
An occasional yellow leaf is normal. Remove any yellow or dying leaves once they can be gently plucked away.
You might also notice your neon pothos getting leggy, which means long vines with fewer leaves. Usually, this is due to the plant trying to stretch out to find more light, but it’s not a death sentence for your plant and it can definitely be corrected!
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—I know some people are confused about that and I was too when I first started caring for plants.)
In addition to pruning your plant to encourage growth, you can propagate your plant and stick the cuttings back into the pot to help it achieve a fuller look. I’ll discuss propagation a little further down after I finish up with this care section, so read on!
Get yourself a beautiful neon pothos here!
Problems and Pests
Why does my neon pothos have yellow leaves?
Yellow leaves on houseplants can have a few causes. On pothos, it is commonly due to overwatering. Remember, one or two yellow leaves is nothing to worry about. Many yellow leaves consistently is a problem.
Why is my neon pothos not growing?
Common reasons that your neon pothos may have slowed or stunted growth include:
- The plant is not getting enough light
- The plant is pot bound and needs to be repotted. Remember, they like being slightly rootbound but there WILL come a point where they want to be repotted
- You have overwatered your plant and it is now suffering from root rot
Why does my neon pothos have brown tips?
A common cause of brown tips is dry air. Try giving your neon pothos some humidity using a humidifier, a pebble tray, or another method.
Pests
Common houseplant pests include fungus gnats, mealybugs, scale, aphids, and spider mites.
You should always check regularly underneath leaves and in crevices for pests. Make it a part of your care routine so that way you will be sure to catch the problem early if there is a problem.
I really like this insecticidal soap as well as Bonide Systemic Insect Control for help with pest control, which both work on a range of pests. Always read the instructions on the label first and use caution if you have pets.
Neon Pothos Propagation
Propagating neon pothos is very easy. If you’ve propagated one type of pothos (or any other type of vining houseplant, for that matter) you can propagate the neon pothos. If you’ve never done it, no worries—you’ll be an expert after reading this section!
How to propagate neon pothos in water
Neon pothos can be easily propagated in water or potting mix. We’ll start with water first because many people prefer it since they can watch the roots grow this way!
Identify a piece of vine with a few leaves and a few nodes (where the leaves and roots grow out of the stem). Take a pair of clean scissors to cut about a quarter-inch below a node. Cutting below a node means you’ll include the node on the cutting.
Stick the cutting in a jar of room-temperature water, making sure at least one node is under the surface since that is where new roots will sprout from. If there are any leaves under the surface, remove those.
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.
Be patient. It may take over a month, but once the roots are three-or-so inches long, you can pot up your cutting in its permanent pot, give it a good watering, and care for it like you normally would.
You can leave pothos in water permanently, too. Just keep in mind that although it’ll look pretty in water, it will not thrive to its full potential.
How to propagate neon pothos in potting mix
There are two methods I like to use when propagating my vining plants in potting mix instead of water. Both work very well!
To start on either method, repeat the same process to take a cutting from the plant as you did in the water propagation method. Here it is again:
Identify a piece of vine with a few leaves and a few nodes (where the leaves and roots grow out of the stem). Take a pair of clean scissors to cut about a quarter-inch below a node. Cutting below a node means you’ll include the node on the cutting.
Method one
Place the base of your cutting into a small container with moistened potting mix. Make sure at least one node is buried since that is where new roots will sprout from. Don’t bury any of the leaves.
Place the container in a location with bright, indirect light. You can also place a clear plastic bag over the top to lock in beneficial humidity. Just remove it every few days in order to let in airflow.
Keep the potting mix moist but not wet as the roots develop. You can do this by misting the potting mix as needed.
It will be a few weeks before a new root system develops. After about a month, 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.
Method two
Take the cutting you removed from the plant and instead of sticking the base into your container with moistened potting mix, place the entire cutting down so it’s all laying on top of the surface of the potting mix.
Position the cutting so that the nodes along the vine are all facing down into the potting mix. If needed, temporarily “fasten” the vine down to the potting mix using bobby pins or paper clips.
Roots will develop from each node and grow down into the potting mix.
Place the container in a location with bright, indirect light. You can also place a clear plastic bag over the top to lock in beneficial humidity. Just remove it every few days in order to let in airflow.
Keep the potting mix moist but not wet as the roots develop. You can do this by misting the potting mix as needed.
It will be a few weeks before a new root system develops or before you’ll notice new growth on the vine. After about a month, 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 it hasn’t developed yet, no worries, just have a little more patience!
Additional Information
Is neon pothos toxic?
Pothos plants, including neon pothos, are toxic, so keep them out of your furry friends’ reach!
Does neon pothos grow fast? How big does neon pothos get?
Pothos in general are fast growers and neon pothos is no exception. It’s one of the reasons why people love this species so much! If you’re following the optimal growing conditions (described in this post!) pothos can grow several feet in one year. In low light, they will grow much more slowly.
Get yourself a beautiful neon pothos here!
More pothos posts
Big pothos fan? Me too! Check out these other care and propagation guides:
- Shangri La Pothos
- Manjula Pothos
- Satin Pothos
- Marble Queen Pothos
- Cebu Blue Pothos
- Golden Pothos
- N’Joy Pothos
- 13 Pothos Varieties That You Can Easily Care For
Erica Pascua says
Why is my neon pothos changing color from neon to light green? What can I do to keep its color
Julie - Houseplant Aficionado says
Hi Erica – To help keep the bright color, make sure you’re growing it in bright, indirect light, rather than low or medium light. Sometimes, the leaves might also darken a little bit as they mature.