Is Pothos really the easiest houseplant?
Pothos is one of those plants that has many names and many varieties. Some call it Devil's Ivy, but its scientific name is Epipremnum aureum. People may tell you it's called Devil's Ivy because it can survive even in the dark. Let's face it, nothing lives in the darkness. I believe it has the devil's reputation because it makes you think it's easy, but it's going to put you through hell.
If you like this vining houseplant, there are plenty of options for you to collect. I have tried Jade Pothos, Golden Pothos, Marble Queen Pothos, Snow Queen Pothos, Pearl and Jade Pothos, and Neon Pothos for my collection. Some are harder to find like Jessenia Pothos, and Manjula Pothos. I am not a scientist, but based on my experience, some of the varieties are different color spots, and they may change into one or another depending on the light and other growing conditions. My Jade Pothos in low light, I would see some leaves that looked like Jessenia. When my Snow Queen Pothos didn't get enough light, it looked exactly like a Marble Queen Pothos. To get it out of the way, Cebu Blue and Silver Satin Pothos are actually not a Pothos. They belong to other plant families and have a slightly different preference in terms of the care they need.
With about 100 plants I have at home, it's unfortunate that sometimes Pothos is one of my most neglected plants, and they are not as forgiving as you have heard. Out of all the Pothos I have, I would say the Jade Pothos, Neon Pothos, and Golden Pothos are the easiest. Particularly the Neon Pothos, it grows anywhere, and it does just fine in low light. It's easy to propagate, and you literally can have millions of them if you want. The most challenging Pothos goes to the Snow Queen Pothos. I bought a full pot, and it kept dropping leaves regardless of how much light I gave it. Eventually, I uprooted it and put it in Leca, place it on one of my low light window sills. It did miraculously bounce back and grew some beautiful leaves. Unfortunately, once the summer hit, the growth has stopped, and I haven't seen a new leaf. It may be time for me to move it, or pot it back to the soil to see if that helped.
Pothos does need light to grow, and you can't put it in the dark bathroom corner and expect it to do well. If you are putting your Pothos in a room without window light, I suggest you turn your light on all day. It does ok with artificial light, especially if it's placed close to the lamp. Be careful if you let your Pothos trails in front of your window. Depending on the window glass you have, your Pothos may get a sunburn if there is a lot of direct sunlight.
Growing in soil, it can be tricky with watering. It does tell you when you overwater it. Yellow leaves start to show, and worse if you have gnats at home. The gnats will kill your Pothos if you constantly overwater your Pothos(or any plants lol). At the identical time, it doesn't like to be underwatered as well. You would also see yellow leaves if your soil became bone dry. I used to be over water my plants all the time. Then I kept buying more plants to the point that I don't have time to over water my plants. Not recommending this method to curl the overwatering bad habit as taking care of 100 plants can be quite exhausting. If you want to try growing your plants in Leca(semi-hydro), Pothos is your best option. It takes it so well, and it would even thrive in it if given enough light.
Often in the movies and TV shows, we see Pothos grow wild in its natural habitat. You would see fenestration on the leaves, just like our beloved Monstera Deliciosa. However, you are not likely to see that kind of growth and maturing growing it at home. It is not going to naturally trail and attach to your drywall unless your room is extremely humid. You can use those Christmas light clips on your wall to help it trails, and it will grow well with the support, but I haven't seen Pothos maturing to having fenestration with this method. If you really want Pothos to grow giant leaves indoor, you may want to try to give it a 5-10 feet tall pole to climb and add some grow light for it to thrive.
Early in the Spring this year, I decided to grow some Pothos outdoor under my Oak trees. After a couple of months of adapting, they start to thrive and slowly attaching to the tree trunk. I don't think they can survive the winter weather in Texas, but it's a fun experience to see them grow and thrive in my backyard. It's fascinating to see how vibrant and beautiful they are growing outdoor compared to living in my dimmed bathroom.
To sum things up, no, Pothos is not as easy as what you have read elsewhere, but it's not a devil either. It's a great gateway plant for people to try before venturing into the world of houseplant madness. If you couldn't figure out Pothos, I recommend you stay away from ferns, Begonias, Strings of anything; as I have seen, many including myself failed in keeping those queens happy!
