If you’re new to houseplants, start with pothos. They tolerate neglect, adapt to various light conditions, and actually look good while being basically indestructible.

I’ve had the same golden pothos for twelve years. It’s survived moves, forgotten waterings, pest infestations, and my learning curve. Still growing happily.

What is Pothos

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a trailing vine plant originally from Southeast Asia. It’s adapted to grow in forest understories, which is why it handles low light so well.

The common name is “devil’s ivy” because it’s nearly impossible to kill and stays green even in darkness. That’s mostly true.

In Melbourne, pothos works as an indoor plant year-round. It won’t survive winter outdoors, but it’s perfect for apartments and houses.

Varieties Available in Australia

Golden Pothos: Classic variety with green leaves and yellow variegation. Most common, most forgiving.

Marble Queen: More white variegation, slower growing than golden. Needs slightly more light to maintain variegation.

Jade Pothos: Solid green leaves, no variegation. Fastest growing, most tolerant of low light.

Neon Pothos: Bright chartreuse leaves. Same care as golden pothos, just different colour.

Manjula and N’Joy: Newer varieties with different variegation patterns. Slightly fussier but still easy compared to most plants.

All varieties have basically the same care requirements. Pick whichever you like the look of.

Light Requirements

Pothos adapts to almost any light condition except total darkness or harsh direct sun.

Low light: Jade pothos works in low light. Growth will be slow, leaves smaller, but it survives. North-facing room or far from windows in Melbourne is fine.

Medium indirect light: Ideal for all varieties. East-facing window or a few metres from a south-facing window works perfectly.

Bright indirect light: Variegated varieties show their best colour here. West-facing window with sheer curtains or bright room without direct sun.

Direct sun: Avoid. Leaves will sunburn (brown crispy patches). Morning sun through a window is okay, but not harsh afternoon sun.

In Melbourne, our summer sun is brutal. Even pothos can sunburn if too close to unfiltered windows during December-February.

Watering

This is where most people go wrong with houseplants. Pothos is forgiving, but you can still kill it with constant overwatering.

When to water: Let top 5cm of soil dry out between waterings. Stick your finger in the soil - if it’s dry, water. If it’s moist, wait.

How to water: Water thoroughly until it runs out drainage holes. Empty the saucer after 10-15 minutes so the plant isn’t sitting in water.

Frequency: Highly variable depending on light, temperature, pot size, and time of year. Could be weekly in summer, every 2-3 weeks in winter. Check soil, don’t water on schedule.

Signs of overwatering: Yellow leaves, mushy stems, root rot. Overwatering kills more plants than underwatering.

Signs of underwatering: Leaves drooping and curling, dry crispy leaf edges. Pothos will droop dramatically when thirsty, then perk up within hours of watering.

Melbourne’s tap water is fine for pothos. No need for filtered or distilled water.

Soil and Potting

Use standard potting mix from Bunnings. Pothos isn’t fussy. Make sure the pot has drainage holes - essential for all plants.

Repot when roots are circling the pot or growing out of drainage holes. Usually every 1-2 years for actively growing plants.

Go up one pot size (5-7cm larger diameter) when repotting. Don’t put a small plant in a huge pot - excess soil stays wet and causes root rot.

Feeding

Pothos grows fine without fertilizer but grows faster with it.

I use liquid indoor plant fertilizer (like Seasol or PowerFeed) diluted to half strength, every 4-6 weeks during spring and summer. Nothing in autumn and winter when growth slows.

Overfertilizing causes brown leaf tips and salt buildup in soil. Less is more.

Temperature and Humidity

Melbourne indoor temperatures are fine for pothos year-round. They handle 15-30°C comfortably.

Keep them away from heaters in winter and air conditioners in summer. Direct air flow causes dry, crispy leaves.

Humidity isn’t critical for pothos, though they appreciate it. Melbourne’s indoor air in winter gets quite dry with heating, but pothos still cope. If you want to boost humidity, group plants together or use a pebble tray. Misting is mostly pointless.

Propagation

Pothos propagates easily from cuttings. Free plants from your existing plant.

How to propagate:

1. Cut a section with at least 2-3 nodes (the bumps where leaves attach to the stem)
2. Remove bottom leaves so nodes are exposed
3. Put cutting in water or directly in soil
4. Water propagation: Change water weekly, roots appear in 1-2 weeks
5. Soil propagation: Keep soil moist, roots establish in 2-3 weeks

I prefer water propagation because you can see roots developing. Transfer to soil once roots are 5-7cm long.

Propagation works year-round but is faster in spring and summer.

Common Problems

Yellow leaves: Usually overwatering. Let soil dry out more between waterings. One or two yellow leaves on an old plant is normal aging.

Brown crispy leaf edges: Underwatering, low humidity, or fertilizer burn. Check soil moisture, reduce fertilizer.

Losing variegation: Not enough light. Variegated varieties revert to green in low light. Move to brighter spot.

Leggy growth with big gaps between leaves: Insufficient light. More light encourages compact growth with bigger leaves.

Pests: Pothos occasionally gets scale or mealybugs. Wipe leaves with rubbing alcohol, or use insecticidal soap.

Brown spots on leaves: Could be sunburn, fungal issue, or physical damage. Remove affected leaves, adjust care.

Pruning and Training

Pothos vines can grow metres long if left unchecked. Prune whenever you want to control size or encourage bushier growth.

Cut anywhere along the vine - it’ll branch from below the cut. Use those cuttings for propagation.

You can train pothos to climb a moss pole or trellis, or let it trail from a hanging basket or shelf. It’s flexible.

Toxicity Warning

Pothos is toxic to cats, dogs, and humans if eaten. It contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause mouth irritation and digestive upset.

Keep it away from pets and kids who might chew on plants. It’s not deadly, but it’s unpleasant.

Why Start With Pothos

If you kill a pothos, you’ve learned valuable lessons about what not to do with other plants. If you keep it alive (likely), you’ve gained confidence for slightly more challenging plants.

It’s cheap, widely available, and genuinely attractive. A healthy pothos trailing from a shelf looks good in any space.

Plus, propagation means you’ll end up with multiple plants. Give them away, trade for other plants, or just accumulate pothos until your home is a jungle.

Next Steps

Once you’ve successfully kept pothos alive for a few months, try:

• Snake plant (even more forgiving)
• Monstera (similar care, bigger leaves)
• Philodendron (close relative, similar needs)
• Peace lily (adds flowering element)

But honestly, pothos is enough to start with. Get one, learn its rhythms, understand how it responds to watering and light. That knowledge transfers to most other houseplants.

Next post I’ll cover light requirements in detail - the most important factor in plant care that people consistently underestimate.

For more general houseplant advice, the RHS website has solid information, though you’ll need to adjust for Australian climate differences.