If you love houseplants, you’ve likely heard of the ever-popular neon pothos. This hardy plant can survive in a variety of conditions, withstanding lower light, lower humidity and cooler temperatures than other plants. Plus, it’s great at removing toxins from indoor air. But did you know that the cause of the plant’s variegated colors is due to mutations in the cells that disrupt the production of chlorophyll? These patches of different colors are usually bright yellow or creamy white, and require more sunlight than normal for photosynthesis. Read on to learn more about caring for your Neon Pothos and unlocking its full variegated potential!
Caring for a Neon Pothos Plant
Caring for a Neon Pothos is relatively easy and requires minimal effort. The plant prefers warm temperatures of 65 to 85 degrees during the day and not below 60 degrees at night.
Fertilizing
During the spring and summer months, it’s important to feed your pothos with a general-purpose indoor plant fertilizer every month or every other month. Before applying any fertilizer, make sure the soil is damp.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of an indoor pothos plant is between 5 and 10 years, so if you’re looking for a long-lasting houseplant, the Neon Pothos may be perfect for you.
Propagation
When it comes to propagating the plant, it may take over a month for your Neon Pothos cutting to root. When the roots have grown three or so inches long, you can pot up the cutting in its permanent pot and give it a good watering. You can also leave your pothos in water permanently if desired.
Benefits of Owning a Neon Pothos
One of the main benefits of owning a Neon Pothos is its ability to clean the air. According to research, pothos is one of the best houseplants for removing indoor air toxins. It has been found that pothos can absorb chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from your home’s air. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking to improve their indoor air quality.
Additionally, due to its ability to tolerate lower light, lower humidity and cooler temperatures than other plants, it makes for an easy-to-care-for houseplant that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance or attention – making it perfect for busy households.
Benefits of Neon Pothos:
- Cleans the air by absorbing chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene
- Tolerates lower light, lower humidity and cooler temperatures than other plants
- Easy-to-care-for houseplant that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance or attention
Taking Care of Your Neon Pothos Plant
Another great benefit of the Neon Pothos is its ability to climb. With its aerial root system, the plant can grow almost straight up a tree or wall, so let it climb! Due to their ‘impossible to kill’ nature, and the fact that they can survive in dark conditions, they are sometimes also known as Devil’s vine. The vines make for an attractive addition to any home décor and look especially stunning when hung from a shelf or mantelpiece.
When it comes to growth rate, Neon Pothos can be slow growing. However, they should grow quickly during the warmer months as long as you ensure that the plant is receiving enough light and water. You may even need to consider fertilizing your plant in order to encourage faster growth.
| Benefits | Care Tips |
|---|---|
| Ability to climb | Ensure the plant has a support system to climb on |
| Survive in dark conditions | Place in a low-light area |
| Attractive addition to home décor | Hang from a shelf or mantelpiece |
| Slow growing | Ensure enough light and water, consider fertilizing during warmer months |
Variegation in the Neon Pothos Plant
One of the more unique features of the Neon Pothos is its ability to become variegated. Variegation is when a plant’s leaves have different colors, usually white or yellow, and can occur naturally or artificially.
Causes of Variegation
The cause of the variegation is mutations in the cells that disrupt the production of chlorophyll, which results in patches of different colors. These mutated patches are less efficient at photosynthesis, so it’s important to give a Neon Pothos with variegation more sunlight than one without.
Stability of Variegation
While it is possible to have variegation in a Neon Pothos, it is not very stable and you may not get any more variegation on the plant for up to a year if one leaf was already variegated.
To summarize, variegation in the Neon Pothos is a unique feature that is caused by mutations in the cells and can be unstable. If you have a Neon Pothos with variegation, make sure to give it more sunlight than one without.