wiseBloomwise

Araceae

Golden Pothos

Epipremnum aureum

USDA zones
10a–12b
Light
Part shade / Full shade
Water
Low
Pet safety
Unverified
Difficulty
Beginner

How to grow it

Five steps, start to bloom.

Written for beginners. If you've never grown anything before, this is all you need to keep this plant alive and happy.

  1. Pick a spot

    Find a spot with dappled or morning-only sun. This is an indoor plant. A bright window or grow-light setup works.

  2. Plant it

    Any good all-purpose potting mix or well-drained garden soil will do. Leave at least 36 inches around the plant so its roots and leaves have room to mature. Water it in gently once it's settled.

  3. Water it

    Water deeply when the top two inches of soil feel dry, usually every 10 to 14 days in summer, less in cooler months. Err on the dry side; this plant dislikes soggy roots.

  4. Feed & tend

    This one is very forgiving. A balanced all-purpose fertiliser at the start of the growing season is plenty, and you can skip a month without harm. Plan on about five minutes a week of hands-on care once it's established.

  5. Enjoy it

    Watch for new growth in spring and summer. If the leaves look tired, trim the oldest ones back to encourage fresh foliage.

Year at a glance

What to do, month by month.

Approximate for a temperate North American zone. Shift earlier the further south you garden, later the further north.

  1. Jan

    January: Rest

    Dormant

  2. Feb

    February: Rest

    Dormant

  3. Mar

    March: Wake up

    New growth

  4. Apr

    April: Tend

    Routine care

  5. May

    May: Tend

    Routine care

  6. Jun

    June: Tend

    Routine care

  7. Jul

    July: Tend

    Routine care

  8. Aug

    August: Tend

    Routine care

  9. Sep

    September: Tend

    Routine care

  10. Oct

    October: Tend

    Routine care

  11. Nov

    November: Wind down

    Prep for dormancy

  12. Dec

    December: Rest

    Dormant

Pet & people safety

We haven't verified this plant yet.

We only publish toxicity information when a human has checked it against a primary source. Until that happens, treat this plant as potentially harmful to pets and children: don't let it be eaten or chewed, and consult the ASPCA or your vet if anyone does. You can also search the ASPCA's public toxic-plant database below.

Bloomwise is not a substitute for veterinary or medical advice. Every line above comes from a hand-verified reference.

Recommended supplies

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Hand-picked tools for this plant.

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. Every product is curated by hand and chosen because it actually helps with this plant, not because it pays the highest rate.

  • Amazon

    Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food Liquid (8 fl oz)

    A dilute liquid feed dosed once a month from spring through fall is the full fertilizer program for pothos. This bottle works for virtually every tropical houseplant at the same cadence.

    $5.99 approx.

  • Amazon

    Self-watering hanging pot, 8-inch

    Pothos is the easiest houseplant on earth to overwater. A reservoir pot puts it on autopilot for the chronic forgetters.

    $16.99 approx.

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Frequently asked

Common questions.

What USDA zones does Golden Pothos grow in?
Golden Pothos is hardy in USDA zones 10a to 12b. If your winter lows fall outside that range, grow it in a container you can bring indoors, or treat it as an annual.
How often should I water Golden Pothos?
Water deeply every ten to fourteen days in summer, and less in cooler months. Let the top two inches of soil dry out between waterings.
How much sunlight does Golden Pothos need?
Golden Pothos prefers dappled light or only morning sun; afternoon shade protects the leaves.
Is Golden Pothos safe for pets?
We haven't verified toxicity information for Golden Pothos. Treat it as potentially harmful and keep it out of reach of pets and children. If a pet eats any part of it, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Is Golden Pothos good for beginners?
Yes, this is a forgiving plant that tolerates inconsistent watering and the occasional missed feeding. A good choice for a first garden.

Sources

Plant facts on this page come from a blend of public-domain and open-licensed datasets: Biodiversity Heritage Library (historical botanical illustrations, public domain), USDA PLANTS (taxonomy, public domain), GBIF (occurrence and taxonomy, CC-BY 4.0), OpenFarm (crop guides, CC-BY-SA 3.0), and Open-Meteo (climate and hardiness lookup, CC-BY 4.0). Toxicity records come from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and the Pet Poison Helpline; every row is hand-verified against a primary reference.