Epipremnum aureum 'Jungle Star' ('Marble green')

Identity and natural origin of Epipremnum aureum 'Jungle Star' ('Marble green')

'Jungle Star', also known as 'Marble green', is a cultivated Epipremnum aureum selected for marbling made up of green, lime and yellow-green tones.

The wild species comes from Mo‘orea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia and grows as a tropical forest climber.

Growing 'Jungle Star' indoors

• Light: Bright indirect light keeps the green-on-green pattern clear. Moderate light is tolerated, but very low light can stretch the vines.
• Water: Let the upper part of the mix start to dry before watering thoroughly, then empty any collected runoff.
• Humidity: Typical indoor humidity is generally enough; keep air moving if the plant is grown in a very humid cabinet.
• Temperature: Keep it warm and avoid a cold, wet root ball.
• Substrate: Use a loose, airy mix that drains freely but still holds some moisture.
• Support and pruning: Train a chosen vine upward for increasing leaf size, or prune regularly for a fuller trailing plant.
• Feeding, repotting and propagation: Apply a mild houseplant feed while it is actively producing leaves, and pause when growth slows in darker months. Repot into the next size only when roots need more room; propagate from node cuttings.

Common problems with 'Jungle Star'

• Long bare stretches between leaves: Give the plant more indirect light and cut back sparse vines if you want a fuller plant.
• Multiple yellow leaves at once: Check how long the substrate stays wet and adjust watering before adding more feed.
• Dry brown margins: Look for repeated underwatering, hot sun or direct heat from a radiator, then adjust watering or move the plant away from excess heat or sun.
• Fine pale speckling or webbing: Inspect both sides of the leaves for spider mites, isolate if needed, and treat with a product labelled for mites on ornamental plants. Repeat only at the interval stated on the label.

Epipremnum aureum ‘Jungle Star’ (‘Marble green’) is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

The history of the name Epipremnum aureum

Epipremnum combines Greek epi, meaning upon, with premnon, meaning tree trunk, referring to the way the vine attaches to a support.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Epipremnum in 1857 in Bonplandia (Hannover), volume 5, page 45.

Jean Jules Linden and Édouard-François André first described it as Pothos aureus in 1880 in L’Illustration Horticole, volume 27, page 69. George Sydney Bunting later placed it in Epipremnum as Epipremnum aureum in 1964 in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, volume 50, page 28.