Epipremnum aureum 'Neon' ('Neon Pothos')

Cultivated form and natural origin

'Neon' is an established cultivated form of Epipremnum aureum recognised for clear yellow-green leaves without a marbled pattern.

E. aureum is native to Mo‘orea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.

Care for Neon pothos

• Light: Bright indirect light keeps growth compact and colour vivid. Avoid hot direct sun that can bleach or scorch the leaves.
• Water: Water when the top of the mix has started to dry, then let the pot drain fully.
• Humidity: Normal home humidity is usually adequate. Keep the leaves away from very hot, dry air.
• Temperature: Keep it warm, especially while the plant is actively producing new leaves.
• Substrate: Use a well-aerated mix with free drainage and some moisture-holding material.
• Training: Trail it from a shelf or basket, or attach a vigorous stem to a pole for larger leaves.
• Feeding, repotting and propagation: Feed lightly while growth is active; stop if the plant slows in winter. Repot when roots are crowded and propagate from stem sections with a healthy node.

Common issues on Neon pothos

• Colour turning dull green: Move the plant into brighter indirect light and look at the next few leaves; older foliage will not change colour.
• Bleached tan patches: Strong direct sunlight can damage the chartreuse tissue. Move the plant out of direct sun.
• Yellowing accompanied by persistently wet compost: Extend the interval between waterings and make sure the substrate is not compacted.
• Fine webbing or pale stippling: Check for spider mites, isolate affected plants and use a labelled mite treatment suitable for ornamental houseplants. Repeat only at the interval stated on the label.

Epipremnum aureum ‘Neon’ (‘Neon Pothos’, ‘Golden Pothos’) 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.

Epipremnum aureum: name and publication history

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.