Epipremnum pinnatum aureum 'Cintho Goldfinger'

Climbing from the forest floor

Across tropical Asia and the Pacific, young Epipremnum pinnatum vines may run over the forest floor before attaching to a nearby tree. Aerial roots grip the trunk as the vine climbs. Higher on the tree, the stems produce the larger, deeply divided leaves seen on mature plants.

Care for supported aroid vines

• Light: Give the yellow-green vine bright, indirect light to support the green portions and compact growth. Shield yellow sectors from hot midday sun and introduce any direct exposure gradually.
• Watering: Water when roughly the upper third of the root ball is dry, soaking the loose aroid mix completely before allowing free drainage around the climbing stem.
• Substrate and pot: Choose a loose, slightly acidic aroid medium that holds some moisture while coarse material keeps it airy. Use a container just wider than the rootball with clear drainage holes.
• Feeding: Feed moderately while the plant is producing new leaves and roots. Yellow areas produce less energy than green areas.
• Pruning and propagation: Root stem pieces that contain a node and both yellow and green tissue. Repot once roots fill the pot.

Problems and solutions for Epipremnum pinnatum aureum 'Cintho Goldfinger'

• Wilt or yellowing beyond the pattern: Check pot weight, moisture inside the rootball and root texture. Dry, firm roots need thorough rewetting; dark, soft roots in wet mix need cleaning and a more open substrate. Keep drainage water from the affected pot away from other plants, and do not water again merely because the vine looks limp.
• Browning in yellow sectors: Pale areas can turn crisp after a dry spell, hot glass or sudden strong light. Move the plant and stabilise the root water supply; the old mark will remain. A wet, expanding margin or pustules beneath the leaf indicate a different problem. Isolate the plant promptly.
• Insects at nodes and sheaths: White wax points to mealybugs, shell-like covers to scale, silver scars with black specks to thrips, and fine stippling to mites. Search the fibrous sheath remains and both leaf surfaces. Remove visible pests. Select an indoor-ornamental product whose label names the pest, then try it on a limited yellow-green area. If no injury develops there, cover affected surfaces and sheath fibres and reinspect according to the directions.
• Yellow sectors: Irregular yellow, yellow-green and dark-green areas are the plant's normal variegation when the tissue is firm and the pattern remains stable. Orange-brown surface powder, expanding dead centres or soft, dark stems are not a stronger colour expression and need separate checks.

Epipremnum pinnatum aureum ‘Cintho Goldfinger’ 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.

Who first published Epipremnum pinnatum, and what does the name mean?

Epipremnum combines Greek epi, meaning upon, with premnon, meaning tree trunk, referring to the way the vine attaches to a support. Pinnatum means pinnate or feather-like and refers to the divided leaves of a mature climbing plant.

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

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Pothos pinnatus in 1763 in Species Plantarum, second edition, page 1324. Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler later placed it in Epipremnum as Epipremnum pinnatum in 1908 in Das Pflanzenreich, IV, 23B, page 60.