Epipremnum pinnatum 'Cebu Blue'

Cebu Island and a wider Pacific range

‘Cebu Blue’ comes from Cebu Island in the Philippines.

Beyond Cebu, Epipremnum pinnatum grows from tropical and subtropical Asia eastwards across many Pacific islands. In the wild, its young vines travel over the ground in both old and regrowing forest before climbing high into trees.

Care for supported aroid vines

• Light: Give Epipremnum ‘Cebu Blue’ bright, indirect light for steady growth; its pale blue-grey cast may appear stronger there. Judge the position by growth and leaf condition as well as colour, and acclimate the vine before any gentle direct sun.
• Watering: Let the upper root zone approach dryness while retaining some moisture deeper down. Rewet evenly and drain completely.
• Warmth and air: Steady indoor warmth suits Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Cebu Blue’. Guard the vine from chilly windows and draughts as well as strong radiator heat.
• Climbing: Press the nodes, the leaf-bearing points along the stem, against a textured upright support and secure the vine loosely until aerial roots attach. Sustained upward growth can produce larger leaves with deep divisions; a trailing vine commonly remains narrow and unsplit.
• Leaf care: Cut long growth just above a node. Handle the blue-grey leaves gently and avoid oily leaf polish.

Troubleshooting Epipremnum pinnatum 'Cebu Blue': normal changes and damage

• Blue-grey leaves: The waxy blue-grey cast on narrow juvenile blades is normal and can look different under different light. Disease produces changing lesions, surface powder, soft tissue or loss of vigour. Avoid polishing products that can hide the natural coating and pest signs.
• Round spots develop loose powder beneath: Powder that sits on the surface of an expanding brown or reddish lesion is not the natural blue-grey coating. Keep the vine apart while fresh powder or spots are appearing, remove badly affected leaves with a clean tool, keep the foliage dry and improve gentle airflow.
• Mealybugs, scale or thrips: Inspect leaf-stalk sheaths, the netted remains of old sheaths, nodes and leaf undersides for white wax, attached covers or silver scars with black specks. Remove visible pests, then use only a control whose label permits that pest on indoor ornamentals. Apply it to the sheaths, nodes and leaf undersides, and follow the stated repeat interval because nodes can shelter eggs and newly emerged young.
• Wilt with root decline: If the inner mix is dry and the roots are firm, water thoroughly and let the pot drain. Wet mix with dark, soft roots calls for removal of dead tissue and fresh, airy substrate. Keep the declining pot out of shared drainage water, and retain cuttings only from firm nodes well separated from the damaged base.

Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Cebu Blue’ 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.