Epipremnum pinnatum 'Marble'

Across Asian and Pacific forests

Epipremnum pinnatum grows naturally from tropical and subtropical Asia across many Pacific islands. It lives in rainforest, monsoon forest and coastal woodland, from the lowlands into hill forest. It also occupies rocky ground formed from granite, andesite and limestone.

Care for supported aroid vines

• Light: A bright, filtered position encourages steady growth and keeps the dense cream pattern easy to see. Protect pale areas from intense midday sun.
• Watering: Water when the upper root zone nears dryness and some moisture remains farther down. Water the whole rootball evenly and let all excess escape.
• Temperature: Steady indoor warmth suits the vine. Keep it away from cold draughts and heating vents.
• Climbing: Guide each node, the point on the stem where a leaf grows, onto a textured vertical surface. Continued attachment and sufficient light allow the species to form progressively larger, deeply divided leaves.
• Pruning and propagation: Each cutting needs a node and should include both green and cream stem tissue. If a shoot remains completely green, prune it at the last marbled node.

Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Marble’: signs to watch

• Dense cream flecking: Stable cream-white stippling and marbling across firm green tissue are normal. Loose orange-brown powder associated with an enlarging spot is different and should be checked on both leaf surfaces. Keep changing lesions dry and apart from nearby foliage until their boundary stops moving.
• Browning in cream sectors: Sun, heat and uneven root moisture are easy to see on pale tissue. A crisp exposed edge calls for correction of the matching exposure or water supply. A wet spot that expands, develops a yellow boundary or produces surface powder calls for dry foliage, gentle airflow and removal of a badly affected leaf with a clean tool.
• Sap-feeding pests: Thrips leave silver scars and black droppings, mealybugs form cottony wax, scale remains attached beneath a cover, and mites stipple the underside. Inspect sheaths, nodes and both leaf surfaces. Isolate the vine and remove accessible pests. Choose a product labelled for that pest on indoor plants. Test it on a small cream section before wider use. If no mark appears, treat the affected surfaces and hidden nodes, repeating only as directed.
• Yellowing and soft roots: A dry, firm rootball can be rehydrated fully; a wet ball containing dark, soft or peeling roots needs cleaning and fresh, airy mix. Do not let suspect runoff enter another pot. Take a cutting only from a firm, symptom-free stem section well away from the failed base.

Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Marble’ 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 pinnatum: name and meaning

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.