The Ultimate Pothos Starter Pack: 9 Varieties I Swear By for Stunning Indoor Vibes

Pothos plants come in many varieties, each with its own distinct leaf pattern and growing habits. Most pothos varieties can be trained to climb, though others are better suited to planters and pots on tables and dressers. Though each variety of pothos plants has slightly different care requirements, they are all considered low-maintenance and will thrive in most positions. Here are some of the most popular types of pothos plants to grow at home:

1) Marble Queen pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Botanical Characteristics

Here’s a plant that made me fall in love with variegation. The Marble Queen shows off creamy white patches that dance across deep green leaves like spilled paint on canvas. You’ll never find two identical leaves, which keeps me hunting for the next perfect variegated gem.

What I Love About Marble Queen Pothos

What gets me every time? This beauty grows fast but stays predictable. Unlike some finicky variegated plants, Marble Queen adapts like a champ. I’ve watched mine climb a moss pole, creating this gorgeous cascading waterfall effect that stops visitors in their tracks.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

My care approach is refreshingly simple. I give mine bright, indirect light – enough to keep that stunning variegation crisp without scorching those delicate white sections. Watering happens when the top inch feels dry, usually every 7-10 days.

Here’s what I learned the hard way: those white patches can’t photosynthesize, so they need their green siblings to do the heavy lifting. Too much shade and you’ll lose that marble pattern to solid green growth.

I rotate mine weekly so all sides get equal light exposure, keeping the variegation balanced and beautiful.

2) Golden pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Botanical Characteristics

This is the plant that started it all for me. Golden pothos sports heart-shaped leaves painted with sunny yellow streaks that seem to glow from within. The variegation appears as irregular splashes and stripes, creating a natural tie-dye effect that never gets old. New growth emerges with more intense golden coloring, gradually deepening as leaves mature.

What I Love About Golden Pothos

Call me sentimental, but Golden pothos feels like having sunshine indoors year-round. When winter drags on forever, those cheerful yellow markings always lift my spirits.

I love how forgiving this plant is – it bounces back from neglect like nothing happened. Mine survived a two-week vacation without water and greeted me with new growth shoots like it was showing off.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Medium to bright indirect light keeps those golden streaks looking their best. I water when soil feels dry about an inch down – usually twice a week in summer, less in winter. The secret sauce? I mist the leaves occasionally during dry months, which seems to encourage faster growth.

Pro tip: pinch growing tips regularly to keep your plant bushy instead of leggy. Those cuttings root easily in water, so you’ll have backup plants or gifts for friends before you know

3) Silver pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Botanical Characteristics

Silver pothos brings serious drama with its metallic sheen that catches light like polished pewter. The leaves display silvery-gray variegation that shifts from pale mint to deep sage, depending on how the light hits them. Each leaf feels slightly thicker than other pothos varieties, with a matte finish that makes you want to run your fingers across the surface.

What I Love About Silver Pothos

This one’s my conversation starter. Guests always do a double-take when they spot it – “Is that real?” they ask, reaching out to touch those silvery leaves. I’m obsessed with how it photographs too. Under natural light, those metallic tones create the most Instagram-worthy plant shots without any filters needed.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Less is more with Silver pothos. I keep mine in moderate indirect light – too bright and those silver markings fade to boring green.

Watering gets tricky since the thick leaves hold moisture longer than expected. I stick my finger deep into the soil and wait until it’s dry two inches down before watering again.

Overwatering turns those gorgeous silver sections brown faster than you can say “root rot.” I learned this lesson after killing my first one with kindness. Now I err on the dry side, and my current plant has been thriving for three years strong.

4) Pothos n’joy (Epipremnum Aureum)

Botanical Characteristics

N’Joy pothos looks like someone took a paintbrush and created perfect white borders around each green section. The variegation appears more structured than other varieties – crisp white edges frame deep emerald centers in almost geometric patterns. Leaves stay compact and heart-shaped, rarely growing larger than your palm.

What I Love About Pothos N’Joy

Here’s my perfectionist plant. While other pothos varieties surprise me with random variegation, N’Joy delivers consistency every single time. Those clean white margins make it feel like living artwork hanging in my kitchen window. I appreciate how it stays manageable too – no jungle takeover happening here.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Bright indirect light is non-negotiable for keeping those white edges sharp. I’ve noticed mine gets leggy fast in low light, stretching desperately toward any available brightness.

Watering happens when the top layer of soil feels dry to touch. The compact growth means less frequent repotting, which suits my lazy gardening style perfectly. I pinch back any solid green growth immediately – those sections will overtake the variegated parts if left unchecked.

A monthly wipe-down of leaves keeps them looking crisp and gallery-ready.

5) Jade pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Botanical Characteristics

Jade pothos strips away all the fuss and delivers pure, solid green perfection. The leaves emerge in rich emerald tones that deepen with age, creating a lush tapestry of green without a single variegated streak in sight. Heart-shaped leaves grow larger than most pothos varieties, sometimes reaching the size of your outstretched hand when happy.

What I Love About Jade Pothos

Sometimes you need a plant that just works, no drama required. Jade pothos is my reliable friend – the one who shows up consistently without demanding attention. I love how those solid green leaves create the perfect backdrop for my flashier variegated plants. It’s like having a dependable supporting actor who makes everyone else shine brighter.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

This plant practically raises itself. Medium light works fine, low light works too – I’ve seen jade pothos thrive in office cubicles with nothing but fluorescent bulbs.

Water when dry, which happens about once a week in my house. The real magic happens with feeding – a monthly dose of liquid fertilizer during growing season turns this already vigorous grower into an absolute beast.

Mine climbed eight feet up my living room wall before I had to trim it back. If you want instant jungle vibes without the maintenance headache, jade pothos delivers every time.

6) Hawaiian pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Botanical Characteristics

Hawaiian pothos comes with an impressive pedigree – larger, glossier leaves that dwarf their houseplant cousins. In their native tropical habitat, these leaves can stretch over a foot wide with dramatic fenestrations. Indoors, you’ll still get that distinctive thick, waxy texture and deeper green coloration that screams “I’m built for the tropics.”

What I Love About Hawaiian Pothos

This variety makes me feel like I’m cheating the system. While everyone else babies their fenestrated plants, my Hawaiian pothos delivers that same tropical statement without the fuss. Those thick, glossy leaves catch light beautifully and feel substantial when you brush past them. It’s the closest I’ll get to having actual Hawaiian jungle vibes in my living room.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Higher humidity keeps this tropical native happy – I run a humidifier nearby during winter months. Bright indirect light encourages those leaves to reach their full potential, though mine tolerates medium light just fine.

The thick leaves hold water longer, so I wait until soil feels dry several inches down before watering.

Here’s my secret weapon: I give mine a moss pole to climb. As it gains height, those leaves naturally grow larger and more impressive. It’s like watching your plant level up in real time.

Monthly feeding during spring and summer keeps the growth momentum going strong.

7) Manjula pothos (Epipremnum ‘Manula’)

Botanical Characteristics

Manjula pothos looks like Mother Nature got creative with a watercolor palette. Each leaf displays a swirled mix of green, cream, white, and silver – no two leaves match, creating this beautiful chaos that keeps me studying every new growth. The leaves have wavy, ruffled edges that add texture you won’t find in other pothos varieties. Some leaves lean heavily cream, others stay mostly green with delicate white brushstrokes.

What I Love About Manjula Pothos

This plant satisfies my need for constant surprise. Every morning brings a new leaf pattern to discover, like opening a present I didn’t know I was getting. The way those colors blend together reminds me of expensive marbled paper – except this version keeps growing and changing. I’ve caught myself photographing particularly stunning leaves just to remember their patterns.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Bright, filtered light brings out the best color variation without burning those pale sections. I water when the top inch feels dry, usually every 8-10 days.

The secret I learned from trial and error? Don’t rush to fertilize heavily. Too much nitrogen pushes out solid green growth that ruins the beautiful marbled effect. I feed lightly every 6 weeks during growing season.

Pruning any completely green vines keeps the variegation strong. Those cuttings root easily, though each new plant carries slightly different patterning – it’s like getting bonus lottery tickets with every propagation.

8) Neon pothos (Epipremnum Pinnatum)

Botanical Characteristics

Neon pothos hits you with electric lime-green leaves that practically glow in the dark. New growth emerges in almost fluorescent yellow-green before settling into that signature chartreuse color. The leaves maintain their heart shape but feel slightly thinner than other pothos varieties, with a soft matte finish that diffuses light beautifully.

What I Love About Neon Pothos

Talk about instant mood boost. This plant brings pure sunshine energy to any corner, especially during those gray winter months when everything feels dull.

I love how it photographs – that electric color pops against any background without looking fake or overdone. Friends always ask if I’ve edited the photos because the color seems too bright to be real.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Medium to bright indirect light keeps that neon glow strong. Too much direct sun bleaches the color to pale yellow, while too little light turns it boring green. I’ve found the sweet spot is about six feet from my south-facing window.

Watering stays consistent – when the top inch dries out, usually every week. Here’s something interesting: this variety seems to prefer slightly cooler temperatures than other pothos. Mine sits happiest around 65-70°F rather than the typical 70-80°F range. The cooler temps seem to intensify that electric color while keeping growth steady and strong.

9) Satin pothos (Scindapsus Pictus)

Botanical Characteristics

Satin pothos isn’t technically a pothos at all, but don’t let that fool you – it’s still family. Those heart-shaped leaves feel like velvet brushed with silver glitter, creating this gorgeous matte texture that catches light differently than glossy pothos varieties. Dark green leaves host scattered silver spots and splashes, like someone flicked metallic paint across each one.

What I Love About Satin Pothos

This plant brings serious sophistication to my collection. While other pothos varieties shout for attention, satin pothos whispers elegance. I’m constantly running my fingers across those velvety leaves – it’s become my stress relief ritual. The way those silver markings shimmer in lamplight makes evening plant checks feel magical.

Care Tips I Follow for Optimal Growth

Lower light tolerance makes this perfect for rooms where other plants struggle. I keep mine about eight feet from a window, and it stays perfectly happy.

The thick, fuzzy leaves hold moisture longer than expected, so I water only when soil feels dry two inches down – usually every 10-12 days. Overwatering kills the silver variegation fast. I learned this after my first one turned solid green from too much moisture and poor drainage. Now I use a chunky potting mix with extra perlite, and my current plant has been showing off those silver spots for two years running.

Light misting during dry months keeps those leaves feeling soft and looking their best.

For more, see our in-depth guide to pothos plant care at home.