Where to Position Pothos Plants in the Home

Houseplant owners treasure pothos plants for their beautiful trailing foliage. These tropical vines are also packed with meaning and symbolism, especially in feng shui. Knowing exactly where to position pothos plants in your home helps you maximize the positive power of these fantastic plants. In this article, we’ll run through the best locations for pothos plants in your home for optimal care and energy flow. 

Key Takeaways

Pothos plants are thought to be capable of absorbing negative energy in the home while also producing positive energy flows. Place pothos on top of cabinets or unused corners where negative energy congregates. Pothos also promote good luck, so place them in the southeast areas of a room linked to wealth and prosperity.

Pothos Plants and Feng Shui

Despite not being native to Asia, pothos plants have become well-known feng shui plants. Pothos plants are associated with positive energy because they can thrive in almost any environment. In addition, they are also thought to absorb negative energy from your home.

Pothos plants can also help purify the air inside your home. According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, pothos can absorb chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene from the surrounding air. This reinforces the belief that pothos plants can reduce negative energy in a home.

Pothos plants may also represent abundance and prosperity in feng shui. These prolific vines are linked to good luck and financial success. Pothos is known as the’ money plant’ in some areas of South Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Where to Position Pothos Plants in the Home

The Bagua Map

As a philosophy, feng shui focuses on the different currents of energy that flow through and around your home environment. By adapting the features and furnishings of your home in specific ways, you may channel different types of energy that you want to cultivate. Plants are some of the best feng shui devices you can use because they bring natural energies into your home.

In feng shui, the Bagua map is used to divide an entire house or individual rooms into nine different energy areas. These are:

• Center = Health (Tai Qi)   
• North = Career (Kan)   
• Northeast = Knowledge (Gen)
• East = Family (Zhen)
• Southeast = Prosperity and Wealth (Xun)
• South = Fame and Reputation (Li)
• Southwest = Relationships (Kun)   
• West = Children and Creativity (Dui)    
• Northwest = Travel and Helpful People (Qian)

Pothos plants are thought to absorb negative energy (or chi) and radiate positive energy. Negative energy tends to congregate on top of cupboards and other dark or unused spaces. Because pothos plants can tolerate shade and have trailing foliage, they’re ideal for boosting the positive energy in these areas.

Pothos plants are also linked to good luck, financial prosperity, and wealth. According to the Bagua map, the southeastern corner of a room is associated with these qualities. So, this is an ideal place for pothos plants. This works especially well if you work from home and want to cultivate a successful environment in your office.

Another important part of the Bagua map is how different areas relate to the five elements; earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. Like other houseplants, pothos plants are associated with the wood element. On the Bagua map, the wood element is associated with eastern and southeastern areas.

Considerations for the Care Needs of Pothos Plants

The ideal position for a pothos is usually a southeastern or eastern-facing window. This provides some light during the morning but not intense sunlight in the afternoon. This matches up well with the best areas of the Bagua map for pothos plants.

Pothos plants can tolerate shadier areas, so light isn’t usually an issue in terms of placement. Pothos grows best when allowed to trail down, so putting them on top of a cabinet or shelf is ideal. Even if these areas are slightly shadier, the pothos will still thrive.

That said, pothos work well in bathrooms, which are more humid than other areas of the home. However, this isn’t essential and doesn’t necessarily match with the ideal feng shui positions for pothos plants.

Where NOT to Place Pothos Plants in the Home

The Five Elements theory of feng shui, called Wu Xing, studies the relationships between the five elements mentioned earlier. Some elements nurture others, while certain combinations will clash. This helps us work out some areas where we shouldn’t place pothos plants.

Pothos and other plants are associated with the wood element. Wood is weakened by fire, which governs the southern part of the Bagua map. Putting pothos plants in southern areas could weaken their ability to produce positive energy and absorb negative energy.

Similarly, certain elements can clash and conflict with each other. Because metal can slice through wood, this creates a conflict between the two elements. Metal governs the West and Northwest areas of the Bagua map, potentially making these areas unsuitable for pothos plants.

Where to Place Pothos Plants Outdoors

Although usually kept as a houseplant, pothos may also be grown outdoors in the garden or on a patio. Because they need a tropical climate, pothos plants are best suited to gardens in USDA Growing Zones 10 to 12.

One thing to keep in mind is that pothos plants can become invasive in new tropical environments. Check your local regulations to see if pothos is listed as an invasive species. To limit the risk of spreading, grow pothos in pots with a pole to climb up.

Pothos plants need a warm, humid, shaded location when grown outdoors. Dappled sunlight in the morning is ideal, but direct afternoon sun will cause problems.

The Final Word

Pothos plants are low-maintenance houseplants that have several benefits in feng shui. When placed in southeastern areas, pothos can help increase good fortune and prosperity. Pothos are well-suited to east-facing rooms and thrive in these environments.

Further reading: Discover the Best Feng Shui-Friendly Hanging Plants.