Did you get a Cebu Blue Pothos? I don’t blame you! This easy Pothos plant has recently become more popular than ever. Let’s talk about Cebu Blue Pothos care, as well as how to propagate this stunning vine.
All about the pretty silver-blue Cebu Blue Pothos!
I love trailing plants, and pothos are some of the most common types of trailing plants you’ll find. The Cebu Blue Pothos is a gorgeous variety with silverish-blue shimmery leaves that trail, climb, vine beautifully. And it’s one of those plants that looks harder to care for than it really is, I think.
As its name suggests, the Cebu Blue comes from the island of Cebu in the Philippines. Cebu is the country’s oldest city, and it was the first capital of the Philippines. It’s a gorgeous tropical island that looks like paradise.
Cebu Blue has also been found in tropical regions of Asia and Northern Australia. In nature they grow over 40 feet long with massive leaves, but indoors they’re likely to grow no more than 10 feet with leaves no longer than 4 inches.
In addition to being names for where it comes from, Cebu Blue Pothos is named for the hints of blue in its leaves and its relation to pothos plants. (It’s not a philodendron.) Pothos are some of the easiest vines to grow and care for, making the Cebu Blue an ideal interesting plant for a beginner.
Table of contents
This is a long post with lots of info! So if you are looking for something specific, have a look through the hyperlinked table of contents below. You can also check out the care overview graphic below as well 🙂
- Is Cebu Blue a true pothos?
- Why is Cebu Blue so popular?
- Is Cebu Blue Rare?
- Does Cebu Blue have fenestrations?
- How long does it take to get fenestrations?
- How much light does a Cebu Blue plant need?
- How often should I water a Cebu Blue?
- Why are my Cebu Blue leaves turning yellow?
- What is the best soil?
- What is the best temperature?
- Does Cebu Blue like humidity?
- How fast does a Cebu Blue grow?
- Why is my Cebu Blue leggy?
- How do you make Cebu Blue fuller?
- How do you propagate a Cebu Blue Pothos?
- Is Cebu Blue toxic?
- Baltic Blue vs. Cebu Blue pothos
Is Cebu Blue a true pothos?
As with most tropical plants, you’d expect the Cebu Blue to be particular about temperature, humidity, and light, but this plant does surprisingly well in many different climates. Cebu Blue’s full botanical name is Epipremnum Pinnatum “Cebu Blue” because it’s a type of Epipremnum Pinnatum.
“Epipremnum” is the pothos genus—almost all of the popular houseplant varieties in the genus, including both Aurem and Pinnatum types, are referred to as some sort of pothos. However, you might hear Cebu Blue called Blue Pothos, the Dragon tail plant, and Centipede Tongavine. You’ll mostly hear “Devil’s Ivy” used to refer to golden and jade pothos, not this one.
It is a true pothos and a slightly harder-to-find variety of the popular pothos houseplant. I’ve also read that Cebu Blue is a man-made cultivar created by crossing different types of pothos and selectively breeding for its unique coloration. However, info online on its exact origins seems a bit mixed.
Why is Cebu Blue so popular?
As far as popularity, why does any plant get popular? I think Instagram and plant groups have a lot to do with it. We see plants we don’t usually see out and about and are attracted to them. Especially ones that are easy to grow and propagate.
I’d recommend checking local plant groups for cutting swaps, as well as local nurseries. Cebu Blues occasionally pop up in big box nurseries like Home Depot and Lowes, but I have only see one once. My friend gave me the heads up so I ran out to get it for her! And then of course there’s the always faithful Etsy.
You can even buy some pothos cuttings bundles on there, which is a nice way of expanding your collection and getting some varieties that might be harder to find locally. Since Pothos plants are so easy to root and propagate, you’ll have full plants in no time!
Is Cebu Blue Rare?
I mean, I wouldn’t say Cebu Blue Pothos is rare. But as with most plants, it is trendy. And that means that when it pops up in stores or nurseries, it flies off the shelves. So we’re probably experiencing a bit of a Cebu Blue supply shortage.
In turn, I’ve seen people trying to sell Cebu Blues for crazy high prices. I kind of hate that. I get supply and demand, but I don’t love price gouging. My first Cebu Blue was a cutting from a friend who gave it to me for free.
Then I saw a big full Cebu Blue at a nursery for about 30 bucks and jumped at it. Later that day we went to another nursery in town and saw two more for like $26 each. Win some, lose some, right?
Does Cebu Blue have fenestrations?
Yes, it can! But not always. Fenestration is a term used to describe the natural holes or openings that occur in the leaves of some varieties of pothos. It is not a typical feature of Cebu Blue Pothos, and it is not common for this cultivar to get fenestrations.
This plant is marked by two distinct phases: the young phase and the mature phase. During the young phase, its leaves are thin, oblong, and have a gorgeous silver-ish blue hue that shimmers in the right light. It’s the look almost always associated with Cebu Blues.
Cebu Blue plants can remain in their young phase forever, really. If they are grown as trailing plants, like many are, they will never fenestrate. Their leaves could vary from light green to bluish green, but they won’t fenestrate.
You can help your plant mature by giving it a moss pole. This is the only way your plant will develop fenestrated leaves—by climbing. The leaves will get larger—extremely large, eventually—and turn into a greenish color.
How long does it take to get fenestrations?
Even when climbing, Cebu Blues can take many years to reach maturity. So you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy those bluish leaves! If you want to jump start the process, give your Cebu Blue a moss pole ASAP and tie the plant’s stems up gently with twine or vinyl plant tape.
Fenestrations will typically begin to occur when the plant is in an environment closest to its natural habitat. The moss pole mimics a large tree trunk. Also make sure to give it plenty of bright indirect light and high-quality, well-draining soil to avoid overwatering. And probably humidity. 🙂
Recently I was visiting the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC with my daughter. I literally stopped in my tracks when I realized that a nearly three-story-tall plant was a Cebu Blue Pothos! The part of the plant near the bottom of the pole looked just like mine.
But as the plant climbed, you could see how the leaves began developing fenestrations. At first, just some holes and splits. But as it got taller and taller, the leaves morphed into very large, deeply fenestrated shapes. Here are a few pictures I took—I had to go to the top floor of the atrium to take the last ones! Truly amazing to see in person.
How much light does a Cebu Blue Pothos plant need?
As with most tropical plants and certainly other Pothos plants, Cebu Blue thrives on bright indirect light. However, the Cebu Blue is not as tolerant of low-light conditions as some other Pothos varieties can be.
Northern facing windows give your plant the bright light it needs without the risk of scorching the leaves. Morning sun in an eastern-facing window would also be ideal since it won’t expose it to the intense afternoon sunlight. If you want to grow a Cebu Blue outdoors, do so under a tree or shade as direct light will ruin its delicate leaves.
It’s certainly possible to grow your Cebu Blue by a south- or west-facing window that gets loads of sun. Just make sure to monitor the plant for signs of stress or scorching. At my old house, I had my plant hanging between south- and west-facing windows. However, the windows had sheer curtains and then later filtering shades. I had no issues.
I have also had smaller Cebu Blues in my Ikea greenhouse cabinet under grow lights If you’re new to grow lights, check out the post I wrote all about using grow lights with your houseplants—including the different kinds of grow lights and which ones I use.
Now at the new house, I’ve had my big trailing Cebu Blue hanging in the living room. It honestly doesn’t get a ton of light. Morning sun—but it isn’t even close the window (living room pic below). And it’s still doing pretty good. Some leggy growth, but we’ll talk about that in a bit.
How often should I water a Cebu Blue?
Watering a Cebu Blue Pothos is very straightforward: water the soil thoroughly, then allow the top few inches of soil to dry out before watering again. Overwatering will result in soggy, dense soil that could choke the roots and kill the plant.
On the other hand, underwatering will cause the leaves to yellow and wilt. This plant is very forgiving if you forget to water it once or twice, but it’s not as forgiving with overwatering. Stick to a basic, consistent watering schedule and your Cebu Blue will grow just fine.
Why are my Cebu Blue leaves turning yellow?
If your Cebu Blue leaves are turning yellow, it can be because of underwatering as noted above. If it’s because of underwatering, the leaves will be wilted and might even be a bit crispy. The soil will also be dry and probably caked.
If the leaves are yellowing because of overwatering, they probably won’t have those dry, crispy spots. They’ll lose color, fade, and die off. The soil will be heavier. So, it can be either and depends a lot on how you’ve been treating the plant 🙂
Keep in mind that the newer leaves on a Cebu Blue Pothos are often much lighter in color—even a greenish-yellow. They are also very shiny. Once they mature a few weeks, they begin to take on the blue hue and texture most commonly associated with Cebus.
What is the best soil?
Luckily the Cebu Blue is not picky when it comes to soil. And soil really helps to prevent over- and under-watering. Any quality indoor potting mix will do. However, if you want to take it a step further, you can add some additional perlite to improve drainage.
Like all tropical vines, its roots are susceptible to root rot, so you’ll want the best possible drainage. An optimal soil mix for a Cebu Blue is 3 parts potting mix and 1 part perlite. You should also make sure to plant it in a pot with a drainage hole.
Want more pothos? Check out my Global Green Pothos Care guide, my tips for Snow Queen Pothos Care & Propagation, and my Neon Pothos Care guide!
What is the best temperature?
Your home’s indoor temperature will be perfectly suitable for a Cebu Blue. They aren’t very picky, but you’ll want to avoid extreme changes in temperature and keep it away from drafty windows, doors, and vents. Cebu Blues really don’t ask for much.
The 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit range is ideal. However, I’ve grown the plant outdoors in the shade through hot Maryland summers. When the temperatures climb into the 90s day after day, you’ll likely need to water the plant more and monitor for signs of stress.
It is not cold or frost hardy at all. Growth will begin slowing and the plant may go dormant when temperatures drop below 60 degrees. However, the plant can generally withstand a few nighttime cold snaps down into the 50s.
Does Cebu Blue like humidity?
Cebu Blue pothos prefers moderate to high humidity. Pothos are native to tropical regions and are accustomed to high humidity levels. However, they are generally tolerant and normal household humidity levels.
Cebu Blue can be a bit pickier than some other pothos varieties, though—to keep an eye on things. In dry indoor environments, the leaves may also turn brown or become crispy. Mine has been okay in my dry as hell living room with no humidifier, but there are some leaves with crispy tips.
You’ll really see the plant flourish if you increase humidity levels to mimic its natural environment. The easiest ways of doing that are using a pebble tray, growing it near other plants, or misting the foliage each morning. Though the best way to maintain humidity levels is definitely by adding a humidifier.
Want more pothos? Check out my Lemon Meringue Pothos Care post, my guide for Epipremnum Amplissimum Care, and my tips for Manjula Pothos Care!
How fast does a Cebu Blue grow?
Cebu Blue grows quickly with the right care conditions. With the right amount of bright indirect light, your Cebu Blue could grow several feet in only one growing season—woo hoo! When grown indoors, its growth is likely to top out at about 10 feet long.
I’d say that my big plant is about 4-5 feet long right now, and I’ve had it for a few years. It could be much longer, though. I regularly prune the stems to encourage fullness and nip out leggy growth. You can see some of that leggy growth with smaller leaves in the pic below.
Why is my Cebu Blue leggy?
When grown as a trailing plant, Cebu Blue can have a tendency to get leggy. Let’s talk about that and a few of the other reasons your plant could be giving you leggy growth.
- Insufficient Light: If the plant is not getting enough light, it will stretch towards the light source and become leggy. Shoot for bright, indirect light.
- Repotting: If a plant is rootbound, it can become leggy as the plant is searching for more space to grow. Repotting the plant in a slightly larger pot with fresh soil can help.
- Lack of pruning: Pothos respond well to pruning and pinching, it encourage bushier growth and prevent leggy growth.
- Grown as a trailing plant: And sometimes leggy growth is just inevitable when growing Cebu Blue as a trailing plant. Once the plant reaches a certain length, you may notice it gets a bit leggier. Just prune this growth off.
How do you make Cebu Blue fuller?
So let’s talk pruning. Many people are afraid of cutting their plants. I love cutting my plants! Not only does it encourage fullness, it can encourage healthy new growth. If you notice a leggy area, simply snip it off just below a growth point. You’ll eventually notice new growth sprouting from this growth point.
The new growth will grow at a bit of an angle. This stem branching can create a bushier plant over time. But it does take time and patience! Make sure you’re also giving your plant plenty of bright, indirect light, warm temperatures, and ideal humidity to encourage healthy new growth.
How do you propagate a Cebu Blue Pothos?
I’ve talked a lot about cutting your plant. But what do you do with those cuttings? Throw them away? No! Around here, we propagate them. Cebu Blue is about as easy to propagate as it is to care for. And the easiest method is to use stem cuttings.
During the growing season, snip a stem with at least two nodes (where the leaf attaches to the stem, or look for the little nubs on the stems). This is where roots will sprout from. If you trim a leggy stem, these growth points are already expose and you won’t need to remove any of the lower leaves.
Below is an overview of how to propagate Cebu cuttings in soil and water. It’s pretty much the same process as other Pothos plants. I have a whole post on how to propagate Pothos plants from cuttings if you’re interested!
1. Propagating a cutting in soil
Place the cutting with one node 2 inches deep in moist, fresh soil. You can also dip the cut end of the piece in rooting hormone before you plant it to help speed up root development, too. I do this sometimes but not always. It’s definitely not required for a plant that’s so easy to propagate!
Keep the humidity high by covering with a plastic bag and keeping it in a warm place (but out of direct sun!). In only three or four weeks you’ll notice roots develop by tugging gently and feeling resistance, then you’ll be well on your way to a brand new Cebu Blue!
2. Propagating a cutting in water
You can also easily root pothos cuttings in water. Generally plants experience a bit of shock when they are rooted in water and transplanted to soil, but I’ve found that pothos are some of the easiest plants to propagate. So they are forgiving when moving from water to soil.
To propagate a cutting in water, simply put it in a jar or vase of water and be patient. Refresh the water weekly or so and monitor root development. Once it has some roots, transfer it to soil. I love water rooting for some plants because you can watch the roots grow!
3. Propagating Cebu Blue in moss
I have also rooted Cebu Blue in a sphagnum moss mixture. Here are two examples. Both are in mixtures of damp moss, perlite chunks, and a bit of worm castings for nutrients. I keep these in a propagation box with a lid. (It’s just a clear storage container that you keep the lid on to keep humidity high.
Is Cebu Blue toxic?
According to the Queensland Government, all Epipremnum varieties, including Aureum and Pinnatum (which Cebu Blue is a type of), are toxic. All parts of the plant contain needle-like calcium oxalate crystals.
If chewed or eaten, they can cause pain or a burning sensation and swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, and throat. The sap may cause contact dermatitis and eye irritation. Always keep plants away from curious pets and kids, and wear gloves when pruning or repotting your plants.
What is the difference between Baltic Blue and Cebu Blue pothos?
Both the Baltic Blue and Cebu Blue are cultivars of the Epipremnum Pinnatum. I have a Baltic Blue Pothos Care post you can check out, but I’ve also included a pic of the plant’s foliage below.
The main difference between the two is the color of their leaves. Baltic Blue pothos has more intense, brighter, and glossier green color while Cebu Blue pothos has a more muted, subdued blue-green-silver color.
Additionally, Baltic Blue has a more compact growth habit than Cebu Blue, which tends to be more trailing. I’ve also noticed that Baltic Blue seems to fenestrate with age, even without something to climb.
Pin my Cebu Blue Pothos care and propagation guide!
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