Want to learn about marble queen pothos care? Marble queens are one of my favorite varieties of pothos plants, and they’re also one of the easiest to find. Learn all about the plant, including how to tell marble queen pothos, snow queen pothos, and manjula pothos apart!
Marble queen pothos care guide
If you’ve ever seen a houseplant before, there’s a pretty good chance it was a pothos. Houseplants that belong to the Pothos genus are wildly popular because they look absolutely gorgeous with minimal care. I’ve written care guides for global green pothos, as well as cebu blue pothos—two of the newer and slightly harder to find varieties. (And I also have a general pothos care guide.)
But today it’s all about the marble queen. If you’re a beginner still finding your green thumb or an expert looking to expand your collection, the marble queen pothos plants are the perfect place to start. In my opinion, pothos plants are sooo underrated. Just because they are common doesn’t mean they aren’t gorgeous.
The marble queen pothos instantly livens up any room with its lime-colored stems and bright green variegated heart-shaped leaves. Its leaves are speckled with creamy white spots, a trait unique to the marble queen. Some leaves can be really heavily white, but the leaves are mostly green.
Marble queen basics
The marble queen’s scientific name is Epipremnum aureum, and it’s part of the Araceae (aka aroid) family. Pothos plants originated in French Polynesia, which has a warm tropical climate. Therefore, this queen is a tropical vine (like other pothos plants).
Pothos are now found all over the world and have actually become an invasive species in many tropical areas because of how quickly and easily they grow. This is where they get their nickname “devil’s ivy.” Depending on its growing conditions, it can max out at a foot or two in length, or an insane 20+ feet!
Like most pothos plants, the queen is extremely versatile and can be used as ground cover, a climbing vine, or a small hanging plant. Many people keep the marble queen pothos as a houseplant since it isn’t cold-hardy and it’s low-maintenance.
How much light does a marble queen pothos plant need?
Marble queens are hardy as hell and can survive most light conditions. If you really want your plant to thrive, though, it’s best to mimic its native bright, indirect light. Indoors, that means near your sunniest window. Outdoors, that means in the shade under a tree or a covered patio.
Direct sunlight could burn its beautiful, speckled leaves. A bit of direct morning sun is usually fine, but monitor your plant if you move it and aren’t sure if the lighting is appropriate.
What makes this plant great for office spaces and bedrooms is its low-light tolerance. Just keep in mind the less light they are exposed to, the less cream-colored spots it will have! Its leaves will compensate by turning more green maximize the amount of light they can take in (green = more chlorophyll, which plants need to grow).
So if you notice your marble queen getting too green and you don’t like that look, move the plant to a brighter spot. We have ours in our bedroom, and it’s pretty green compared to some I’ve seen in brighter conditions.
For soil, think well-draining
The soil mix for your marble queen pothos doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. Any soil mix with good drainage will work just fine. Look for something labeled “houseplants” or “indoor plants.”
The last thing you want to do is suffocate your marble queen with soil that is too dense! It will retain too much water. If you think you soil is too heavy and want to lighten it up, you can always throw in an extra handful of coco coir, perlite, or both to help with drainage, too. (See my soil 101 post all about different soil amendments for more.)
How much water does a marble queen pothos need?
I think we’ve established that these plants can grow almost anywhere. That being said, watering is the only tricky part about marble queen pothos care. Believe it or not, these tropical plants prefer drier soil.
You should only water them when the top few inches of soil has dried out, and I sometimes let mine almost completely dry out. When you do water the queen, allow any excess water to drip out through the pot’s drainage holes. Excess watering could cause root rot and droopy, yellow leaves.
However, if you notice the leaves browning, that’s a sign of underwatering. You should water even less frequently during the winter months when it’s cooler and the plant isn’t actively growing. Maybe even consider only misting the plant until spring arrives and monitoring how it’s doing.
Temperature & humidity
This tropical beauty thrives in warmer temperatures, with an ideal range between 65°F and 85°F. Trust me, it won’t do well outdoors in the winter! Low temperatures could permanently damage the leaves and cause them to develop dark patches.
However, I had a few pothos plants outside for the summer in my covered patio area, and they were fine with a few cold snaps down into the 50s. Just don’t let it be a regular thing, and definitely don’t let it get under freezing or expose it to frost.
Although the marble queen pothos prefers dry soil, it still loves its humidity. The more humidity the better, but the average household levels (40-60%) will work just fine. There are a few easy ways to increase the humidity around your pothos without a humidifier: place it near other plants, in the bathroom, or on top of a pebble tray with water.
Personally, I don’t really worry about humidifiers with my indoor pothos plants. The growth outside in the humid Maryland summers is noticeably larger and healthier, but I can’t be bothered to fill up a humidifier and clean it every day lol.
How to propagate a marble queen pothos plant
Pothos plants in general are some of the simplest plants to propagate, and the marble queen is no exception. First, make sure the mother plant is healthy. Then choose a good-looking vine with several nodes (nodes are where leaves attach to the stem) as a cutting. Roots grow from nodes, so keep that in mind when picking a stem to cut.
You can root your marble queen cutting in water for a bit before you plant it in soil. Generally if you switch out the water with fresh water every week or so, the cutting will grow roots after a few weeks. Then you can plant it and keep the soil damp for a week or two.
Don’t be surprised if it wilts a bit after you plant it. It is probably just suffering from a bit of transplant shock. You can also skip the water rooting and pop the cutting directly in some fresh, well-aerated soil. The nodes should be under the soil.
Keeping the soil moist the first few days after propagation is crucial. Not to mention, keep it out of direct sunlight. The stem cuttings should take root in about two weeks, and then you will be well on your way to a brand new marble queen pothos.
If you’re interested in other propagation methods you can use with the marble queen pothos, check out my posts about how to propagate plants in sphagnum moss and how to root plant cuttings in LECA!
Snow queen pothos vs. marble queen pothos
Marble queen pothos and snow queen pothos plants are often confused for one another. And for good reason—they look really similar. The leaves are the same shape and they grow in the exact same way. However, the distinguishing factor between the snow queen pothos and marble queen pothos is the
color of their leaves.
Marble queen pothos plants sport green leaves with cream-colored spots and splotches, whereas the leaves of the snow queen pothos are mostly creamy white, with very few green spots. Remember that the green parts of leaves are the only areas that can produce energy from the sun, so naturally the marble queen pothos grows much faster because it has more green.
The snow queen may take longer, but it can still grow to be as large as the marble queen pothos. I also found that snow queen pothos struggled with average household humidity—mine had a lot of browning on the white parts until I rehomed it to a neighbor with more patience.
Manjula pothos vs. marble queen pothos
Marble queens are also sometimes confused with manjula pothos plants. The difference between the marble queen pothos and manjula pothos is immediately apparent in the shape of their leaves. The marble pothos has heart-shaped leaves that grow flat, broad, and bright green with cream speckles.
The manjula pothos, however, has much more 3-dimensional leaves. By that I mean they curl and curve, making for a more wavy vine plant. The manjula’s leaves are also green, but they have large spots and splotches of cream and gold, different from the speckled pattern of the marble queen’s.
Are marble queen pothos plants toxic to pets?
Sadly, yes. Pothos plants in general are not safe to have around pets. So I keep mine hanging or up out of reach from my curious kitties. They contain calcium oxalates, which can cause oral irritation and burning, vomitting, etc.
If you want to learn more about plants that are not toxic to pets, check out my post with a bunch of pet-safe houseplants you can add to your collection. Lots of great options!
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Brittany is a seasoned DIY home and garden expert, running a creative brand since 2014 that inspires others with approachable plant care guides, woodworking tutorials, and decor projects. She is a certified project manager and has completed extensive coursework in the art and science of growing your own plants. Her work has been recognized by major publications, and she routinely collaborates with fellow DIY industry leaders—but her favorite thing to do is inspire you! Learn more about her here.
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