Neon Pothos Care

Learn all about neon pothos care, including how to keep the bright gorgeous neon yellow color and help this gorgeous cultivar thrive.

Neon pothos care guide

It’s time for another pothos care post! I have a cebu blue care post, a global green pothos care post, a marble queen pothos care post, and a good ol’ general pothos care post. Today it’s about the Neon Pothos!

The Neon Pothos is the yellow highlighter of the plant world. It has vibrant, neon leaves that glow yellow-green. Most plant lovers keep the Neon Pothos indoors because it brings a bright splash of color to any room. Not to mention, it is highly adaptable and easy to care for.

There are a few tips and tricks to make sure the Neon Pothos thrives, and we’ll cover them all in this post! Let’s do some basic pothos background first.

Pothos background info

The Neon Pothos belongs to the Araceae (aka aroid) family and is a cultivar of the Epipremnum Aureum. It is native to the islands in the South Pacific, which includes Samoa, French Polynesia, and Fiji. The Neon pothos comes specifically from the Solomon Islands, a tropical paradise known for their biodiversity and gorgeous coral reefs.

Like other Pothos, the Neon is a vine that grows rampant in tropical climates, sometimes considered an invasive species. They are found in homes all over the world now because of their unique color and easygoing care routine.

Do neon pothos need sunlight?

The Neon Pothos is adaptable to any amount of light, it will just take some time to adjust. But the ideal spot is a few feet away from a sunny window. They thrive in bright, indirect light, but will survive low light as well. Keep in mind, though, that the leaves come out super yellow and will darken a bit as they age.

However, if your plant’s leaves begin turning green, it’s likely that your Neon Pothos needs more light. Lower light will lead to darker leaves. The leaves won’t lighten with more light, but new growth will come in beautifully bright and neon.

Make sure you don’t keep your Neon in direct sun, though, because it will burn its leaves. If you notice its leaves losing their vibrancy and getting kind of pale, it is probably getting too much sunlight. I put many of my pothos plants on my covered patio in the summer, and they love it.

Neon Pothos care & the best soil

The best soil for your Neon Pothos is a well-aerated, well-draining mix. Very thick soil could harm the plant by choking its roots. When picking a soil mix, your top priority should be proper drainage, so consider adding perlite or sand to allow water to flow through more easily.

Pothos are susceptible to root rot, and picking the right soil will prevent that. I like to add in a bit of coco coir and perlite into most houseplant mixes to help with some more drainage and aeration. (Read more about soil amendments in my soil 101 post.)

How often do you water Neon Pothos?

Like other Pothos, the Neon does not require a ton of water. In fact, most people find that they overwater it. Loving your plants too much can be a bad thing as far as water goes 🙂 You should allow the top few inches of soil to dry out completely between waterings.

If you don’t, then waterlogged, soggy soil will cause the leaves to wilt and yellow (and not in a cute yellow way like the plant’s neon look). What’s pretty incredible about the Neon is that it will speak to you; its leaves will appear more dull and start to curl when it’s asking you for more water.

Temperature & humidity needs

The Neon Pothos loves warmer temperatures like those found in the tropics. Its ideal temperature range is anywhere between 65°F and 85°F. That being said, your Neon plant will grow perfectly fine with your average household temperature.

If you plan on keeping it outdoors, however, make sure to bring it inside during winter. The cold temperatures could permanently damage its foliage—it is NOT cold hardy.

This tropical vine loves humidity. Think 60% humidity or higher. There are plenty of ways to artificially increase the humidity levels around your Neon Pothos, like misting it occasionally, keeping it near other plants or in the bathroom, and keeping a humidifier nearby.

Don’t worry about humidity too much, though, because the Neon Pothos is highly adaptable and
will do fine just about anywhere. Like a lot of Pothos plants, they will thrive with higher humidity but will also do just fine in normal household humidity.

How to propagate neon pothos using a cutting

The best method to propagate any Pothos is using stem cuttings. Pick a few healthy stems from the mother plant with several nodes—the area where leaves attach to the stem. You can choose to grow
these cuttings in water.

Pop it in and change the water out every week or so. Pretty soon, you’ll have some nice long roots. You can then plant the stem and roots in fresh well-draining soil. Keep the soil moist, in high humidity, and out of direct sunlight for optimal rooting.

In about two weeks you should start to notice the planted cutting begin to rebound from the initial shock of being planted. At this point you’ll be well on your way to growing a brand new Neon Pothos.

For more about plant propagation methods, check out my post about how to root cuttings in sphagnum moss and how to propagate cuttings in LECA!

Do this cultivar flower?

Fun fact: Neon Pothos can actually produce flowers! Unfortunately for those of us who don’t live in the tropics, though, we may never get to see them. The Pothos we plant lovers grow in our homes are in the juvenile phase.

The Neon must reach maturity in the perfect environment before it can bloom. In nature, Neon Pothos produce flowers with a creamy white spathe and purple hues around the spadix. You’ll also increase your likelihood of flowering if you have your plant climbing a moss pole instead of trailing.

Pin my neon pothos care guide!