Marble Queen Pothos: General Information and Care Guide


Marble queen pothos is a unique philodendron with variegated leaves. How do you help it thrive and remain beautiful?
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Many variegated plants have yellow stripes or blotches on otherwise green. However, the Marble Queen pothos, Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen’, is unique in this regard and characterized instead by white and cream splotches of variegation. It is sometimes called the Devil’s Ivy and is a fantastic indoor plant if you’re looking for something that thrives in bright, indirect light.

White and green marble queen pothos plant

Pothos Plants

Pothos plants, like philodendrons, are adored and commonly grown as houseplants because they are low-maintenance and easy to grow. These hardy plants are usually grown as trailing vines and have heart-shaped leaves in different shades of green with white, yellow, or light green variegation. Plants tolerate some neglect, survive in lower light conditions, and don’t require much water.

Pothos and philodendrons are very similar in appearance, so people often confuse the two plants or mistake them for one another. The leaves on pothos plants tend to be larger than philodendron leaves, with a waxy coating. 

The stems and branches of a pothos plant crawling into the bookshelf

Is the Marble Queen Pothos Popular?

Yes. The marble queen variety is one of the more popular pothos grown. It is easy to find in stores, and the creamy white variegation is stunning on the plant’s beautiful green leaves. The highly variegated leaves do result in a slower-growing plant compared to other types with more chlorophyll in their leaves.

Marble Queen Pothos Care

The marble queen pothos is native to French Polynesia, a group of 118 geographically dispersed islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Like other plants with tropical origins, this pothos is suited for indoor conditions and does well as a houseplant. The key aspects of caring for your plant are its light requirements and watering needs.

A very healthy looking white leaf of a pothos plant

Light Requirements

Pothos plants tolerate low light conditions but grow best in bright indirect light. They will handle a little direct sunlight in the morning or evening when the rays are less intense, but too much direct sun scorches the leaves. With enough light, the leaves maintain their beautiful variegation. Too little light causes the variegation to revert to green.

In the winter, when shorter day lengths mean there is less sunlight, it may be worthwhile to purchase a supplemental grow light to keep your plant from becoming leggy or losing its variegation.

Watering Frequency

One of the main reasons people love growing pothos is that they don’t need much water, so it’s okay if you forget to check on them for a few days. Never let the plant sit in excess water to avoid root rot. Instead, let the top couple of inches of potting soil dry out before watering the plant thoroughly.

Ambient Temperature 

Marble Queen pothos love air temperatures between 65 and 85°F, but should be kept away from exterior doors or drafty windows in the winter that exposes plants to temperatures below 55°F. They also do best when the temperature doesn’t fluctuate wildly, so keep them away from furnace or air conditioning vents if possible.

Relative Humidity

Since they originate from a tropical region, plants love higher humidity levels, especially in the bathroom or close to the kitchen sink. If your home’s air is on the dry side—especially during the winter—run a humidifier by your plant or set it in a pebble tray that has a little water in the bottom. 

Fertilization

Pothos plants are easy-going when it comes to fertilization too. At a minimum, give your plant a dose of liquid fertilizer in the spring as it starts actively growing for the season (plants do grow slower in the winter). For best growth, give it fertilizer once a month through the spring and summer following the label instructions or at a half dose.

Pest & Disease Problems

Overall, pothos plants have few problems, but you need to watch for a couple of things. Like other houseplants, they are prone to infestations of aphids, thrips, fungus grants, spider mites, and mealybugs—all of which are treatable by spraying the foliage with neem oil or insecticidal soap. Since they prefer drier soil, they also suffer from root rot when overwatered.

Propagating Marble Queen Pothos

Similar to philodendrons, propagating pothos via stem cuttings is extremely easy. Cuttings root really well and quickly in either water or potting soil. With the little cost involved and little effort required to grow new starts, propagation is a fantastic way to expand your indoor houseplant collection from one plant into many beautiful specimens.

Supplies

  • Marble Queen Pothos
  • Sterilized snips or scissors
  • Water
  • Clean glass container (jar, mug, etc.)
  • Container with drainage holes
  • Potting soil or coconut coir

Prepping Stem Cuttings

  1. Pick a stem on the plant with a couple of leaf nodes and a handful of healthy, well-variegated leaves. 
  2. Pinch the end of the stem off the plant with your fingernails or use scissors to cut it just below a node.
A woman cutting the stems of a pothos plant
  1. Remove the leaves from the stem, except a couple at the very top.
  2. (Optional) Set the stem piece on the counter or a piece of paper toweling for 24 hours, so the cut forms a callous.

Rooting Cuttings

Once the cutting is ready, you can plant it directly into a container filled with potting soil or coconut coir, or you can set it in water to root. Both methods work equally well, and new roots should start growing within a couple of weeks. Some people like rooting cuttings in water so they can watch the roots grow.

Rooting in Growing Media

  1. Fill a small container with slightly moistened well-draining growing medium.
  2. Create a hole with your finger in the center of the potting soil and plant the stem, so some of the nodes are buried.
  3. Set the container where it gets bright, indirect light.
  4. Keep the potting mix or coco coir slightly damp but avoid letting it get waterlogged.
A person replanting a pothos into a different pot

Rooting in Water

  1. Fill your clean glass container with tap water, distilled water, or filtered water.
  2. Place the cut stem end in the water, making sure a couple of nodes are submerged too. 
  3. Put the jar or glass in a spot with bright, indirect light. 
  4. Change the water every few days to circumvent bacterial growth, always keeping the water level high enough the nodes are submerged.
  5. Once roots get a couple of inches long, plant the new start into a container and add it to your collection.
A person propagating a pothos plant using water

Pruning Your Marble Queen Pothos

Prune your plant whenever necessary if you need to control its size. Pinch your plant’s stems back to encourage bushy, fuller growth every once in a while. If you have space for more plants, this is the perfect time to propagate new starts. You should remove dead or unhealthy leaves anytime you notice them and discard them into the trash.

A person pruning a plant in a pot

Pothos Toxicity

All pothos contain harmful chemicals hat are considered mildly toxic. The calcium oxalates are insoluble and cause discomfort and irritation of the lips, tongue, and throat. Ingestion can also cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea; in large amounts, the leaves can be toxic to cats and dogs. Keep your plant up where pets and young children can’t reach it to prevent ingestion.

Growing Tips

  • Yellow leaves mean you are overwatering your plant, which is much more common than underwatering. Give the potting soil time to partially dry out before watering your pothos again.
  • Dry, brown leaf tips are due to low humidity levels. Increase the relative humidity to prevent further drying and browning.
  • Every couple of years, repot your Marble Queen into a slightly bigger container. Plants don’t mind being somewhat rootbound, but growth slows if severely rootbound. 
  • If the creamy white variegation starts to yellow, the plant isn’t receiving enough bright, indirect light, and the coloration is reverting to green. 
  • Avoid misting the leaves of your Marble Queen pothos plants to raise the humidity. When water sits on the leaves, it increases the chance of fungal diseases.
  • If you are unsure when to water your plant, let the leaves start to droop slightly and then give it a drink, making sure to wet the potting soil thoroughly.

Design Ideas

  • Pair marble queen pothos with outdoor adventure pictures or artwork with a nature theme to bring the outdoors inside.
  • Hang a metal geometric box on the wall for your plant, allowing the vines to trail down.
  • Instead of having your plant climb a trellis or moss pole, use plant clips to gently secure the vines in a beautiful, artistic design on the wall.
Carley Miller
Carley Miller is a horticultural expert at Bustling Nest. She previously owned a landscaping business for 25 years and worked at a local garden center for 10 years.
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