Pearls And Jade Pothos

One of the most opulent pothos cultivars one can find on the plant market today is the pearls and jade pothos. This stunning variety is known for its magnificent green and white variegated leaves. In comparison to cultivars like the marble queen or N’Joy pothos, the lovely pearls and jade pothos are renowned for boasting somewhat smaller and more delicate leaves. They also have a somewhat distinct variegation pattern. While it may be hard to properly identify this pothos variety, finding one and keeping it in your home could add a touch of tropical artistry to your space.

If you want to learn more about the pearls and jade pothos, keep reading! We’ll explore everything you need to know about this stunning variety of pothos and how to care for your very own pearls and jade pothos.

What is the Pearls and Jade Pothos?

The tropical climbing plant Epipremnun aureum ‘Pearls and Jade’, often called the devil’s ivy or the pearls and jade pothos, is quite a unique cultivar. All pothos plants have their roots in the Solomon Islands, but the origins of this specific cultivar are quite different.

Epipremnum aureum ‘Pearls and Jade’ is a variegated cultivar that is grown in Florida. In order to create new pothos varieties, a team of University of Florida researchers introduced mutations into four distinct popular pothos varieties back in 2009. A number of marble queen pothos plants were used to create the pearls and jade pothos that we love today.

The pearls and jade pothos is a vibrant and eye-catching foliage plant with glossy green leaves that have white, cream, and light green streaks and spots on them. Pearls and jade pothos have heart-shaped bases on thinner oval leaves.

The annual growth rate of this plant varies from six inches to six feet per vine. They are also likely to reach up to 10 feet long indoors and even longer when grown outdoors in USDA hardiness zones nine through 12. The pearls and jade pothos is also very simple to take care of and grow at home. Like the majority of tropical plants, pothos are poisonous and are to be kept away from children and furry friends.

How to Care for Pearls and Jade Pothos

The slow growth and minimal maintenance requirements of these variegated plants are what they are well known for. Although there are some differences worth knowing, their care is generally comparable to that of many of their cousins in the Epipremnum genus. Compared to other pothos kinds like the golden pothos or jade pothos, pearls and jade pothos do not withstand low light settings as well. As the pothos is known as the “no light” plant, keep in mind that the pearls and jade pothos variety is not for you if you can’t give it a decent amount of sunlight. Just as well, while these plants are capable of blossoming, it is incredibly rare for them to do so while cultivated inside. So don’t be worried if your plant isn’t producing any flowers.

Like other pothos plants, pearls and jade pothos need frequent watering, although they can tolerate drought when needed to survive. They should be properly watered as soon as the top inch of soil has dried off. You should water your plants at somewhat varied intervals based on the season. In the spring and summer, when there are more daylight hours and it’s warmer outside, you might need to thoroughly water your pothos about once a week, but only once every two weeks in the fall and winter. To determine whether your plants need watering, use your finger to feel the moisture level in the soil.

The variegated foliage of the pearls and jade pothos need several hours of strong, indirect light each day. These plants should not be placed in direct sunlight because their delicate, paper-thin leaves are susceptible to leaf burn or browning. The best places for these pothos plants are directly in front of windows that face north or east, or a few feet away from windows that face west or south.

Rich, airy, and well-draining soil is ideal for growing pearls and jade pothos. They thrive in damp environments but are susceptible to root rot if exposed to wet soil for too long. Pearls and jade pothos grow best in a blend of potting soil, perlite, and orchid bark mix. Pearls and jade pothos benefit from monthly treatment with a balanced liquid fertilizer made for indoor plants during the spring and summer months. When your plant isn’t actively growing in the fall and winter, stop fertilizing it. Doing so will just be wasteful and result in mineral buildup that could be harmful to your plant.

Tropical plants like pearls and jade pothos thrive in warm, somewhat damp environments. For the most part, these plants can tolerate average indoor home temperatures and humidity levels. However, if your home is very dry, you might want to add a little more humidity into your space to ensure your plant’s success. You can do this by placing a dish of water near the plant or installing a humidifier in the same room. Just as well, make sure your pearl and jade pothos isn’t exposed to anything colder than 50 degrees F. Although pearl and jade pothos are often grown inside, you may grow them year-round outside in USDA hardiness zones nine through 12 if you’d like.

Identifying a Pearls and Jade Pothos

If you’re a die-hard pothos aficionado, you might be aware that the pearls and jade cultivar is only one of several that, to the untrained eye, look identical. It certainly makes sense why such pothos varieties are constantly mislabelled online, as well as in person at nurseries. They all really do look almost exactly the same. So how can one identify a pearls and jade pothos properly?

The glacier pothos, N’Joy pothos, and pearls and jade pothos all exhibit green, cream, and white variegation and display lovely blotched and flecked variegation patterns. The only thing that sets the pearls and jade pothos apart is its speckled green-on-green variegation, which makes it noticeably different from the other two similar varieties once you really study the plant’s leaves.

Is the Pearls and Jade Pothos a Vining Plant?

All pothos are climbing plants that can grow quite long. However, the pearls and jade pothos is the pothos for you if you like a fuller-looking plant or want one that would look wonderful in a terrarium. It has a compact growth habit in comparison to other pothos cultivars, giving it a bushier appearance. This is because of its short internodes or the distance along the stem between two leaves. Moreover, compared to other varieties, its leaves are quite smaller in size.

While you can plant your pearls and jade pothos in a pot with a moss pole and expect it to climb, it will take quite a bit of time for this cultivar to grow very long. In most cases, this variety will stay small, pretty, and delicate.

Common Problems and Diseases To Watch Out For

Overwatering is probably to blame if your pearls and jade wilt and the leaves seem thinner than usual, faded, or yellow. Ensure that your pothos is planted in soil that drains effectively and that you aren’t watering it excessively. You could also be underwatering the plant if its leaves are turning yellow and showing crispy brown blotches. Keep in mind that even if it can withstand some neglect, it is not a succulent. Give it the appropriate amount of water once you start noticing its soil dry out between waterings.

A lack of soil aeration can also be a problem with this pothos variety. Your plant’s soil might be caked and starting to pull away from the edges of the plant and pot. Use a fork to aerate the top layer of soil and break it up before you water the plant. Between the soil and the pot, fill up the gaps that you might see. then thoroughly the soil with water until it begins to drain from the bottom of the pot.

Whether you underwatered or overwatered your pearls and jade pothos, we advise cutting off the damaged foliage, especially if it is brown or dead. Given you adjust your care afterward, your plant will be able to rebound and become much more healthy.

Propagating a Pearls and Jade Pothos

You can easily grow brand-new pearl and jade pothos plants by cutting off sections of a parent plant. After that, you can immediately replant them in the ground or in a separate pot to grow a new plant. Pothos plants grow fairly well when propagated in water. Just take a clipping from the plant, making sure it has two or three nodes. A node is a point where a leaf joins a plant’s stem.

Place the cutting in water, and replace the water around once per week with fresh, clean, dechlorinated water. The plant will start to form new roots fairly quickly. Plant the cutting in well-draining soil when the roots are a few inches long. Keep it moist for about a week, then begin caring for it the way you would care for your adult pearls and jade pothos plant.

While you don’t want to overwater it, moist soil will aid in the roots’ acclimatization to the environment. You may cut back on watering and continue to care for the plant normally after a week or two. You’ll be all set as soon as you spot any indications of fresh leaf development.

You can also place the pothos cutting in soil without first allowing it to water root. In this situation, we would advise keeping the soil wet for a number of weeks to promote root development. Increased humidity is also beneficial; you can easily make a humidity dome using a plastic bag if necessary.

Are Pearls and Jade Pothos Poisonous?

In general, pothos plants are slightly poisonous to people and animals. The effects of eating them may include nausea, drooling, gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, etc. Fortunately, this plant looks gorgeous hanging from the ceiling or high up on a shelf, far away from children and pets.

What’s not to love about this stunning and unique variety of pothos? It might not be extremely easy to find this variety at your local nursery, but a quick Google search will yield lots of online results. Why not start growing your own pearls and jade pothos today?

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/paladin13