Silver Satin Pothos

Written by Em Casalena
Published: February 24, 2023
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The silver satin pothos, which is also known as the satin pothos or silver pothos, is an excellent houseplant for lovers of tropical foliage. This evergreen climbing plant is widely known for its hardiness, gorgeous marbling, and lighter green foliage.

The silver satin pothos is a gorgeous houseplant that stands out from the others because of its cascading heart-shaped silvery leaves with a smooth satin-like feel. It is deep greenish-blue in color and contains silver-grey variegations that appear as spots and blotches. Also, no two leaves on a single plant are alike! While this tropical vine has a stunningly distinctive appeal, it is just as easy to cultivate as its nearby pothos relatives.

Let’s take a look at some key facts about this species, as well as how to grow your own silver satin pothos at home.

What is the Silver Satin Pothos?

The silver satin pothos is classified as Scindapsus pictus. It is technically not a pothos and is a completely different species from Epipremnum pinnatum or the golden pothos. However, both plants share the Araceae plant family and are closely related.

The silver satin pothos is native to areas of Asia including Borneo, India, Sumatra, the Philippines, and Thailand. This evergreen climbing plant can grow up to 10 feet long with the right care. Though it can produce flowers, they are quite small and rarely ever grow on indoor specimens. That being said, this species’ foliage is the real stunner in lieu of flowers. This pothos is a muted blue-green color with white or cream variegation in the form of leaf borders and splotches. There really isn’t a plant out there that looks like this beauty.

Silver satin pothos are among the easiest houseplants to grow and they do well in the bright, indirect light and ambient temperatures of most indoor spaces. The silver pothos is the plant for you if you’ve been wanting to add some air-purifying greenery to your house or place of business but are concerned that you aren’t good enough at plant care. These are low-maintenance, beginner-friendly plants that repay you with lovely leaves for less effort. With the right care, the silver satin pothos can live up to 10 years.

A closeup of a Scindapsus pictus plant

The silver satin pothos (pictured) is beloved for its unique leaf variegation.

©Young Swee Ming/Shutterstock.com

How to Care for Silver Satin Pothos

The silver satin pothos is one of the easier pothos species to grow indoors. Place the plant in strong indirect light with warmer temperatures between 64 and 80 degrees F to ensure its success. For the silver satin pothos to survive, avoid overwatering by planting it in rich, well-draining soil. Overwatering is one of the primary causes of death for this plant. When the soil’s top two inches are dry to the touch, give your pothos some water. Carefully follow the maintenance guidelines shown below to encourage new growth on your silver satin pothos.

Depending on the climate in which your silver satin pothos is grown, you could need to water your plant once per week for one season, and every other day during a different season. In a hotter, sunnier climate, you will need to water your silver satin pothos more regularly since the plant will absorb a lot of light and nutrients, which will make it a lot thirstier. Never forget to regularly check your soil to avoid underwatering or overwatering.

The silver satin pothos prefers bright, indirect light for the best possible growth. Pothos of all species tend to do best in windows with an eastern view. It’s important to keep this plant out of direct sunlight since it will harm the foliage.

Temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees F are ideal for silver satin pothos. It will be advantageous to give them tropical surroundings as this species is a tropical plant, such as high humidity and a warmer temperature. Fast temperature changes might startle your plant, so avoid placing it near an AC unit or radiator.

Medium to high humidity levels are required for the silver satin pothos. Anywhere from 50% to 70% will do. Many plant collectors will use a pebble tray with water to boost the humidity around their pothos plants. If the pebble water tray isn’t right for your plant, you could try purchasing a humidifier or misting your pothos every day to boost humidity.

You will want to get off to a good start with the best soil for silver satin pothos. This pothos species prefers a rich, free-draining potting mixture with organic material to retain moisture while enabling water to pass easily, reducing the likelihood of water clogging and preventing overwatering. Remember, soil that stays too wet for too long can cause root rot.

The best soil you can offer your pothos for healthy growth is, of course, soil you have made yourself. For the best maintenance of silver satin pothos, a combination of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and finely chopped bark is ideal. Silver satin pothos will grow faster during the spring and summer if you fertilize them. Throughout the growing season, beginning as early as April, fertilize your plant once a month to encourage rapid growth. If your plant has reached the size you desire, you might want to fertilize it once or twice throughout the growing season but no more than that.

How to Identify a Silver Satin Pothos

The most prevalent variety of Scindapsus pictus, often known as its “base” form, is the silver satin pothos. Even though they are different cultivars, some people might incorrectly refer to the silver splash pothos and Silvery Anne pothos varieties as silver satin pothos. Be mindful when shopping for this specific variety! In contrast to the silver splash pothos, which has bigger splashed parts of darker silver-grey on a dark green background, the Silvery Anne has significantly more creamy white marbling on a brighter green backdrop. The silver satin pothos has a tendency to be more speckled than both varieties, with a pale greyish-blue pattern that resembles animal print.

A closeup of the silver variegation of Scindapsus pictus, or the silver satin pothos.

The silver satin pothos (pictured) can have a silver or cream-colored variegation in its leaves.

©iStock.com/Junaidi Rhamadan

Silver Satin Pothos Growth Rate

The majority of Araceae species are slow to moderate growers. The silver satin pothos’ growth rate, however, is influenced by its surroundings. For instance, your silver satin pothos will grow extremely slowly if it is grown in a dimly lit environment. Alternately, the silver satin pothos will grow very well during its growing seasons if given the optimum quantity of light, such as bright and indirect light.

This plant can grow up to 10 feet tall in its native environment. While it can take several years for your plant to reach this length when grown indoors in a container, it is expected that it will reach a height of about three feet fairly quickly.

How to Propagate Silver Satin Pothos

The silver satin pothos can be planted and propagated the same way as the more common Epipremnum pothos, despite being a distinct species. The ease with which these plants take root in water makes it easy to expand your collection by propagating through cuttings. Cuttings are healthy stem segments that are cut and submerged in water to produce new roots. This plant is seldom reproduced by seed since it never matures as a houseplant. Instead, the majority of these plants are propagated by plant cuttings. You can easily root a silver satin pothos clipping to expand your plant collection for nothing!

Start by sanitizing the blades of a pair of sharp scissors with a weak bleach or alcohol solution. Then, count back three to four leaves from the tip of a long, healthy vine that came from your mother plant. Using the fourth leaf, identify the nodes. Nodes are little brownish bumps that emerge from the stem close to the point where the leaves converge. Because new roots will form there, these nubs are extremely crucial to have on your cuttings.

After making your cut and before putting the cutting in a jar of water, ensure that you remove the bottom two leaves. To photosynthesize as the young plant grows new roots, there should be at least two leaves above the water. Ensure that both nodes are submerged in the water. To prevent rotting, it is important to remove any submerged leaves when you first put it in the water.

Keep the water jar warm and place it next to a window with bright indirect light. A few times a week, spray the leaf to add humidity while it grows roots. At the bottom of the cutting, white root hairs will start to grow after a few weeks. Transplant the cutting into a well-drained potting mix after the roots are a little stronger after about two months. And that’s it! You can now grow your new plant among your other pothos!

How to Repot Silver Satin Pothos

Your pothos has outgrown its pot and needs to be repotted if you start to detect roots coming out of the drainage hole. The silver satin pothos is quite easy to transplant. To ensure that your plants are as content as possible, we recommend repotting this species once per year during the spring or summer.

Start with a new hanging basket or pot that is two inches larger than the last one. Dig out a basin in the middle that is roughly the size of the root ball of your present plant, then fill it with a well-drained potting mix.

Using care to avoid disturbing the roots, grab your plant by the base of the stalks and wriggle it out of the container. If the roots are severely rootbound, or swirling around in a circle in the form of their previous container, you can gently release them from the container with your fingertips or the point of a pencil. To help the roots grow into their new container, gently rinsing them and pushing them apart can be beneficial.

Backfill the soil without compacting it after planting the pothos in the new container. Keep the soil fluffy and aerated at all times. You definitely don’t want root rot, which can be brought upon the plant simply by pressing down and causing the root zone to become anaerobic. Make sure the stems and leaves are well above the soil surface. The new soil line should be parallel to the old soil line.

To lessen transplant shock, water your pothos transplant with a diluted kelp solution. Cuttings can be transplanted using the same method as long as you ensure that the roots point downward and are not twisted upward or to the side.

The silver satin pothos is an excellent species to grow indoors if you want a more muted, moody tropical plant that differs quite a bit from Epipremnum pinnatum or “true” pothos. This plant is not only easy to care for but will grow and last for years with the right amount of care.

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © Ryoma26/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Em Casalena is a writer at A-Z Animals where their primary focus is on plants, gardening, and sustainability. Em has been writing and researching about plants for nearly a decade and is a proud Southwest Institute of Healing Arts graduate and certified Urban Farming instructor. Em is a resident of Arizona and enjoys learning about eco-conscious living, thrifting at local shops, and caring for their Siamese cat Vladimir.

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