GARDENING: EASY CARE INDOOR POT PLANTS – SCINDAPSUS AUREUS OR DEVIL’S IVY

Okay, as promised, I am posting my gardening tips again and today I will continue with another easy indoor plant to grow which is the Scindapsus Aureus or the Devil’s Ivy aka Pothos.

It is a common houseplant and is easy to grow from cuttings. I normally just cut pieces near the tip of the plant, allowing some aerial roots and sticking it into water until it takes root. It does very well in low light levels. You can let this plant go for a week or so without water and be careful about overwatering. Avoid growing the plant in full sun.


The Scindapsus is a trailing or climbing plant and does well trained on a moss pole. I however like to cascade it by placing it on top of a cupboard or ledge, or in a macramé pot hanger. Its leaves are leathery and heart shaped. The leaves are often variegated. However, in the literature, it says that the more variegated the leaves, the harder the plant is to care for. I have not found this to be an issue.


Quick reference guide:
 Temperature: Prefers warmer temperatures of between 15°C and 30°c. Lower leaves will turn yellow or produce rust like spots if temperatures fall below 10°c to 12°c.

 Light : Does best in medium to bright indirect sunlight or light.

 Water: Should be watered well and allowed to dry out on top in the warmer brighter environments. Reduce water substantially in lower light conditions. Over watering causes root rot and leaf drop.

 Humidity: Tolerates high humidity and enjoys misting in the high light areas.

 Pests: Is relatively free of pests if maintained in a healthy condition. Is prone to attack by mealy bug, thrips and mites when under environmental maintenance stress.

 Feeding: A liquid feed every month or so during warmer months.

 Tip: If your plant is getting too leggy pinch out the tips and propagate extra plants with the pinched out foliage.

 History: Originally from the Solomon Islands it has been a main stay as an interior foliage plant, because of its tolerance for adverse indoor growing conditions. Devil’s Ivy belongs to the aroid (Araceae) family, which contains more than 100 genera including a number of popular foliaged plant genera such as Aglaonema, Anthurium, Diffenbachia, Monsteria and Philodendron.