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Exploring the Different Types of Pothos: From Marble Queen to Albo to Climbing Giants with Justin of Costa Farms, Ep 300

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Your plant parent story might have started with some humble pothos. It’s forgiving, fast-growing, and honestly, it’s probably the most underrated plant in most of our collections. But there is so much more to the pothos that you might be missing out on. So in this episode, we’re going to talk about pothos way beyond the basics with the help of my plant friend Justin Hancock of Costa Farms.

Justin started in horticultural publishing before joining Costa Farms to assist with their marketing. His role at Costa Farms now involves testing how new plant varieties hold up with different light/watering/environment conditions, and making sure the average person can be successful with them. Let’s dive in!

In this episode, we learn:

[00:00] Why Pothos might be the most underrated plant in your collection
[02:14] Meet Justin Hancock from Costa Farms!
[03:09] Justin’s lifelong plant passion and career path
[04:37] What Justin does at Costa Farms
[05:20] Why Pothos is having a comeback moment
[07:45] Where do pothos come from?
[08:16] Pothos or Epipremnum or… something else? What makes a pothos a pothos?
[09:17] Why pothos is called “Devil's Ivy”
[09:46] Pothos vs philodendron vs scindapsus
[11:50] How do we care for pothos?
[13:05] Indirect light and what plants actually want
[15:24] Moss poles vs. fence planks
[16:03] How to make Pothos look so lush and full
[17:35] What’s the #1 problem with pothos care?
[18:19] What are the different pothos varieties?
[20:19] How do you specifically care for variegated pothos?
[22:26] How Costa Farms discovers new varieties around the world
[24:24] How Shangri-La and Champs-Élysées came to be
[27:18] The trend of fenestrated Pothos is here
[27:49] Rapid-fire matchmaking: which Pothos fits your personality?
[29:57] What is Costa Farms and where to find their plants
[31:04] Where to follow Justin and Costa Farms online

What Makes a Pothos a Pothos?

Plant people argue about what counts as “pothos.” Some say any plant in the Epipremnum family works. Others say only certain types count. The serious plant nerds say we shouldn't even call them pothos at all! But it’s really up to you how you call it.

People call it “Devil's Ivy” because it grows so fast that it seems evil. Or because it grows even in dark places. These plants are from Southeast Asia, where it's hot, humid, and rainy. Here in Florida, I see them growing wild on trees with huge leaves!

How to Tell It’s Actually a Pothos

Pothos vs. Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum): Philodendrons usually have a little “sheath” at the base of a new leaf that falls off. Pothos doesn’t.

Pothos vs. Scindapsus: Scindapsus plants look shiny and sparkly in the sun. While pothos is more matte.

How to Care for Pothos

Pothos is really forgiving. You don't need to replicate the Southeast Asian environment the way that you do some of the other house plants, which is why it's such a tried-and-true favorite.

Normal house temps work fine (just keep above 50°F)
Average home humidity is okay
They love bright light, but can handle low light too
Don't water too much (this is the main problem!)

Most people think they don't have enough light indoors. Even my Florida house with huge windows doesn't get much light because of window treatments. So don't be scared of sunny windows!

Bonus: if you want a bushy look, use multiple cuttings in one pot. Grower trick! You can even chop one vine into 5 to 6 single-node cuttings and root them right in the soil. No water rooting needed if you keep the soil moist.

Pothos: Beyond the Basics

Golden Pothos and Marble Queen are just the beginning. There are so many jaw-dropping varieties that are becoming more accessible:

Pearls and Jade – Created through radiation (yes, really), with white patches and splashy green-on-green tones
N’Joy – A bit more compact, white-heavy, and super cute
Manjula – Wide-leaved, slow-growing, totally unpredictable in variegation
Global Green – Dark edges, light center
Lemon Meringue – The reverse of Global Green
Shangri-La – Wild, crinkled, curled-up leaves that never fully open
Neon: Bright neon green color
Champs Élysées: Has ridges on the bottom that look like fish gills
Albo and Marble Pinnatum – Fenestrated (!!!) versions that are absolutely magical

Did you know we now have pothos with fenestrations? Like with Monstera-style holes and splits? I’ve seen them in the wild in Florida, but now you can actually buy them.

Plant Parent Matchmaking: Finding Your Perfect Pothos

Here are my recommended pothos based on your Plant Parent Personality:

Mindful Plant Parent: Golden Pothos – very hardy
Low Maintenance Plant Parent: Jade Pothos. It’s an all-green cultivar, no variegation whatsoever, so it is the tank among pothos.
Curious Collector: Shangri-La – Very unique and hard to find
Design-Focused: Jade or Golden because they grow the fastest

Don't know your Plant Parent Personality yet? Take the free quiz here!

Long Live the Pothos

After almost 300 episodes, I can’t believe this is my first deep dive on pothos. But I’m glad I waited for the right guest and the right moment because now, I’m obsessed all over again.

If you want to see all the gorgeous varieties we talked about, head to my YouTube channel for the full video version of this chat. Let’s keep climbing, keep blooming, and keep growing joy!