One variety of Pothos that is often overlooked, but offers exceptional variegation is Snow Queen Pothos. Not only are they lovely, colorful, and attractive, but they are also easy to care for. As a slow-growing option, they are often preferred for indoor use as well.
This article covers:
- What Snow Queen Pothos is and what it looks like
- How to care for it including the optimal water, light, and soil
- Common problems to be aware of and what to do about them
Let’s begin!
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Table of Contents
What is Snow Queen Pothos?
Snow Queen Pothos, like other Pothos plants, is a popular vining house plant that is usually grown in hanging baskets or planters. They don’t require a significant amount of maintenance but offer white and green leaves with distinct coloration and contrasting variegation.
They are often confused with Marble Queen Pothos, but Snow Queen is in fact its own cultivar that has even more substantial variegation.
It is considered toxic, so be careful if you have pets or young children around. They are a little rarer than some of the most common Pothos plants, but you should be able to find a Snow Queen Pothos nearby if you look hard enough.
The appearance of Snow Queen pothos that is sought-after is found within the mostly white leaves with small amounts of green. With more white than other Pothos, a lot of people like the aesthetic that this variety offers.
Plus, the white portion of the leaves is even more white than others that are cream-colored or ivory.
Watch this informational video to learn more about the differences and similarities between Snow Queen Pothos and Marble Queen Pothos:
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How to Care for Snow Queen Pothos
Caring for Snow Queen Pothos is not complicated as long as you know what to do. The main thing to keep in mind, especially when compared with other Pothos varieties, is that it does need more light.
It is unlikely to bloom when grown indoors, but it is possible in some situations and environments. Let’s look at the conditions and caring instructions you should follow when growing a healthy Snow Queen Pothos plant.
Light
The Snow Queen cultivar of Pothos needs more light than many of its pothos brothers and sisters. To maintain the distinct variegation, it needs substantial amounts of bright, indirect light. This keeps the foliage bright while also promoting expansive growth and dense foliage.
If you don’t give it enough light, the white will gradually turn into green and it will lose the wonderful characteristic that you want.
Too much direct sunlight will burn the leaves, which are pretty delicate and susceptible to scorching. We recommend placing the Snow Queen in front of an East or West-facing window.
You want more than a few hours of bright indirect light, but also need to limit the direct sunshine to a few hours a day at most, especially during the Summer.
Soil
While Snow Queen, like other Pothos plants, needs consistent moisture, they do not do well with excessive wetness or constant moisture that can contribute to root rot or make it hard to get oxygen into the soil.
You want to use an airy well-draining mix that won’t suffocate the root system over time.
We suggest making your own soil mix using only about one-third of indoor potting soil. Then, mix in equal parts orchid bark and perlite. You can also use pumice instead of perlite. This ensures that the water can drain through and that oxygen and nutrients can reach all portions of the roots.
Additionally, you should use a balanced liquid fertilizer about once a month during the growing season from early Spring to late Summer.
Water
While this plant type does like a lot of moisture at times, it needs to be able to dry out more than some other species. If you do not let it dry enough between waterings, it can harm the plant or cause root rot.
In general, you want to let the top half of the soil thoroughly dry between waterings. If you notice soft leaves that begin to droop, that indicates that the plant is thirsty for more water.
In general, you have to worry more about over-watering than underwatering because this plant is fairly drought tolerant. However, you will want to reduce the time between waterings during the Winter and Fall months.
During the growing season, you may notice your water as much as once per week, but always make sure that the top half of the soil dries completely in between that time.
Temperature and Humidity
Since Snow Queen Pothos is a tropical plant native to humid and warm conditions, you want to prepare the space to be quite warm if possible.
In fact, it will be healthiest if you keep the temperature range between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can withstand even warmer than this at times. It is most important to prevent frost or freezing temperatures that can kill the plant.
For outdoor growth, the Snow Queen variety of Pothos can be fine in USDA zones 10 to 11.
The humidity of your house is probably okay for the plant, but it may do better if you can cultivate a more humid atmosphere around the plant.
You can do this by growing it in a kitchen or bathroom, by keeping other plants nearby, or by getting a humidifier. You can also keep a pebble tray or spray moisture onto the leaves occasionally, but don’t do this too often.
Pruning and Propagation
You don’t necessarily need to prune this plant for healthy growth, but when it starts getting large you may want to in order to keep the size compact and the shape attractive and organized.
You can use the stem cuttings for propagation to create new plants or add to your existing individual for full foliage. Propagation is easy: simply start by placing it in water that you replace once per week.
Once the roots have grown 1 to 2 inches, then you can move them to the soil. Then, just follow the normal care instructions for the Snow Queen Pothos.
Pruning should always be done in the Spring or early on in the Summer because this is when the plant is active and growing rapidly. Make sure to use a sharp and clean pair of scissors or pruning sheers and cut close to the nodes so that new growth can branch out.
While you should not need to go through repotting often with Snow Queen Pothos, the vessel or hanging basket needs to be changed once it outgrows the space.
This will typically be once every two or three years and only go up one size each time. This should be done during the growing season as well.
Common Problems with Snow Queen Pothos
There are some common problems to keep an eye out for, but if you know what to look for and catch them early they are usually easy to address. From pests to unattractive colors, let’s look at the most common problems and what you can do about them.
Pests
Many pests can infiltrate your Snow Queen Pothos and deteriorate its health including mealybugs, scale, aphids, and spider mites. Each time you water your plant, it is a good idea to look out for these annoying bugs.
This will allow you to catch an infestation early, then you can use neem oil to eradicate the problem. If you have other plants nearby, you should move the plant away from them until you eliminate the pests.
Root Rot
If your soil doesn’t drain enough or if you water too much or too often, then your plant can develop root rot. This can cause a ton of problems for your plant. If this happens, you will want to change the pot and soil.
Then, remove the affected portions of the root system, dead leaves and stems, and any other problem areas before replanting in a pot or hanging basket.
Brown Leaves
If the leaves turn brown and dry out so that they appear crisp, then your plant is probably really thirsty and needs more moisture. This can be caused by too little watering or too low humidity.
When you see this sign, you should immediately adjust the moisture, but you will not be able to revive the brown leaves and have to remove them.
One way to see if the cause is under watering or poor humidity is to look for curling. If the leaves are curling inwards, then that is probably a sign that you need to water more, and is not as likely to happen with insufficient humidity.
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves can be caused by a lot of different issues. Old leaves can naturally turn yellow and are not a problem, but if you notice a lot of leaves suddenly turning yellow or clumps where a lot are yellow, then there is likely an underlying problem.
Underwatering, root tot, and too little sunlight can all cause yellow leaves, which destroy the beauty of Snow Queen Pothos. Try to quickly identify and address the issue to get the variegation and coloration back to normal.
Lost Coloration or Variegation
If the distinct contrast between the white and green seems to be going away, then you probably want to address it immediately to resolve the problem and get the plant’s beauty back under control.
This problem often occurs with a lack of light or dim conditions. Make sure that you provide several hours of bright, indirect light every day.
Final Thoughts on Snow Queen Pothos
The Snow Queen Pothos is a great plant and is not too hard to care for once you know how, but if you ever forget something then you can find all the information you need here. Remember, they like humidity and water, but you also need to let the soil thoroughly dry between waterings. Also, they need more light than many other Pothos plants. Good luck with your awesome house plant adventures!