A Big Promotion for Pothos

I saw a picture of a Pothos plant, and each aspect of my worklife re-played before my eyes as though I were watching a movie. Pothos, the most easygoing plant I know, has accompanied me on just about every job I have had.

Pothos, ubiquitous in my “mental movie” about my own work trajectory, never let me down. It always looked perfectly presentable… professional, no less. 

Despite my appreciation for it, I am unconvinced everyone knows this vining plant that can cascade over everything from entry-level desks to corner-office built-ins. (I personally never got close to having a corner office, but Pothos could do fine in one. It is an office-perfect plant, equally ideal for just about any home setting.)

So What Is Pothos?

Pothos:

• is a vining, climbing plant in the arum family
• has medium-sized leaves which look like modified hearts
• grows in soil or water
• tolerates medium to very low light​
• grows well indoors for up to a decade
• removes toxins from air
• is carefree as can be.

Moving Through Time With Pothos

I came of age at a time when Ornamental Cabbage got planted in just about every office park, and Bromeliads decorated lobbies. This marked the time I first encountered Pothos. Times have changed, but I love Pothos no less. It is a pretty, easy plant.

In my first “real job”, my supervisor whom I admired had Pothos in soil-filled pots and vases of water. It draped over shelves and sat within bookcases, always looking great. A busy type who had no time to take a lunch break or even dust off her desk, my supervisor somehow, miraculously, managed to have this healthy greenery in her office. I followed suit, getting my own small container of the vining houseplant. Mine grew, as well.

Other jobs followed, and Pothos followed me inside new doors. There was a job with daily responsibilities that seemed significant. I knew I was making an assumption, but I dreamed after my interview that the responsibilities might warrant placement in an office. Then my first day on the job arrived, and I got introduced to the darkest, most center-of-the-workroom cubicle one could imagine. A little disappointment… yes… but my large and hopeful pot of Pothos made the best of a site with no natural light whatsoever. It elevated the workspace so that it ultimately seemed quite nice.

At a more recent job, I “moved up” to a windowed cubicle with just enough glass-tint to provide indirect and not scorching light. There, Pothos was very content and grew so prolifically, I tried my hand at propagating it in water. It was as easy as taking a cutting, snipping lower leaves, and placing the stem so that its little nodes could be submerged in fresh water, no rooting compound necessary. The cuttings developed hairlike roots, and I transplanted the new plants in water-filled vases and pots of soil.

Then came other jobs in the same organization. Job descriptions got a little better each time, and desk locations changed as roles changed. My Pothos, several plants by that time, quickly got acclimated to each and every workspace. It always looked fresh and fine, even when I looked quite the opposite. And it got me through many years in that same work environment, outliving the ten-year span that most say marks typical longevity for this houseplant. Still, when I left that final office job, my plants were content but leggy, with some stems looking more stringy than leaf-covered. The jobs had been good, but I had overstayed them, and my rootbound, slightly leggy plants were proof of that. My Pothos needed some trimming and refreshing, and I needed the same… but we were both just fine. Pothos tends to be fine always.

How to Care for Your Plant

If Pothos is grown in soil, the only thing to monitor is pot size. Do not let your plant get too rootbound. If you grow it in water, change the water once every couple of weeks to ensure the water is well oxygenated. Adding liquid fertilizer is not vital, but it cannot hurt from time to time. 

Keep in mind that the stems and leaves of Pothos contain calcium oxalates, dangerous to pets. But this is true of other plants too. Just be aware, and place it in an appropriate location. And put this into perspective by asking yourself, “When did I last see a cat meandering through the office?” 

Trim Pothos so it gets bushier growth. And when you are sharing the name of your unfailing plant with friends, pronounce it “poe-thoes” with a soft “th” rather than a hard "t" sound in the middle.

That’s really all you or I or any plant lover will need to know to have success with this special plant.

Colors to Choose From

I progressed from knowing only green Pothos to loving it most when it had variegation. Now I am drawn to Golden Pothos which could light up even the darkest desk at work or home. 

Try it in the indoor spaces where you spend most of your time, be they work or home spaces. From purifying the air to making plant caretakers look like budding horticulturists, Pothos is a plant that can make you happy as it accompanies you through different aspects of life.