Manjula pothos, also known as Happy Leaf pothos or Jewel pothos, is a tropical houseplant with dark green leaves livened up by splashes of white variegation. It’s one of the most eye-catching variegated pothos plants available, and, despite being a rare plant, it’s surprisingly affordable.
This variety of pothos was discovered by plant breeder Ashish Arvind Hansoti in a commercial greenhouse in India in 2010. It was officially patented in 2016 and has been a sensation with houseplant lovers ever since.
Care for Manjula pothos is relatively simple. You’ll need to pay attention to watering and ensuring it gets enough light to maintain its lush variegation.
Keep reading to discover more about its indoor care requirements and which common problems to avoid.
What Is Manjula Pothos?
This variegated plant is a patented pothos cultivar with round, heart-shaped leaves and white, cream, and sometimes silvery-green variegation. Belonging to the Araceae family of Epipremnum aureum, more commonly known as Devil’s Ivy. It has a compact growth habit and short gaps between the leaf nodes.
Making it an excellent choice if you’re looking for a pothos variety that maintains a full, bushy look even after it starts trailing.
According to the patent documentation, the botanical name for Manjula pothos is Epipremnum pinnatum’ HANSOTI14’.
Manjula Pothos Care Guide
We’ll cover some general pothos plant care tips and specific cultivar advice to keep you Manjula pothos living its best life.
Light
This pothos grows best in bright indirect light. Place the plant in a room facing east or west, about 2 – 3 feet away from the window.
Providing bright light conditions is essential to maintain its variegation and prevent leggy growth. However, avoid direct sunlight exposure, which can burn the leaves and result in dry, brown spots/scorch marks. So, ensure you keep your plant in the correct lighting.
Soil
Plant your pothos in a well-draining but moisture-retentive soil mix. A potting mix combination of equal parts universal potting soil, orchid bark, and perlite or pumice will be ideal.
You can also add some worm castings to give the plant a nutrient boost.
Finally, adding a handful of horticultural charcoal to your care routine will improve drainage and soil filtration, which will help keep the roots healthy.
Water
Water your plant when the top 2 inches of the soil feel dry to the touch. Use your finger to test the soil moisture, and water the plant if it feels dry enough.
Another easy way to tell that your pothos needs watering is when the leaves start to curl.
This pothos is very sensitive to overwatering. If you don’t allow the soil to dry out slightly, the roots will start to rot, potentially killing your plant.
Constantly damp soil can also become a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria and can harbor the larvae of pests such as fungus gnats.
Temperature
Manjula is a tropical plant that grows best in a temperature ranges between 70°F and 84°F (21°C to 29°C). It will struggle to grow if temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C) or if they drop below 59°F (15°C) for more than a couple of days in a row. Making it an ideal indoor plant if you live in a colder climate.
You will also want to prevent exposing your pothos to sudden hot or cold drafts. Avoid keeping it next to a draft window, an air conditioning unit, or a heating vent.
Drastic temperature changes can make your plant develop drooping stems and sudden wilting.
Humidity
Pothos Manjula needs a humidity of around 60% for optimal growth. If the air in your home is too dry, try using a humidifier. Alternatively, place the pot on top of a pebble tray to increase humidity naturally.
High humidity can encourage faster growth and larger leaves. However, dry air indoors can result in crispy leaf tips and brown edges. You can also place your Manjula in naturally high-humidity rooms like bathrooms if there are the correct light levels.
Fertilizer
Feed your pothos once a month throughout spring and summer with a balanced fertilizer for foliage plants.
For example, use fertilizer in Manjula pothos soil with an N-P-K nutrient ratio of 10-10-10 or a 20-20-20 fertilizer diluted to half strength.
Pothos plants enter a brief period of dormancy in winter. So they won’t need any additional feeding. But if you’re using grow lights, you can continue fertilizing them even during the colder, darker months.
Pruning
Manjula pothos grows slowly, so you don’t need to prune it too often. Instead, you can trim the yellowing leaves from the bottom of the vines to maintain the plant’s look.
Also, pruning the longest vines in spring will encourage them to branch out and produce more stems.
Repotting
Your pothos typically needs to be repotted every 2-3 years. The best time to do this is in spring or summer.
An easy way to tell if your pothos needs a new pot is by checking the drainage holes on the bottom of the current container. If you can see roots coming out, it means it’s time for an upgrade.
Always keep your Manjula pothos in a pot one size bigger or 2 inches wider than the old container. Also, ensure that the pot has drainage holes at the bottom to ensure that the soil does not become waterlogged, as Manjula prefers well-draining soil.
Manjula Pothos Propagation Guide: Propagate Like a Pro
Create a new plant with Manjula pothos by propagating with stem cuttings. In spring or summer, take a few single-node cuttings and root them in water or sphagnum moss. The cuttings take about 4 to 6 weeks before they’re ready to plant into the soil.
To give your cuttings the best chance of becoming established, plant them when the roots are at least 2 inches (5 cm) long.
After transplanting, you can also cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag to create a mini-greenhouse effect that helps the baby plants thrive.
Check out our complete pothos propagation guide!
4 Common Problems With Manjula Variety of Pothos
1.) Pests
Common pests for these types of pothos include thrips, scale, mealybugs, and spider mites. These small insects can cause yellowing leaves, discoloration, and stunted growth.
Check your plant at least once a week for any signs of pests, and use an insecticidal soap solution or systemic pesticide to get rid of severe infestations.
2.) Brown Leaves
Brown leaf spots can be the result of root rot from overwatering. Brown spots can also indicate that your pothos is receiving too much light. And that the intense sun is scorching the foliage.
Find out more about the exact cause of pothos leaves turning brown and how to fix it.
3.) Leaves Turning Green
Manjula leaves can revert to all-green variegation if it’s in low light conditions and not receiving enough light.
Try moving your pothos closer to a brighter window, or maybe add artificial light if you notice these changes in variegation in the leaves.
4.) Small Leaves
Pothos leaves getting smaller can be a sign that the plant needs repotting or that it needs more fertilizer. However, new leaves will naturally become smaller if you don’t give your plant something to climb on, such as a moss pole.
Manjula vs. Marble Queen Pothos
Manjula pothos and Marble Queen plants vary primarily in their leaf structure and place of origin; Manjula pothos leaves are curly and frilly.
The Manjula color is like the Marble Queen and N’Joy pothos combined. Marble Queens leaves have a splash pattern in cream, green, and white shades.
Marble Queen has faster plant growth, but both plants are easy to care for.
Manjula vs. Pearls and Jade Pothos
Manjula pothos looks to have larger and softer leaves than Pearls and Jade. Manjula leaves are also wavier.
FAQ About the Manjula Pothos Plant
Is Manjula Pothos Toxic?
The Manjula plant is toxic to both humans and pets. If ingested, the calcium oxalate crystals in the stems and leaves can cause painful mouth and throat irritations, difficulty breathing, and gastrointestinal problems.
So, keep the plant out of reach of children or pets.
What Is a Mutant Manjula Pothos?
Mutant Manjula pothos is a naturally-occurring mutation of the Manjula pothos. It has narrow, elongated, dark green leaves with a white stripe down the middle.
The University of Florida bred the plant, which appeared on the houseplant market in March 2022. Unfortunately, it is incredibly rare and costly.
According to unofficial sources, the plant was not intended for public release because it’s challenging to grow and not viable for commercial production.
To this day, it’s still unclear how it escaped from the University of Florida greenhouses.
What’s the Difference Between Manjula and Harlequin Pothos?
Manjula and Harlequin pothos are the same plant. Harlequin is more variegated, with white leaves, a few green streaks, and speckles.
If you give your Manjula more light, it will eventually turn into a Harlequin pothos.
Final Thoughts & Care Tips
While Manjula pothos care is simple, finding it in plant shops can be challenging. Keep the plant out of direct light, don’t overwater, and give it the soil and temperature the plant likes. If you can find the Manjula, you won’t be disappointed!
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Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.