When you’re shopping for houseplants, it can seem like there are as many varieties of pothos as pots to put them in. But among them all, the Marble Queen pothos takes the crown.
What makes Marble Queen special? Simply put: the foliage. The leaves of Marble Queen pothos are decorated with creamy light yellow to white variegation.
If you want to add this natural beauty to your living space, check out this Marble Queen pothos care guide.
What Is Marble Queen Pothos
Marble Queen pothos is a tropical plant indigenous to French Polynesia. It is a member of the pothos family, known by the scientific name Epipremnum aureum. You might also hear them called Devil’s Ivy.
Marble Queen is a fairly common pothos variety, available at garden centers, home improvement stores, and Etsy. A standard Marble Queen pothos costs about $10 to $20.
Care For Marble Queen Pothos
Pothos plants are regarded as easy-to-care-for houseplants. So long as you provide the right growing conditions, pothos such as the Marble Queen can live up to 10 years indoors.
In the wild, Marble Queen pothos can produce leaves as wide as 15 inches. The leaves on potted Marble Queens can still reach an impressive 5 inches wide. Indoors, the vines can trail up to 10 ft long.
Like other pothos varieties, Marble Queen pothos grows fast.
Because of their rapid and prolific growth, pothos plants are considered invasive species in some parts of the US. Check regional recommendations before planting Marble Queen outside.
Let’s look at a few key plant care tips.
Light
Marble Queen pothos prefers medium to bright indirect sunlight. Ideally, the plant should receive at least 3-5 hours of this quality light per day.
If Marble Queen pothos does not receive adequate sunlight, it might begin to lose its variegation. In low light conditions, trailing vines might become leggy as they stretch toward any available sunlight.
In some cases, placing the Marble Queen pothos in an east-facing window can help it recover. This position will give it direct exposure to morning sun and allow it to receive indirect light the rest of the day.
To recreate the dappled light pothos would receive in the wild, group the Marble Queen with several other houseplants.
Water
Marble Queen pothos appreciate consistent watering but are fairly drought-tolerant. The exact timing and amount of water will vary depending on light conditions, room temperature, and humidity levels.
Water the pothos until water begins to trickle through the pot’s drainage holes. Marble Queen pothos requires moist but not soggy soil.
Overwatering is a leading cause of houseplant death. If in doubt, air on the side of caution and water the plant less frequently. In general, you want the soil to dry out between each watering.
Temperature & Humidity
In the wild, pothos grows in tropical climates. It’s important to replicate these conditions, particularly regarding temperature and humidity.
Marble Queen pothos will survive in temperatures as low as 55 F. But to see optimal growth, keep your plant in temperatures ranging from 70-90 F.
Outside of this range, the pothos will produce smaller and sparser leaves. If the plant is experiencing temperature stress, it might also exhibit limp vines and shriveled leaves.
To recreate tropical humidity, mist the plant with room-temperature water. Depending on the room’s preexisting moisture levels, you can spray the plant several times a day.
You can also use a houseplant humidifier or a humidity tray to achieve similar effects.
Soil
It is possible to grow Marble Queen pothos in either water or soil. Once you start the plant in one or the other, it’s best to keep the pothos rooted in that material.
Marble Queen pothos can make an attractive addition to aquariums and other water features. But consider that growing pothos in water increases its risk of root rot.
Planting pothos directly into ground soil (as opposed to pots) increases the risk of exposure to naturally occurring pathogens. So it’s best to use fresh potting soil.
When selecting a mix, choose well-draining soil for your Marble Queen pothos. You can purchase an aroid soil blend specifically designed for indoor pots.
Or, you can create your own blend. Use a mix of garden soil, compost, and aeration material such as pebbles or perlite.
Fertilizer
Grown in pots or planters, houseplants have limited access to nutrients. Understandably, plant parents reach for fertilizer as soon as houseplants start to struggle.
Pothos plants don’t require frequent fertilization. In moderation, fertilizer can promote bushy and robust foliage. But over-fertilization can stunt plant growth.
Use a balanced, liquid fertilizer. Dilute the fertilizer to quarter strength. From spring to fall, apply the fertilizer every two weeks. Switch to a once-a-month application during the winter.
A word of caution, using a full-strength fertilizer can burn pothos leaves.
Repotting
If you purchase a pothos from a garden center, you’ll likely need to repot it for best growth. Garden centers deliberately place plants in smaller containers to contain growth before sale.
Although fine in the short term, this small pot size can cause Marble Queen to become potbound. Potbound, or rootbound, pothos will produce smaller and sparser leaves.
Plant the pothos in a pot 2 inches larger than the previous pot with a depth of about 10 inches.
Once you have planted your Marble Queen, you shouldn’t need to repot it more than once a year.
Pruning
Pruning pothos vines encourages new growth and helps the plant maintain a bushy appearance.
If pothos does not have the proper growing conditions, it can become leggy, with leaves growing at less frequent intervals. Pruning can help correct this issue.
For best results, prune the pothos in spring and summer – peak growth time.
Identify a node on the stem. Use sharp, sanitized scissors to cut at a 45-degree angle below this node.
For bushier growth, prune the selected vines closer to the crown. Make sure each vine has several leaves; otherwise, it will struggle to photosynthesize.
Pro tip: pruning is a perfect opportunity for pothos propagation.
Propagating
Pothos is renowned as an easy-to-propagate plant. The Marble Queen variety is no exception.
To propagate pothos, first identify a robust, healthy vine. Make a cutting about half an inch above a node, leaving at least 6-7 leaves on the vine.
Place the cutting in a glass of room-temperature water. Position the cutting so that the leaves receive bright indirect sunlight.
Change the water every 5-7 days to maintain crucial oxygen levels. The cutting will begin to grow roots 7-10 days after cutting.
Once roots have grown to at least 2 inches, transplant the pothos to the soil.
Common Problems
Pothos are fairly easy-going houseplants. But let’s troubleshoot some common issues with growing Marble Queen pothos.
Leaf Discoloration
- Leaves Going Green: If Marble Queen pothos loses leaf variegation, it’s probably not receiving enough light. Move your plant into an east-facing window to maintain Marble Queen’s creamy coloration.
- Yellow Leaves: When the leaves on a pothos turn yellow and flaccid, this is usually a sign of root rot – almost always caused by overwatering the plant.
- Brown Tips on Leaves: These brown tips could indicate that you have overfertilized the plant.
- Brown Spots on Leaves: Brown spots are another indication that you have overwatered the pothos.
Pest Infestations
Like other pothos plants, Marble Queen pothos are typically pest-resistant. But in some conditions, you might see the following pests attacking the plant’s tissues and leaves: aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, and white flies.
If you find any of these pests on your Marble Queen, remove them as soon as possible. Simply wipe the plant’s stem and leaves with insecticidal soap.
How to Train a Marble Queen Pothos
Like other pothos plants, Marble Queen is a trailing vine. It might seem logical to plant pothos in a hanging basket and let gravity do the hard work. But pothos grows best by climbing.
To encourage trailing and vertical growth, attach the Marble Queen to a stake, moss pole, houseplant trellis, or another support system. The exact choice comes down to personal aesthetic preference.
Just make sure there is a surface, even as simple as a length of string, to which the aerial roots can attach.
FAQ
Does Marble Queen pothos purify air?
Yes. According to a NASA study conducted in 2016, pothos plants help remove Volatile Organic Compounds from the air.
Can a Marble Queen pothos revert?
Yes. A Marble Queen pothos can revert to its non-variegated form. If your pothos begins to produce green leaves, make sure the plant is receiving several hours of direct sunlight. Additionally, you can prune away all-green leaves to encourage new, variegated growth.
Is there a difference between Marble Queen pothos and Snow Queen pothos?
Yes. The leaves of Snow Queen pothos are predominantly light yellow. Marble Queen Pothos leaves retain a dark green color with splotches of light yellow. Snow Queen’s leaves are slightly more pointed than Marble Queen’s foliage.
The leaves of Marble Queen contain more chlorophyll (hence the darker green coloring). The increased chlorophyll content makes Marble Queen a slightly hardier and faster-growing pothos than Snow Queen.
But generally speaking, Marble Queen and Snow Queen require similar growing conditions.
Are marble queen pothos plants toxic to pets?
Technically, yes. Marble Queen pothos contains calcium oxalate crystals which are toxic to cats and dogs. If your pet ingests the leaves or stems of this plant, it might exhibit vomiting, mouth irritation, drooling, and decreased appetite. Fortunately, pothos toxins most likely won’t kill your furry friend.
They are also toxic to humans. So make sure curious kids can’t reach the trailing vines.
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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.