Silver splash pothos is an evergreen vine with beautiful heart-shaped leaves. It has sprawled tropical rainforests for centuries before finding its way indoors.
Nowadays, pothos is one of the most visually appealing houseplants you can grow. Not only does it add a touch of greenery around the house, but it also requires minimal care to thrive.
Silver splash pothos is almost identical to golden pothos, but the leaves are splashed with beautiful silvery-gray markings. When the sunlight passes through the window shade, the leaves come to life with an incredible satin sheen.
Interested in growing some silver splash pothos? This guide talks extensively about how to grow, care for, and maintain this beautiful houseplant.
Let’s get started!
Origin
Silver splash pothos (Scindapsus pictus) is a perennial vine native to Southeast Asia. This evergreen climber bears a resemblance to golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) but only grows up to ten feet long.
- Family: Araceae
- Common names: Silver pothos, satin pothos, silk pothos
- Growth size: 3 ft to 10 ft
- Hardiness zones: 10-12
Common Variations
Silver pothos cultivars look almost identical. They all require similar conditions to thrive but differ in variegation and leaf size.
Make sure you don’t confuse silver philodendron plants for silver pothos. Although they were previously classified as the same plant, they’re now filed under different genera.
Scindapsus pictus ‘Argyraeus’
This is the most common type. Argyraeus’ variegation is defined, and the speckles are small and less erratic. There are also variegated silvery edges.
Scindapsus pictus ‘Exotica’
The second most common type. The leaves are noticeably larger and the variegation is much more pronounced.
The variegation looks like white big streaks rather than small silvery-gray splotches. Similar to ‘Argyraeus,’ the leaf’s edges are also variegated.
Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’
The leaf size is almost identical to ‘Argyraeus’ but there’s substantially more variegation. It’s the only type that has more speckling silver than green on its leaves.
Scindapsus pictus ‘Silver Satin’
Silver Satin is often confused with other variations. The silver splashes are similar to ‘Exotica,’ but there are no variegated edges.
Growing Silver Splash Pothos
There are many ways you can grow silver pothos. They’re more common indoors than outdoors because they don’t tolerate direct sunlight.
The best place to grow silver pothos is in pots or hanging baskets. Pothos grown in small pots won’t exceed three or four feet long. If you allow the vines to cascade down in hanging baskets, they can trail for several feet.
As the vines start to trail, you can latch them onto the wall using mini hooks. You can also use pieces of furniture or other plants to support the vines.
Soil
Most potting mediums will work fine for pothos. The potting mix should be well-draining and rich with organic matter. This will allow the soil to retain moisture without getting waterlogged.
Remember, pothos don’t tolerate soggy soils. If the potting medium doesn’t drain well, the pothos’ growth will slow down.
When preparing the soil, add peat moss and perlite. The peat moss is essential to maintain a nourished environment. However, if you feel the soil doesn’t drain well, replace the perlite with charcoal.
A soil that dries out too quickly isn’t ideal as well. Before planting pothos, water the soil and watch how long it takes to drain. If it pools on the surface, add more perlite or pieces of charcoal. If it drains too quickly, add more peat moss and remember to water the plant more frequently.
Watering
Silver pothos should always be watered once a week, even on hot summer days.
The best way to gauge if the plant needs watering is by placing your finger two inches into the soil. If the top part is completely dry, add some water. If you feel some moisture or even a hint of dampness, leave it for a couple of days.
Remember, we’re trying not to overwater the pothos. Soggy roots will cause the plant to stop growing or get white mold or fungus gnats.
Light
Silver pothos needs plenty of indirect sunlight to grow properly. However, it’s highly recommended you don’t leave them in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, especially on the hot days of summer.
The ideal light requirements are plenty of indirect sunlight. Place the pot near a window facing east or west and make sure the sunlight is filtered by a window shade during sunny mornings.
The pothos plants will still grow in low-light conditions. However, they may not appear as vibrant. If you notice the leaves becoming darker and the variegation fading, give it more sunlight.
If you notice the stems becoming leggy and sparse, move it to a spot with more sunlight for a couple of days to restore its vibrancy.
Temperature
Since pothos plants came from tropical rainforests, it makes sense to grow them in the same temperature range.
Ideally, the temperatures shouldn’t exceed 85°F or drop below 65°F. Pothos plants will tolerate hotter and colder temperatures, but they won’t tolerate sudden temperature changes.
This can become more apparent with radiators during winter or air conditioning during summer.
Humidity
Silver pothos plants like high humidity. Ideally, you should keep them around 40% humidity levels.
Again, silver pothos can tolerate suboptimal conditions. You can grow them in low humidity, but we highly recommend you either use a humidifier or spray the leaves with distilled water. This will ensure the plant grows quickly and the leaves become vibrant.
Guide to Pruning
Pruning isn’t a necessity for silver splash pothos. However, if done right, it can encourage faster growing and bushier foliage.
The spring is the ideal time to start trimming the plant. First, check if there are any damaged stems or leaves. Next, check if the trailing stems are getting too long. Prune as needed.
If you’re pruning for propagation. Cut four or five inches of a stem and make sure that it has a few leaves.
Remember, clean all the tools and wash your hands thoroughly after finishing. The sap inside the leaves contains a poisonous component that can cause skin irritation, rash, or vomiting if ingested.
Propagation
Once you have a section of the stem with some leaves on it, put it in a jar of water. It’s going to take a few weeks until you start seeing roots. Once they appear, prepare a new potting medium and plant the roots in them.
It’s okay if you leave the roots growing in water, up to a couple of months. However, you’ll need to transfer them to a suitable potting medium to start growing properly.
Repotting
Silver satin plants should be repotted every year. If you don’t repot them, they’ll grow noticeably slower or stop growing altogether if the soil isn’t fertile.
The best time to repot the plants is in springtime. This will encourage the pothos to grow faster in the new medium.
If your pothos needs repotting, you’ll notice:
- Slow drainage
- Slow growth
- Roots sticking out of the drainage holes
When repotting, always choose a bigger container than the current one. This will also encourage growth and prevent waterlogged soil.
Start removing the pothos; keep the roots and stems as intact as you can. Then, brush off the dirt and pour some water to remove any traces of the old soil.
Make sure that all the roots are healthy. Healthy roots are white and firm, while damaged ones are brown and soft. Prune any damaged roots and transfer the plant to the new potting medium.
Finally, make sure the soil is evened out with no gaps between the roots and the soil.
Diseases and Pests
Silver pothos plants aren’t likely to get any diseases, provided you take good care of them. The most common problem with pothos is overwatering. This causes root rot and a variety of fungal infections.
Spider mites may also take interest in your plants. These pests can quickly ruin the foliage or even kill the whole plant.
You must take action as soon as you notice signs of infestations. Spider mites are ruthless; as soon as they’re done, they’ll spread out and infest all the plants on the premises.
Finally, keep in mind that brown leaves are usually not a sign of disease. They’re a sign of too much sunlight, too much fertilizer, or not enough humidity.
Another thing is yellow leaves; also not a sign of disease. If you notice the variegation starting to yellow, you’re overwatering the plants.
Pet Owners Beware!
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists silver splash pothos as ‘poisonous to pets.’
If your pet ingests any part of the plant, the insoluble oxalates can cause oral cavity irritation, vomiting, and diarrhea. If ingested in large amounts, it could be life-threatening.
In Conclusion
Silver pothos is one of the most eye-catching houseplants you can decorate your home with. It’s extremely easy to grow as well!
All you need to do is give it plenty of bright light, water it once a week, and prune it now and then.
Want to get creative with decorating? Use hanging baskets and mini hooks to brighten up boring corners.