Pearls and Jade Pothos Care Guide

Pearls and Jade Pothos are ooohed and ahhed over in many plant groups on social media. They are a beautiful Pothos plant with green and cream-colored variegated leaves that have large green sections and flecks of green in the cream-colored sections of the leaves. The Pearls & Jade can be a bit pickier than other types of Pothos plants. They need more light and can grow a bit slower than the more common types of Pothos like the Golden Pothos. In this Pearls and Jade Pothos care guide, we go over what care these plants need to thrive in your home.

Table Of Contents
  1. Origins
  2. Pearls and Jade Pothos Light Requirements
  3. Pearls and Jade Pothos Watering
  4. Soil
  5. Repotting
  6. Fertilizer
  7. Temperature
  8. Humidity
  9. Pruning
  10. Pearls and Jade Pothos Propagation
  11. Pearls and Jade Pothos Growth Rate
  12. Pearls and Jade Pothos Plant Toxicity and Pets
  13. Where To Buy a Pearls and Jade Pothos Plant?
Pearls and Jade Pothos Care Guide

Origins

The Pearls and Jade Pothos was a result of a mutation that was developed at the University of Flordia. The university started a program to induce mutations of Pothos plants in order to develop new varieties of the popular plant. During this program, the Pearls and Jade cultivar was discovered from a mutation of the Marble Queen Pothos.

Pearls and Jade Pothos Scientific Name

Epipremnum aureum ‘Pearls and Jade’

Is The Pearls And Jade Pothos Rare?

It is not as rare of a cultivar as it used to be. Although there is a patent on the plant there are growers in Florida that are propagating and distributing the plant.

Pearls and Jade Pothos Patent

The University of Florida does have a Trademark and a Plant Patent on the Pearls and Jade Pothos. The university does issue licenses for growers to propagate and distribute this type of Pothos.

The patent was issued in 2008 and is anticipated to expire in 2028.

Other Pothos Care Guides:

Pearls and Jade Pothos Light Requirements

Since the Pearls & Jade is a variegated plant it does need more light than other varieties of Pothos that don’t have heavy variegation. Bright indirect light is best for this type of Pothos. If you have a north-facing window that would be a great option.

If finding adequate light is hard to do in your home or office you could also use a grow light for your Pearls and Jade. Mine is currently not near a window, but in a bright room, so I do use a grow lamp on the plant.

Do not put your plant in direct sun. Pothos plants can get sunburn if they are left in direct sunlight.

How Much Light do Pearls and Jade Pothos Plants Need?

During the growing season making sure that your Pearls and Jade gets at least 12 hours of light is best. I try to aim for about 14 during these months to help it grow even more, substituting with a grow light as needed.

Pearls and Jade Pothos Watering

Allow the top few inches of the soil to dry between waterings of your plant.

The easiest and best way to do this is to just use your finger by sticking into the soil in the pot and seeing how the moisture of the soil feels. If you aren’t able to use your finger you can get a moisture meter, but these aren’t always accurate.

Do not overwater your Pothos. Overwatering the plant leads to soggy soil and stagnant water. This prevents the roots from getting oxygen, which will lead to root rot. It is hard to save any plant from root rot.

When Should I Water My Pearls and Jade Pothos?

Some people think that houseplants prefer to be watered at a certain time of day. I try to water mine in the evening after the sun is going down. But this is not a requirement. Water your Pothos when it is a good time for you.

Don’t try to stick with an exact scheduling of once a week or twice a week. Always test the soil to how it feels moisture-wise and water your plant based on that. Watering too often can lead to issues, as can watering the plant not enough. Water needs vary week to week and day to day depending on the environment, season, temperature, and humidity.

Soil

A regular potting mix will work for the Pearls and Jade Pothos. Adding some extra perlite to the soil can help get better drainage in the soil. Drainage is essential in helping prevent problems such as root rot.

Repotting

Like other Pothos plants, they need to be repotted about every other year if they are not in a super small pot. If you find your plant growing fast it might need to be repotted every year instead of two. I have gotten mine from a nursery where it was in a 2 inch pot so it needed to be repotted rather frequently as the plant grew fast during the first year that I had it.

If the roots of your plant start to grow out of the bottom of the pot, that is an indication that it would be a good time to upgrade the pot for the plant to a bigger size. Another indication of needing a bigger pot is if you start to see the leaves getting droopy even though you water it enough and the soil is drying out between watering.

When repotting your plant pick a new pot that is slightly bigger than the old one, usually about 2 inches bigger in diameter. Make sure the new pot is able to drain well.

Fertilizer

Like any other Pothos, fertilizing your Pearls and Jade Pothos is only needed about twice a year.

Fertilize once in the spring and again in the summer. Liquid fertilizer is the best type of fertilizer to use for Pothos. It is best to half the dosage that is recommended on the container.

Temperature

Don’t let the temperature drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or go above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Pothos plants do not tolerate cold temperatures at all.

Humidity

Like other Pothos the Pearls and Jade like higher levels. 40% to 60% is good. But they can adjust to lower levels of humidity.

Where I live humidity fluctuates often and can bottom out to the teens and 20s. The biggest difference that I see is that growth slows down when humidity is low and that the plant needs to be watered more often during this time.

Should I Mist My Pearls & Jade Pothos?

You can try and mist your plant when the humidity drops. It might not make too much of a difference for the plant. I find that humidifiers make more of an impact than misting my Pothos.

Pruning

Pruning your Pearls and Jade will depend on how fast yours is growing and how you would like it to grow. Since you can have this be an eye-catching trailing houseplant you might want to see how it’s vines grow before you start to cut it back too often.

If however, you would like yours to be a fuller-looking plant then pruning it as it grows is a good idea. The plant will branch off after you have pruned it, so that will allow it to have a much fuller appearance than one left to trail.

Pearls and Jade Pothos Propagation

Since this is a trademarked and patented variety of Pothos, propagation rights are given through licenses for commercial sellers.

It is a grey area according to some on Reddit as an individual if it is ok to propagate these. If you do decide to try you can try the propagation in water like other Pothos plants with cuttings off your Pearls and Jade.

Pearls and Jade Pothos Growth Rate

Groth rate of the Pearls of Jade can be slower than other cultivars. Many think that the Pearls and Jade is a slow grower.

It does grow slower than other types such as the Golden Pothos or Global Green. But it still does grow at a pretty good pace compared to N’Joys or Manjulas.

Pearls and Jade Pothos Plant Toxicity and Pets

All pothos plants, including the Pearls and Jade, are toxic to both cats and dogs due to calcium oxalates in the plant. If you do have pets, try to keep the plant up and out of their reach.

Where To Buy a Pearls and Jade Pothos Plant?

Many big box stores now carry this cultivar of Pothos. I have recently seen this variety at some of my local plant nurseries, so that is always a good option to check out if you can.

There are also some online sellers that sell Pearls and Jade Pothos, especially on Etsy. If you do go the online route to purchase your plant, make sure to buy from a reputable seller.

References:

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