Grow Gorgeous Albo Pothos in Your Indoor Garden
Julie Bawden-DavisOctober 9, 2024When it comes to easy-to-grow houseplants, pothos tops the charts. Grow Albo Pothos in your indoor garden, and you get the same ease of growth combined with spectacular variegated and fenestrated foliage.
According to Justin Hancock, Horticulturist at Costa Farms, where they offer the eye-catching Albo Pothos mail order and through various retailers, the plant has been around for years, but only recently became popular. He theorizes that its popularity occurred in response to the surge in new houseplant parents during the pandemic.
Albo Pothos History
“Albo Pothos is likely a naturally occurring mutation of Epipremnum pinnatum,” says Hancock, who notes that the unusual variety has three main selling points—split and fenestrated foliage, white variegation and adaptability to indoor conditions.
“Unlike traditional Golden Pothos and other varieties of Epipremnum aureum, Albo Pothos develops its fenestrations much earlier in the maturity cycle,” says Hancock. “This allows plant parents to get that really cool (and super-trendy) look without having to wait years for it.”
Even more than the fenestration, Hancock reports loving the plant’s white variegation. “Each leaf is irregularly streaked, splashed or splotched with white, making the Albo stand out from other Pothos,” he says. “The white against the dark green creates a really striking contrast.”
Hancock also notes that the plant is a great houseplant for beginners. “Albo Pothos is wonderfully forgiving in terms of light and humidity conditions and holds up pretty well if you miss a watering now and again,” he says.
To keep your Albo Pothos happy, follow these growing tips.
Lighting for Albo Pothos
“As with just about any houseplant, the more light Albo Pothos gets, the happier it will be,” says Hancock. “Just because it tolerates low light doesn’t mean it likes it.”
Natural light from windows or full-spectrum lighting, or even a mix of the two works just fine. What’s important is that the plant gets the correct intensity and duration of lighting throughout the day.
Water Properly
“In terms of watering, Albo Pothos has a pretty decent Goldilocks Zone (the area between too wet and too dry),” says Hancock. “Like a lot of plants in the aroid family, it does resent frequent overwatering, so if you’re in doubt about whether to water it, it’s usually best to wait.”
Hancock suggests waiting until the plant begins to flag, which refers to just before visible wilting occurs.
Fertilize Occasionally
Albo Pothos isn’t a heavy feeder, but occasional fertilizing is a good idea. Fertilize in early spring and midsummer with a well-balanced, organic fertilizer. While you don’t want to overfertilize, feeding the plant periodically will lead to more growth.
How to Ensure Albo Pothos Maintains Fenestrations
To help guarantee your Albo Pothos retains its lovely fenestrations, Hancock suggests growing it vertically, as climbing seems to help the plant reach maturity faster.
“For some reason, growing up helps fenestrations develop much faster than if the plant trails,” he says. “Giving Albo Pothos lots of bright light also helps. The more light it has in your indoor garden, the more fuel it has for healthy growth.”
Watch for Pests
Albo Pothos is not immune or particularly resistant to houseplant pests, so keep an eye out for the usual suspects, which are spider mites, mealybugs, scale and thrips, suggests Hancock. If your indoor garden growing conditions are ideal, the plant probably won’t get pests. However, if Albo Pothos becomes stressed, the plant is more likely to succumb to invaders.
Propagating Albo Pothos
You can propagate Albo Pothos like other pothos—either by sticking a stem in water or into a rooting medium and waiting for it to root.
“When you propagate Albo Pothos, keep in mind that your plant will start out with the maturity level of the cutting you take,” says Hancock. “So, if you take a cutting from fenestrated growth, the new growth will be fenestrated. If you propagate from an immature shoot, it will need to start to mature before it fenestrates.”
Enjoy Your Long-Lived Houseplant
Like other Epipremnum varieties, Albo Pothos can grow more than 30 feet long outdoors in the tropics.
“With good indoor care and growing conditions, you can let the plant grow as large as you want inside and enjoy it for a decade or two,” says Hancock. “Albo Pothos is a remarkably beautiful plant that makes a great addition to your indoor garden.”
