Warning: This blog will discuss Devil's Ivy (Epipremnum aureum). This plant is a gateway plant and should be treated with caution. Read on at your own risk
Thinking of diving into a full-foliage lifestyle? This is the place to start. In fact, its a mystery as to why we haven't done a post about these guys already.
Jungle Vibes? Tick
Low maintenance? Tick
Forgiving? Tick
Fast growing? Tick
Thrives on neglect? Well...sorta. Basically its number one killer is too much attention.
I'll go out on a limb here and say there is no plant as widely used and adopted in the indoor plant scene as the Devil's Ivy. Restaurants and cafes love it, plant beginner's love it, plant shops love it, and stylists love it. It is incredibly versatile being able to be displayed as a hanging plant, a trailing plant over a bookshelf or bench, a climbing plant on a totem or wall (hot tip - use some picture hooks to train the plant up walls!)
You'll sometimes here this plant being referred to as Pothos. This is because it's botanical name used to be be Pothos aureus until it was changed in the early 60's when it switched genera. But the indoor plant trend of the 60's and 70's kept the name well and truly alive, so if you hear 'Pothos' being mentioned in conversation you can be sure it refers to Devil's Ivy.
Care
Light
Sticking to the most common of indoor plant aspects - bright, indirect light is ideal. Keep out of direct sun as this can scorch the leaves. Although these plants will also do fine in low light situations, you'll notice slower growth and smaller foliage. For best results, bright + indirect is the way to g(r)o(w).
(They also do well in artificial or grow lights)
Potting
Aroid mix all the way! As part of the Araceae family the Devil's Ivy is going to thrive in a quality Aroid Mix. Repotting should be done yearly, as they are fast growers. Its not necessary to go up a pot size but replacing with fresh mix each year will keep your plant looking the biz. But your pot size won't need to be proportional to the foliage length - these plants will keep on growing and actually enjoy being root bound. As with all repotting, be careful only to pot up one size at a time as going to big too quickly can mean the plant will be unable to take up extra moisture and risk root rot.
Water
Overwatering is a no-no. Water when the soil feels dry, so you're going to need to get your fingers dirty. We recommend sticking a finger in to the second knuckle. If its dry to touch, give it a good drink (until water comes out the base) and leave. If you're not sure, leave a little longer - far better to underwater than overwater these plants.
Fertiliser
Get you hands on some of the good stuff and feed fortnightly. As long as the plant is putting out new growth, its ok to be feeding. If growth slows down over winter, cut back feeding to 1/4 strength and then launch back into full strength come Spring.
Temperature
Not a fan of the cold. In fact, the warmer the house the more growth you're going to see. Be wary of cold drafts from doors and windows (especially during winter in Melbourne!), and if your plant starts dropping leaves that's a sign its getting a little cold. Shuffle away from windows as the glass can get too cold when winter kicks it.
Bonus Bits
Devil's Ivy are a great plant to propagate, especially from cuttings. Check out of Propagation from Cuttings post here if you want to expand the plant fam
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