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Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), also known as Devil's Ivy, is one of the easiest house plants to grow and propagate. Water propagation is a fun, visual way to turn a single long vine into multiple new plants to expand your collection or share with friends.

šŸŒæ Want a Lush Pothos?

If you want a full, trailing pothos plant to start taking cuttings from, check out the potted plant collection at The Bouqs Co. for fresh, healthy deliveries.

Essential Selection & Care Instructions

1. Locate the Nodes and Snipping the Vines

Look closely at a pothos vine. You will see small brown bumps along the stem where leaves emergeā€”these are nodes. New roots will only grow from these nodes. Using clean, sterilized scissors, cut a 4-to-6-inch section of vine, making the cut about a quarter-inch below a node.

2. Strip Lower Leaves to Avoid Rot

Remove the leaves closest to the bottom of your cut vine. You need at least 1 or 2 nodes bare of foliage so they can be submerged in water without leaves rotting and clouding the liquid. Leave 2 to 3 leaves at the top of the cutting.

3. Keep in Clean Water and Bright Light

Place your cutting in a clear glass jar filled with room-temperature water, keeping the nodes submerged and the leaves dry. Position the jar in a spot with bright, indirect sunlight. Change the water once a week to keep it oxygenated and free of bacteria. Roots will appear in 10 to 14 days.

šŸ’” Soil Transition

Once the roots are 1 to 2 inches long, transfer your cuttings into a small pot filled with moist potting soil. Keep the soil slightly damp for the first two weeks to help the water roots adjust to the dry soil environment.

āš ļø Pothos Pet Warning

Pothos plants contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. If chewed or swallowed by cats or dogs, they cause severe oral pain, drooling, pawing at the mouth, and difficulty swallowing. Display trailing vines high up on wall shelves.

Pothos Cutting Mistakes to Avoid

Every pothos cutting needs at least one node, because roots grow from nodes rather than from a plain leaf stem. Cut just below a node with clean scissors, remove the lowest leaf, and place the node under water. A cutting with only a leaf and petiole may stay green for a while but will not become a new trailing plant.

Change the water whenever it clouds, and keep the jar in bright indirect light. Direct sun can heat the water and stress new roots. Once roots are a few inches long, move the cutting to potting mix and keep the mix evenly moist for the first week while water roots adapt to soil.

Propagation Checklist

  • Label the jar date so cuttings do not sit indefinitely.
  • Use several cuttings per pot for a fuller starter plant.
  • Keep pothos away from pets because chewing can irritate the mouth.