I had been searching for a healthy Satin Pothos (scindapsus pictus) to purchase for years and because it’s such a rare, trendy houseplant, it wasn’t easy to find. The live plants are such a pretty green and silver color. Pothos have always been my favorite to care for because you can basically set them and forget them. Meaning, dry them out and they will be just fine. Actually they grow much faster when you follow these tips. There are several kinds of this particular vining plant and I’m sure if you apply all of these care instructions you’ll be good to go.
Many plants when taken from their original habitat tend to be super finiky and stressed when you take them home. To avoid stressing the plant out, set in one place for several weeks before relocating her.
How To Care For Satin Pothos
The scindapsus is a vining plant that thrives in warmer climates. However, it’s easy to care for them in colder temperatures as well. Simply create a plant room that is warmer than other parts of the home if necessary. We live in SW FL where the humidity is sometimes overwhelming. Which means I have to bring this plant indoors at times. Too much humidity isn’t good. Although you’ll read that they love it. And while they do, avoid too high of temperatures and create good air flow with a fan.
- place in a well lit room- avoid bright direct sunlight and be sure this plant receives just enough low-medium natural indirect light for proper growth
- avoid over watering- these plants don’t like to be saturated. a little water goes a long way. I always stick my finger inside the soil. When it’s dry, I water
- plant in a well drained pot so that when she does dry out you can give a nice shower and let the water drain through the holes at the bottom
- prune dead leaves as needed
- allow the vines to hang for a pretty display on a bookshelf or use a trellis
No matter what tips you read online you’re going to want to test and get as familiar with different plant varieties as possible. I’ve had to pay attention to certain plants that tend to be more ‘high maintenance’ than others. This specific houseplant can be tricky if it’s not a full grown mama plant. I purchased a newly propagated scindapsus satin pothos from a local shop but it didn’t last long after I brought her home. I think she was mortified and something just made her die.
Publix and even your local Walmart stores have been carrying more trendy and rare houseplants as of late. I picked this pothos up at a Publix and she was full grown. So, she’s actually thriving. All I do is dry her out and place in a well lit room. I did have her out on the lanai but it was far too humid. She likes our 72 degree apartment just fine.
Helpful Growing Tips
- Use an organic soil that has healthy ingredients in it when repotting
- Easy to propagate just like the philodendron guide
- Prune as needed
- Water when dried out completely
- Low-Medium Indirect Sunlight
- Medium Humidity Levels
- Can tolerate low light living areas but needs natural sunlight to thrive
- Repot when roots can be seen growing through bottom of pot
- Use a slightly bigger pot, not anything dramatic in change to prevent shock
- Likes to stay put
- Dust leaves with dry cloth, not wet
- Monitor for pests (don’t freak out, a simple wash with soap and water should do the trick and then spray with insecticide)
Even though her nickname is ‘pothos’ it’s actually a cousin to the philodendron and pothos family. Scindapsus pictus, or silver vine, is a species of flowering plant in the arum family Araceae, native to India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Growing to 3 m tall in open ground, it is an evergreen climber. (Via)
I’m actually fairly new to owning this special one but my very first live plants were the heartleaf philodendron and golden pothos. This silvery one is really giving me a run for my money in terms of getting to know her. She can be difficult at times. If yours is misbehaving, just leave her in a well lit room for some time and dry her out, then give her a shower and put her back in that same spot. Hopefully that will help her understand you enjoy her company.
Let me know in the comments how she’s doing.