If you’re looking for a houseplant that will climb or one that will look awesome in a hanging basket, then the Snow Queen Pothos plants might just be the one for you. Let’s learn a little bit more about this gorgeous lady and what she has to offer.
Table of Contents
Background and History
The background of the Epipremnum aureum ‘Snow Queen’ is a bit of a mystery, but it is thought to have come from Southeast Asia. It is not thought to have grown naturally in the wild, but is most likely a hybrid or a random mutation.
The formal botanical name is Epipremnum aureum ‘Snow Queen’ while the common name is simply Snow Queen. It has the classic heart-shaped leaves that pothos plants have and it looks very similar to the Marble Queen pothos. You can tell the difference because the Snow Queen has more white color and white variegation than the Marble Queen.
This plant is from the Araceae family and is a vining plant. It can grow up to 6-10 feet when grown indoors. Use a moss pole to allow it to climb up or put it in a hanging basket and let it hang!
In general, the Pothos Snow Queen is a low-maintenance plant, especially with our care tips below!
Toxicity
As with other pothos varieties, the Snow Queen is toxic to both humans and pets. Be sure to keep it away from small children and pets if you do have one of these plants.
Especially if you have your plant in a hanging basket, a pet may want to bat at it and play with it, so keep it at a high enough height that the pet won’t be tempted to swat at it!
The sap of this plant contains calcium oxalate crystals which if chewed or eaten, can cause immediate pain or a burning sensation and swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue and throat. The sap may also cause contact dermatitis or eye irritation if you come into contact with it.
Snow Queen Pothos Care
Water Requirements
Snow Queen plants are relatively easy plants that are drought tolerant. This doesn’t mean you should neglect her watering needs and not give her enough water, but if you do forget to water her for a while, it isn’t a big deal.
Your plant likes to dry out a bit between waterings, so you will only need to water it once the top half of the soil is dry. Soft, drooping leaves is an indication that the plant is ready for watering. You should cut back on watering during the winter months, however, when the plant is dormant. Always be sure to have a pot with a drainage hole so excess water can get out of the pot.
Light Requirements
The best way to keep the foliage bright and the variegation at its peak, you will need to keep your plant in plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Low light conditions for this plant will cause a loss of variegation and have it revert back to all green leaves.
You need to remember to keep your Snow Queen Pothos out of direct bright light, however, as this will burn the delicate leaves. Midday sun can be harsh and potentially burn the leaves.
Soil Requirements
The soil you use for your Snow Queen should be a mixture that will remain moist, but not soggy. For best results, it should be a well-draining soil and not one that compacts easily.
You can use a mixture of one third regular indoor potting soil, one third orchid bark mix, and one third perlite or pumice. This will make a nice, airy mixture for your plant.
Fertilizer Requirements
You should apply a balanced liquid fertilizer once a month during the spring and summer months, which is the growing season. Follow the package directions to know which ratio of fertilizer to water is best for your plant.
You shouldn’t need to fertilize your plant during the slower growing winter months, however. This will be the dormant period for your Snow Queen and she will be just fine without any added fertilizer during this time.
Temperature and Humidity Requirements
Because your plant is a tropical one, the optimum temperatures for your Snow Queen range between 65 and 85 degrees F. It is also not frost tolerant, so if you do keep your plant outdoors during the warmer months, you will want to be sure to bring it indoors over the cooler months of the year.
Typical household humidity is okay for your Snow Queen, but if you give it additional humidity, it will thrive. Keeping your plant in a bathroom, a kitchen or a laundry room may even help the humidity be higher, which would be a good thing for the plant.
Pests and Diseases
There are several pests and diseases that are common among pothos. They are mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, root rot, and leaf spot. You will want to keep an eye out on a regular basis to be sure your plant does not have any of these pests or diseases.
If you do determine there are any pests, the first thing you want to do is to isolate your plant from all other houseplants. Then you will need to treat them accordingly. To get rid of mealybugs, you can use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe the leaves. You can also use an insecticidal soap to clean the leaves.
If you find spider mites on your plant, you can spray the plant with a jet of water or use insecticidal soap to clean the leaves. To get rid of scale insects, you can wipe the leaves with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or use an insecticidal soap.
To prevent root rot, be sure to not overwater your plant. This will be the first line of defense in keeping the root system healthy. Be sure your plant is in a well draining pot, so the roots don’t sit in water after you water the plant.
Leaf spot is a type of fungal infections that can cause brown or black spots on the leaves of your plant. This can be caused by overwatering or poor air circulation. Remove any infected leaves and improve the air circulation around your plant to prevent further infection.
Pruning and Repotting
Because most pothos are very fast growers, they will most likely need to be pruned on a regular basis. These plants are more of a slower grower than other pothos such as a classic golden pothos but they are faster growing than many other variegated plants.
When you are ready to prune your plant, use a pair of sterile plant cutting shears. Cut the stem next to a node, or the small bump on the stem. The is where new growth will happen so keep that in mind when cutting!
Be sure that each cutting has at least 3-4 nodes on it and several leaves. You can remove the bottom one or two leaves from the stem before you root it in water.
After your cuttings have grown at least one inch of roots, you should be ready to plant them. Use new soil in your pot and it is usually best to put several cuttings into one pot to make a fuller plant.
If your main plant starts growing roots out the bottom of the pot, then it is time to repot! This is an easy task and you will need a pot that is approximately one to two inches larger than the current one. Be sure to use fresh soil as the old soil has already used up the nutrients that were in it originally.
Remove the plant from its existing pot, shake the soil from the roots, then add it to the new soil in the new pot. Be sure to press the roots down into the pot and be sure they are stable. Give it a good watering and let it sit a bit.
Common Problems
Curling or Wilting Leaves
Curling or wilting leaves on your Snow Queen plant is most commonly due to a moisture issue. Most of the time, it is because of under watering. If the cells of the plant lack moisture, they can’t fill out the leaves and hold up the plant. This will result in limp or wilting leaves. Good news though, when you water your plant, the leaves should return to their normal appearance.
If you overwatered your plant, however, it can also result in wilting leaves. This can be because of root rot where the roots are struggling to take up moisture through the mushy stems, causing the leaves to wilt.
If the leaves curl inwards, it can be a sign of excessive sunlight. If the leaves are exposed to direct sunlight too long, they will start to curl inward to protect themselves and conserve moisture. Moving the plant to a place with lower light will help the plant return to its normal state.
Lack of Variegation
This can be caused when your plant is not in the proper light conditions. In order for your plant to maintain the proper variegation, you will need to maintain the optimum light condition. This would be having several hours per day of bright, indirect sunlight.
Your plant requires sufficient light to keep the variegation at its peak. If your plant starts to lose its variegation, you will need to move it to a brighter spot. This will need to be something you need to remember so that your Snow Queen can maintain the beautiful variegation it is so known for. If not, it will slowly revert back to all green leaves.
Brown Tips
This problem will typically occur either when the plant is underwater or because of a lack of humidity. Both issues relate to the level of moisture in the leaves. Whenever the leaves lack moisture, they will begin to dry out at the edges furthest from the stems.
Be sure to water your plant when the soil is dry at the first few inches from the top. Bottom watering is a good method of watering a pothos and it can also be monitored by using a moisture meter in your soil.
You can also use a humidifier to help keep the humidity level at the optimum level for your Snow Queen. This will help with the chance of the plant not becoming dried out, both in the soil and at the edges of the leaves.
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves can be from a variety of things. Very mature, old leaves will turn yellow and die off and that’s totally fine. However, if there’s a ton of new leaves all turning yellow, there’s likely a problem.
Check to make sure you’re not over watering (which can cause root rot) or under watering. A lack of sunlight could also be the case.
FAQs
Because this is a relatively hearty plant, it doesn’t mind being a bit rootbound. It probably won’t need to be repotted more than once every two to three years. This will depend on the growth rate of your plant, so keep an eye on it to best determine when you need to repot your plant.
The biggest difference between the Snow Queen Pothos and the Marble Queen Pothos is that the Snow Queen tends to have more white on its leaves.
It is not likely that your Snow Queen will bloom if it is grown indoors. In fact, it would need a manipulation so it can flower. Horticulturists achieve this by spraying the plant’s leaves and stem with a specific hormone that helps that plant flower.
In Conclusion
The beauty of the plant world is that there are so many to choose from. Some have many colors, some have many special characteristics, some are just plain interesting to look at.
The Snow Queen Pothos is always a stunner, especially if you are able to grow it by a big window in a hanging basket. Or if you can have one sitting on a pedestal plant stand as a showcase plant. However you choose to grow it, the Snow Queen Pothos is always a winner! As always, keep on growing!