Each plant is unique. Size, shape, fullness, and variegation will vary.
Hawaiian Pothos is a large-leaved form of Epipremnum aureum, the same species that gives us the familiar Golden Pothos. It develops broad, heart-shaped green leaves splashed and marbled with yellow to golden variegation. The name “Hawaiian” is widely used in the plant trade for this larger-growing form, but it is not a separate species, and a distinct documented cultivar origin is difficult to verify. What makes it stand out is its ability to develop substantial foliage and bold golden patterning, particularly when allowed to climb and mature.
Hawaiian Pothos is a climber. Its stems produce aerial roots that attach to trees and other surfaces, and this climbing behavior is important if you want to see what the plant can become. It can be grown trailing, but the leaves generally remain smaller and more juvenile. Give it a sturdy pole, plank or other vertical surface and, as the vine establishes itself, successive leaves can become dramatically larger. Mature Epipremnum aureum foliage can also develop splits and fenestrations, looking very different from the small pothos leaves most of us recognize.
For natural light, start Hawaiian Pothos approximately 1–3 feet from an east-facing window or 2–4 feet from a west-facing window. Hawaiian Pothos prefers approximately 800–1,500 foot-candles at the leaves. Foot-candles simply tell you how much light is actually reaching your plant. Useful light supports stronger climbing growth, larger foliage and good expression of its golden variegation. It can remain alive at considerably lower levels, but surviving in lower light and having enough light to actively mature are two different things. Window direction and distance are starting points because season, trees, overhangs, screens, glass and window size can all change the actual light reaching the plant.
If you’re using grow lights, choose a 5000–6500K fixture and aim for the same approximately 800–1,500 foot-candles at the foliage. Kelvin tells you the color of the light, not its strength. Foot-candles tell you how much light is actually reaching the plant. There is no universal distance between the fixture and the canopy because grow lights vary considerably in output. This becomes particularly important as Hawaiian Pothos climbs. Measure at different heights so the upper portion of the vine isn’t receiving strong light while the rest of the plant is left outside the fixture’s useful coverage.
Water when your plant needs watered. Allow the root zone to use a good portion of its available moisture before thoroughly watering again rather than watering on a schedule. Hawaiian Pothos handles some dryback well, but repeatedly taking the plant to an extreme wilt isn’t necessary. An airy, well-draining aroid mix allows you to water thoroughly while maintaining oxygen around the roots. As the plant becomes larger, remember that increased foliage, stronger light and a larger root system can change how quickly it uses water.
Read the vine as it develops. Progressively smaller new leaves, increasingly long spaces between leaves or a vine strongly reaching toward its light source are reasons to check how much useful light it is receiving. If you’re growing it vertically, watch the aerial roots and successive leaf size. Aerial roots attaching to the support and each new leaf becoming more substantial are good signs that the plant is beginning to mature. The amount of yellow variegation can naturally vary from leaf to leaf, so don’t judge the entire plant from a single greener leaf.
Success looks like a strong vine actively attaching to its support and producing increasingly substantial green-and-gold foliage. A trailing Hawaiian Pothos can still make a beautiful plant, but vertical growth gives it the opportunity to show why this form is known for its size. With time, useful light and something to climb, it can progress from familiar pothos-like juvenile foliage into a much larger and more dramatic tropical plant.
