Gardening : <i> Epipremnum aureum</i> : Pothos, Evergreen house plant

The best plant I ever grew was a pothos. It wound around the ceiling, suspended by nails in the molding, circling back on itself, sometimes flopping to the floor. Although it is often mistaken for its cousin the philodendron, pothos is prettier. The leaves are almost always variegated; most are a streaky yellow and green, almost heart-shaped, glossy and sturdy.

Pothos isn’t a climber, but it can be tied up.

Pothos is a perfect house plant for people who forget to water. And there’s no need to spend a lot of money on fertilizer unless you want a really huge plant.

Pothos needs plenty of light, but direct sunlight will burn the leaves. An east-facing window is hospitable, as is a west- or south-facing window that is partially shaded.

Pothos is widely available in nurseries. Or you can just plunk a 4- or 5-inch cutting into water or sterile growing medium (vermiculite or perlite or a combination), pot it up when roots appear, and watch it grow. And grow.