Is pothos toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists pothos as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The leaves contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which cause oral irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing if chewed, a different toxic mechanism from the saponins in snake plant.

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Pothos care: the complete guide

Q: How often should you water a pothos?

Let the potting mix dry out before watering again, which Clemson Cooperative Extension puts at roughly every 7 to 10 days in summer and 14 days or more in winter under typical indoor conditions. Check the top inch or two of soil with a finger rather than watering on a fixed schedule, since light, pot size and season all change how fast it dries.

Q: How do you tell a pothos from a philodendron?

Look at the petiole, the small stalk joining leaf to stem: a pothos petiole has an indented groove, like a celery stalk, while a philodendron's is smooth and rounded. Pothos also produces one thick aerial root per node, where philodendron often produces a cluster of thin ones, and new pothos leaves emerge unwrapped while new philodendron leaves emerge inside a papery sheath called a cataphyll.

Q: How do you propagate a pothos?

Cut a stem section just below a node (the small bump a leaf grows from) with at least one node and one leaf attached, per Clemson Cooperative Extension. Place the cutting in water and roots typically appear within 2 to 3 weeks, or root it directly in a moist potting mix.

Guidance verified against North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center, South Dakota State University Extension and the ASPCA on 23 August 2026. Sources linked below.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) wants bright, indirect light but tolerates low light for long periods, water only once the soil has dried out (roughly every 1 to 2 weeks), average room humidity, and any well-draining potting mix. It prefers 15 to 29°C (60 to 85°F), feeds every other month in the growing season, and is toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

Attribute	What a pothos needs
Light	Bright, indirect light is best; tolerates low light for long periods, though variegated leaves fade to solid green
Water	Only once the soil has dried out; roughly every 7 to 10 days in summer, 14 days or more in winter
Humidity	Average indoor humidity is fine; no misting or humidifier required
Soil / pot	Any well-draining potting mix, in a pot with drainage holes
Fertiliser	Every other month during the growing season; none needed in winter dormancy
Temperature	15 to 29°C (60 to 85°F); avoid below about 13°C (55°F)
Toxicity	Toxic to cats, dogs and horses (ASPCA); insoluble calcium oxalates cause oral irritation if chewed

The full attribute schema at a glance. houseplantcarehq.com · Houseplant Care HQ

How much light does a pothos need?

Pothos grows best in bright, indirect light but survives long periods in low light, according to North Carolina State Extension's Gardener Plant Toolbox. It is one of the most light-tolerant common houseplants, which is a large part of why it is recommended so often for offices and dim rooms. The trade-off is cosmetic rather than fatal: in low light a variegated cultivar (a Marble Queen or Golden Pothos with cream or yellow patterning) gradually produces more solid-green leaves, because the plant has no need to maintain chlorophyll-poor variegated tissue when light is scarce. Move it closer to a window to bring the pattern back on new growth; existing solid-green leaves do not re-variegate.

How often should you water a pothos?

Water only once the potting mix has dried out, which Clemson Cooperative Extension's Home & Garden Information Center puts at roughly every 7 to 10 days in summer and 14 days or more in winter, under ordinary indoor conditions. Check the top inch or two of soil with a finger rather than following a fixed calendar, since pot size, light and season all change how quickly it dries. Black spots on the leaves are Clemson's specific sign that the soil has been kept too wet for too long, a useful early warning before root rot sets in.

Does a pothos need extra humidity?

No. Pothos is highly adaptable and grows well at ordinary indoor humidity, with no misting, pebble tray or humidifier required for the plant to survive and grow. A more humid spot such as a bathroom is not harmful and can slightly improve leaf size and shine, but it is a bonus, not a requirement, unlike genuinely humidity-sensitive tropicals such as Monstera.

What soil and pot does a pothos need?

Use any general-purpose, well-draining potting mix in a pot with drainage holes; pothos is not particular about soil composition the way a succulent like snake plant is. The main requirement is that water passes through and does not sit around the roots, which is also why the watering rule above matters more than the exact mix used. Repot only once roots are visibly circling the drainage holes or the plant is drying out unusually fast; the general repotting guide covers the signs and the step-by-step method.

How and when do you fertilise a pothos?

Feed every other month during the growing season, and skip fertiliser entirely once the plant is dormant over winter, per North Carolina State Extension. Pothos is a fast, forgiving grower and does not need frequent feeding to stay healthy; over-fertilising builds up salts in the mix faster than the plant can use them, which can scorch leaf edges rather than speed up growth.

What temperature does a pothos need?

Pothos is comfortable across a wide indoor range, roughly 15 to 29°C (60 to 85°F), which is why it tolerates ordinary homes and offices without special heating or cooling. Keep it away from cold draughts, single-glazed windowsills in winter and air-conditioning vents; growth slows noticeably and leaf damage can appear once temperatures drop much below about 13°C (55°F).

How do you tell a pothos from a philodendron?

Check the petiole, the small stalk joining each leaf to the main stem: a pothos petiole has an indented groove running along it, like a celery stalk, while a philodendron's petiole is smooth and rounded. The two are frequently confused because heart-leaf philodendron and juvenile pothos look similar at a glance and are sold under overlapping common names in nurseries. Two further tells: pothos grows one thick aerial root at each node, where philodendron often clusters two to six thinner ones at a node, and a new pothos leaf unfurls bare, while a new philodendron leaf emerges wrapped in a papery sheath called a cataphyll that drops off once the leaf expands. Botanically the two are different genera in the same family (Araceae): pothos is Epipremnum, philodendron is Philodendron.

Long bare stretches of stem between leaves mean the plant is stretching for light, not that it needs water; move it brighter and prune the leggy growth back to a node to make it bush out again.

Why does a pothos get leggy, and how do you fix it?

A pothos gets leggy, long bare stem with leaves spaced far apart, when it is stretching toward the nearest light source, a response called etiolation, per Clemson Cooperative Extension. The fix is two-part: move the plant to brighter, indirect light so new growth comes in compact, and prune the leggy vines back to just above a node (the small bump each leaf grows from). Clemson notes pruning is not just cosmetic tidying: cutting back to a node prompts the plant to branch from that point, so a hard prune produces a fuller, bushier plant rather than a shorter, still-sparse one, and the cut sections root readily as new plants (see propagation below).

How do you propagate a pothos?

Cut a stem section just below a node with at least one node and one leaf attached, per Clemson Cooperative Extension, since the node is the tissue that produces new roots. Place the cutting in a glass of water and roots typically appear within 2 to 3 weeks, or root it directly in a moist potting mix. This is one of the easiest houseplants to propagate this way, which is also why a legginess prune (above) is never wasted material: every cutting can become a new plant or be used to fill out the original pot.

What problems does a pothos commonly get?

Pothos is a forgiving plant, and most problems trace back to watering or light rather than pests. Diagnose by the specific symptom in the guides below.

Symptom	Likely cause and guide
Yellow leaves	Usually overwatering; see why leaves turn yellow
Black spots on leaves	Clemson's specific sign the soil has been kept too wet; check for root rot
Brown, crispy leaf edges	Often low humidity, underwatering or fertiliser salt build-up; see why leaves turn brown and crispy
Long bare stem, leaves far apart	Legginess from low light; move brighter and prune back to a node (see above)
Tiny flying insects near the soil	Fungus gnats, a sign the soil is staying too wet

Is a pothos toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists pothos as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The leaves contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, microscopic needle-like structures that cause oral irritation, intense burning of the mouth and lips, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing if chewed, a different toxic mechanism from the saponins in snake plant. Keep it out of reach of pets that chew on foliage, and contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or a vet if ingestion is suspected.

FAQ

How often should you water a pothos?: Let the potting mix dry out before watering again, roughly every 7 to 10 days in summer and 14 days or more in winter. Check the soil with a finger rather than a fixed schedule.
How do you tell a pothos from a philodendron?: Check the petiole: a pothos petiole is indented like a celery stalk, a philodendron's is smooth and rounded. Pothos also grows one thick aerial root per node, where philodendron often clusters several thinner ones.
Is a pothos toxic to cats and dogs?: Yes, and to horses too. The ASPCA lists it as toxic, containing calcium oxalate crystals that cause oral irritation, drooling and vomiting if chewed.
How do you propagate a pothos?: Cut a stem section just below a node with at least one leaf attached, then root it in water (2 to 3 weeks) or moist potting mix.

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