Glacier Pothos, a rare and checkered-foliar variety of Devil’s Ivy or Pothos, rejoices blissfully if you cater indoor tropical care to it!
Read more to learn the best care tips and propagation guide for Glacier Pothos and how it compares with other Pothos varieties.
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Glacier Pothos [Plant Overview]
Do you know Glacier Pothos doesn’t occur naturally, but growers bred the plant from other Pothos varieties to bring out the desired marbled variegation in its leaves?
In fact, due to the patterns on its leaves, Glacier Pothos bears many similarities with other Pothos varieties like Pearls and Jade, and N’joy.
Further, the plant is commonly named Devil’s Ivy because of its unkillable nature and ability to rebound from stressful conditions.
Although confusing, the following table will clear further doubts about the plant.
| Feature(s) | Description(s) |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Epipremnum aureum 'Glacier' Pothos aureus 'Glacier' |
| Common Name | Glacier Pothos Devil's Ivy Pothos |
| Family | Araceae |
| Status & Ecology | Habit: Evergreen Terrestrial or Epiphytic Perennial Climbing or Creeping Herb Habitat: Wet Tropical Biome Native Range: Tropical & Sub-Tropical Rainforests of South East Asia, West & East Africa, Northern to Eastern South America USDA Zones: 10-11 |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to Fast |
| Plant Size | 6-8 feet long & 3-4 feet wide |
| Growing Seasons | Throughout Spring & Summer |
| Leaf | Shape: Cordate to Elliptic-Ovate With Undulated Margins & Acuminate Apex Size: 10-15 cm long & 5-7 cm wide Color: Green & White (Checky) Texture: Glossy and a bit Leathery |
| Flowering Periods | Summer (Rarely) |
| Flower | Spathe and Spadix Inflorescence (Rare) |
| Grown For | Variegated Leaves & Draping Vines (Stems) |
| Toxicity | Mildly Toxic to Humans Highly Toxic to Pets |
Complete Glacier Pothos Care Guide
Glacier Pothos usually retains its leaf variegation but can revert to green color under conflicting conditions.
Hence, keep the plant in a sound tropical setup to avoid upshots and monitor for pests and diseases.
To have a deep understanding of the plant care requirements, remember to follow these basic things.
1. Sunlight & Temperature
Extreme Sunlight & Temperature Issues
- Progressive yellowing of the foliage (leaves & vines)
- Sunburns (tips & marginal browning of the leaves)
- Brown & crispy botches on the leaf surface
- Wrinkly & droopy leaves
Low Sunlight & Temperature Issues
- Leggy stems & petioles
- Loss of leaf variegation
- Leaf & bloom fallouts
- Irregular flowering frequencies
- Smaller leaves & blooms
Tips to Maintain Proper Light & Temperature
- Keep the plant near a shady east-facing window or 3-5 feet away from an open south-facing window.
- Never let the plant leaves touch the window pane during intense heat.
- Prevent the entry of drafts by keeping the plant away from north-facing windows or cooling vents indoors.
- Rotate the plant in quarter turns weekly for equal light distribution and to reduce sunlight incidence within the foliage.
- Use artificial lights for 10-12 hours daily during winter to cope with the lack of sunlight.
2. Watering & Humidity
Overwatering & High Humidity Signs
- Gradual yellowing of foliage
- Fishy smell from the soil due to root rot or decay
- Curled-up & floppy leaves
- Appearance of brown & mushy patches on leaves & stems
Underwatering & Low Humidity Signs
- Crispy yellowish-to-brown leaves
- Curling, wilting, & foliar shrinkage
- Withered roots and surrounding tissues
- Sluggish growth rate
Tips for Watering & Maintaining Humidity
- Cut back watering during fall and winter when the plant becomes dormant.
- Check the first 1-2 inches of topsoil for dryness between watering sessions.
- Amend the soil with organic perlite to boost drainage.
- Use humidity trays to surge the ambient moisture around the plant during blazing heat stretches.
- Employ the bottom watering approach to saturate the soil when the potting mix becomes completely dry.
- Unpot the plant, trim the decayed roots using sterilized pruners, and repot in fresh potting soil.
3. Soil & Fertilizer
Signs of Using Wrong Soil
- Anoxic potting conditions (due to poor drainage)
- Soggy soil & stagnant water conditions
- Mold growth on the topsoil
Overfertilization Signs
- Fertilizer burns (tips & edges of the leaves turn brown)
- Withering roots (upshot of chemical burn)
- Formation of fertilizer salt residues on the potting soil
Underfertilization Signs
- Stalled growth with foliar discoloration
- Fewer & small sized blooms & leaves
- Infrequent flowering phases
- Weak roots & vines
How to Fertilize & Provide Proper Soil?
- Flush out the potting soil using distillate water monthly to cut down mineral salt buildup.
- Cut off fertilizer application during fall and winter.
- Dilute the fertilizer to the required strength according to the instructions per pack before feeding.
- Drill drainage holes at the pot’s base to raise oxygen flow and prevent anoxic conditions.
- Lay pebbles at the bottom of the planter to encourage drainage while repotting or transplanting.
4. Pruning Care
Glacier Pothos Pest & Diseases
Pests: Spider Mites, Thrips, Aphids, Mealybugs, Scales and Gnats
Diseases: Root Rots (Fungal Infection) and Blights and Leaf Spots (Bacterial Infection)
Tips to Prune & Prevent Pest and Diseases
- Review the plant for spent or tarnished leaves and vines and remove them using sterilized pruners.
- Always prune 1-2 cm above the node so the vines or stems branch out, allowing fresh new growth.
- Prune in the morning during spring and discourage trimming during humid days.
- Ensure not to remove any tender leaves and buds.
- Dab the pests and excreted honeydews from leaves or stems using cotton swabs laced with neem oil.
- Try using copper-rich fungicides to keep bacterial and fungal diseases at bay.
5. Repotting Care
Signs to Repot Glacier Pothos
- Overcrowded roots create a congested rootball
- Protrusion of roots from the drainage holes
- Quick drainage of water (stagnation & puddling)
- Stunted growth rate & foliage discoloration
Steps to Repot Glacier Pothos
- Irrigate the plant 1-2 days before repotting to access its rootball easily.
- Tug out the plant from its pot by grabbing its stem and breaking the root ball inside a bucket of water.
- Check the root ball for any possible root rots and trim them, but keep healthy roots intact.
- Lay some pebbles at the pot’s base and fill it one-third with the potting soil.
- Place the plant at the center, spread its roots, and fill the soil from the sides.
- Water the plant thoroughly and keep it in a bright shady location until it sprouts new growth.
Is Glacier Pothos Toxic?
Glacier Pothos is a Pothos variety with calcium oxalate crystals in its roots, stems, and leaves.
Oral, gastrointestinal, and oesophageal irritations and swellings are commonly visible if the oxalate-loaded plant parts are eaten.
The plant is severely poisonous to pets and mildly poisonous to humans. But, the toxicity also depends on the amount of plant parts ingested.
Hence, if the signs of toxicity are visible in your pets or children after accidentally eating the plant parts, you can call the helpline numbers below.
Glacier Pothos Plant Growth & Flowering
Aroids like Glacier Pothos inhabit the wet and humid tropical biomes, especially equatorial regions.
Here, the conditions are warm and humid for plants like Pothos that grow under the dappled shade of the forest canopy.
The humid and wet conditions, compensated by warmth, allow Pothos to grow 18-24 inches monthly during spring and summer.
In fact, Pothos have a long life span and can continue to grow during spring and summer. But, its growth rate ceases in fall and winter when the plant enters dormancy.
Additionally, plant flowers and produce seeds before undergoing dormancy and restarting their perennial cycle again in spring.
However, they rarely bloom indoors but have a general structure or overall “inflorescence” similar to other aroids like Alocasias, Monstera, or Philodendron flowers.
The inflorescence involves a leafy spathe and elongated cylindrical or tapering spadix.
Both function in pollination, flowering, fruiting, and seed production.
Glacier Pothos [Propagation Methods]
To propagate Glacier Pothos successfully, you must take healthy stem cuttings from the plant during spring or early summer.
However, you can first root the stem cuttings in water to monitor root growth and transplant the cuttings into the soil later.
Propagation Through Stem Cutting
Stem cutting is the easiest propagation method for Glacier Pothos. You should take the cuttings during spring.
1. Prepare Stem Cutting
- First, choose a healthy stem and cut 4-6 inches below the node.
- However, ensure the stem has at least 2 nodes and 4 leaves.
- After, remove the leaves at the bottom to expose more growth points.
2. Rooting Stem Cuttings In Water
- Choose a healthy stem from the plant and put the plant in a jar of rooting hormone solution.
- Change the water every 2-5 days to prevent mold or bacterial growth.
- Within 10 or a few days more, the cuttings shall develop new roots from the nodes.
- Then, once the roots get about 2-3 inches long, transplant them in a porous potting mix.
3. Transplanting In Soil
- First, take 6 inch wide and deep terracotta planter and fill it with the potting soil.
- Place the stem 2-3 inches deep and top it with a resealable plastic bag to secure warmth and humidity.
- After the plant develops new growth within 4-6 weeks, remove the bag and continue the normal watering care.
- However, don’t try to fertilize the plant until it begets 2 or more sets of true and healthy leaves.
Wanna know more about the Pothos propagation? Learn from this video.
Glacier Pothos for Sale
The extremely rare Glacier Pothos is a plant not available everywhere but only in a few shops or sites.
| Shops | Expected Shipping Date |
|---|---|
| Etsy | Within 1-5 days after placing an order |
| Plants World | Within 7 days after placing an order |
N’Joy Vs. Pearl & Jade Vs. Glacier Pothos
Glacier Pothos, Pearl & Jade Pothos, and N’Joy Pothos all belong to the same variety of Pothos family with the same leaf resemblance.
However, the main difference is that the N’Joy have bigger, pointier leaves than Glacier Pothos.
Hence, Glacier Pothos is famous for its smaller leaves but has less shiny foliage than both Pothos varieties.
From Editorial Team
Conclusion!
Glacier Pothos is rare with leaf variegations but is extremely sensitive to surrounding changes.
You can always sustain their leaf variegations with warm, humid, and bright indoor conditions.
