How Long can a Pothos Plant Live?

If your query is how long can a Pothos plant live, relax. Pothos, one of the hardest plants to kill, is bound to have a long life.

The pothos plant will give you greenery and joy for a long time with little care. So, get one for yourself, all the busy bees out there.

Read on to find out how long can a Pothos plant live in your turf.

Lifespan of Pothos

Almost all pothos, be it Golden Pothos or Marble Queen, typically have a lifespan of 10 years. However, in the wild, they are reported to have lived as long as 15 years.

If you are wondering about different types of Pothos and their lifespan, below is the list.

How Long can Pothos Live Underwater?

Pothos can live in a water medium but tend to die when submerged underwater. As soon as the leaves touch the water, they tend to get mushy and rotten in no time. 

The same goes for the pothos stem. If a certain portion of the stem is underwater, it will survive. However, if a large part of the stem is immersed in water, it will eventually rot beyond restoration. 

Pothos can have a normal lifespan of 7 to 10 years underwater if good care and fertilizers are provided. 

If you want your pothos in water to have a long life, keep a close watch on their roots. Make sure there are no algae formations in the container. And it is best to change the water once every fifteen days.

Unlike pothos in a soil medium, pothos in water needs liquid fertilizers and plant vitamins. So make sure to invest in a good one!

Can Pothos Live in the Water Forever?

Yes, pothos can live forever in water depending on various factors such as lighting, temperature, fertilization, and aeration.

In fact, like any other aquatic plant, pothos does excellent in water mediums. You can easily cut a stem and root it in a water medium. Lately, pothos plants have gained popularity in aquariums for their oxygenation and filtration properties.

Can Pothos Live in Soil?

Yes, Pothos can live in the soil if the plant gets sufficient water and nutrients. Pothos grows the best in well-drained soil.

Any potting mix would be sufficient to plant them in soil. Pothos grows much faster in soil than in water. However, Pothos getting used to water transferred to soil might react negatively.

Remember, Pothos grown in water do fine as pothos growing in well-drained potting soil.

Limitations of the Lifespan of Pothos

Unlike humans, plants can grow enormously tall. But how is that a limitation? Well, technically, a plant can grow too tall to be able to endure itself. This is because plants have a magical tissue called “meristem” located at the tips and roots of the plant. It helps them grow indefinitely tall and wide.

Similarly, as the pothos keeps growing too tall, it will reach the point of starvation. The nutrients and water from the soil will be too hard to go to the top foliage. And then your pothos might start deteriorating.

Therefore, prune your pothos occasionally to keep them good as new for up to ten years or more.

But how about the pothos cuttings in water?

A few plants, like pothos, can change its cell or divide into numerous cells during their growth. Hence, they are perpetually embryonic.

This is why your pothos cutting will develop into a new plant in a water medium. They will keep growing for years as long as they reach a breaking point or old age, as we say it in human terms!

How to Make Sure Your Pothos Lives Long?

As pothos is a very forgiving plant, caring for them is relatively easy. However, you might occasionally give some love and care, to which it will respond beautifully.

The following points will help your pothos, whether in water or soil, have a long and happy life.

1. Appropriate Positioning of Pothos

No matter what anyone says, keep your pothos indoors. The outdoor setting is very harsh for pothos. They might even do fine for the first few weeks, but you will give your pothos lifelong damage.

Please place it in a bright spot with plenty of indirect light. Fluorescent light works well if your apartment does not receive any indirect light.

However, the best lighting conditioning for a long life would be indirect natural light from the sun.

2. Check Your Watering Habits

Underwatering is a threat to any plant. But did you know that people kill more plants due to overwatering than underwatering when it comes to houseplants?

It also has been reported that watering plants can sometimes be very therapeutic and relaxing. So it might help with your peace of mind, but as for your plants, it’s a big no!

Now, do you see what I am trying to say here? 

Too much water will kill your pothos in a few days. However, if they somehow survive, they might develop root deformities, lifelong affecting the plant’s health.

3. Do not Overfeed Plant

If you pour heaps of fertilizers and vitamins into your pothos, let me break it to you – Your pothos will not live that long!

You can correct an underfed plant, but I cannot say the same for overfed ones. When we talk about pothos, they do not require any plant food.

Even if you try changing the soil for your overfed babies, your pothos will have already consumed a tremendous amount of minerals. These mineral deposits will extensively cut down the lifespan of your pothos.

It is best to go with very light liquid fertilizers for pothos. And remember that you should be using different fertilizers and plant vitamins for pothos in water and soil medium.

Pothos in a water medium requires a minimal amount of water-soluble fertilization.

4. Poor Quality Growing Medium is a NO!

This is specifically true in the case of soil-rooted pothos. If you have used plain garden soil or merely a cactus mix, you are cutting short the life of your pothos.

Plain garden soil is prone to water accumulation, and the cactus mix retains no water. Therefore, these growing mediums are not ideal for your pothos.

Use a proper potting mix if you want your grandchildren to enjoy your pothos as much as you did.

A store-bought potting mix is perfect for pothos. Stick to it if you do not want to invest the time in making your potting mix.

Pillars of Care to Help Your Pothos Live Long and Happy!

• Watch out for your watering routine – Make a different schedule for summers and winters.
• Invest in a good humidifier – Pothos love humid air!
• Fertilize sparingly – Pothos are slow feeders. Once in two months is enough.
• Keep the pests away – The pothos plant’s bacteria, fungi, and bugs can cause severe damage.
• A healthy temperature is ideal – 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal.
• Upgrade the pot – If the roots are poking out through drainage holes. Re-pot immediately!
• Pruning is a must – Trim not only the stem and leaves but also the roots.
• Treat problems immediately – Don’t wait for them to get worse.
• Invest in well-draining soil – It is the basis of a healthy pothos.

Fun Fact: A woman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, owned a philodendron for over 30 years. She put the plant in her will to get proper care and attention. Isn’t that heart-warming?