This variety of pothos has unique features, and you’re going to love having it in your collection. The Cebu blue pothos is also known as the Devil’s Ivy or the European house plant; this evergreen tropical vine comes only second to the Philodendron Pink Princess in terms of trending house plants.
The Cebu blue pothos is easy to grow and does not demand strenuous maintenance sessions.
To take care of the Cebu blue pothos, you must establish an environment conducive to its growth. Well-drained soil supplemented with perlite, medium sunlight, a temperature of around 16-32 degrees Celcius, and humidity levels of about 70% are a few of its requirements.
Let’s learn more about the Cebu blue pothos and explore ways to cater to its adequate growth and care.
Table of Contents
Meet the Cebu Blue Pothos: Basic Knowledge And Origins
The Pothos plants belong to the island of Moorea from the Society Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
The Cebu blue pothos is also called the Epipremnum Pinnatum, which explains the epiphytic nature of Cebu and its longing to grow on other plants.
Its silver and blingy leaf patterns have attracted horticulturalists and newbie gardeners alike. The blue in its name explains its sparkly leaves that exhibit a blue undertone; this characteristic is, however, subject to many variations.
The Cebu blue pothos is often confused with the Monstera plant due to their uncanny resemblance.
This plant is native to the Philippines and other tropical regions in Asia, such as Japan and Taiwan.
Family Type | Araceae |
Common Name | Dragon-tail, Blue philodendron, Devil’s Ivy, and Centipede Tongavine, European houseplant |
Botanical Name | Epipremnum pinnatum |
Plant Type | Herbaceous, perennial |
Size | 15-35 feet in height indoors and up to 40 feet in length in the wild; it has a spread of about 3-6 feet. |
Native Area | Philippines |
Sun Exposure | Indirect, bright light |
Soil Consistency | Loamy potting mix with perlite, sand, and vermiculite |
Toxicity | Toxic to animals and humans |
Common Pests | Mealybugs and Scales |
Varieties of Pothos
There are over a dozen species of the Pothos plants. Some of these will be briefly discussed below.
Snow queen pothos
The Snow Queen Pothos comes from the family of trailing vines; this perennial arum comes from the infamous Solomon Islands.
Snow Queen Pothos is easy to grow and makes a stunning debut in any living space. It has heart-shaped leaves that display an intricate green and snowy white medley. This plant has a beautiful leaf pattern, almost like an abstract painting.
Baltic blue pothos
The Baltic blue pothos is another plant sharing strikingly similar features with the Cebu blue pothos. However, Baltic blue pothos develops darker leaves without any blue sheen. Its leaves fenestrate earlier than the Cebu blue pothos.
Harlequin pothos
The Harlequin pothos is the rarest variety from the pothos family. It displays features of three of its cousins: The Marble queen pothos, the Snow queen pothos, and the Manjula pothos.
The Two Phases of the Cebu Blue Pothos
The Cebu blue pothos has two growth phases, each owing to unique behavior and characteristics. These phases dictate the color and size of the leaves.
Juvenile Phase
It is during this phase that the plant truly lives up to its name because its leaves express a bluish-grey color.
But there’s more to the diversity of the Cebu blue pothos. Not every leaf may exhibit the same color in the juvenile phase; leaves may express shades of green, blue, silver, and grey in a single snapshot of time!
During the juvenile phase, the Cebu blue pothos resorts to more of a terrestrial approach and thus reaches large sizes with or without support and care.
As for the leave shape, the juvenile phase reveals elongated, oval-shaped leaves that size up to 4 inches in length.
Mature Phase
The Cebu blue pothos vamps up its climbing ability in the mature phase. Its leaves take on a shade of green with a zig-zag pattern, similar to that of a palm tree.
When grown indoors, the leaves’ size remains 4 inches in length, but in natural habitat or the great outdoors, this plant can sport leaves that span a length of 30 inches!
Your Cebu blue pothos may or may not bloom when grown indoors, with more probability for the occurrence of the latter.
How to Care for the Cebu Blue Pothos
The Cebu blue pothos does not demand excessive care. However, you should know the basic requirements that would encourage them to thrive and vamp up your space with their devilish ivy strings!
Sunlight
A medium-light would suffice for the Cebu blue pothos. It can even survive in sparse lighting conditions. However, bright and indirect sunlight all day long serves this plant best.
Make sure never to leave this beauty out in direct sunlight, or you’ll witness a deadly sunburn attacking the leaves of your Cebu blue pothos.
Cebu blue pothos is a woodland plant and prefers to bask in the indirect warmth of the sun all day long.
Soil
Well-drained soil with a balanced pH is what this plant desires the most. A pH range of about 6 to 7.8 is optimal.
Go for a chunky soil mix. Adding perlite, vermiculite, and sand will further condition the soil and promote the longevity of your Cebu blue pothos.
Water
You should only water the Cebu blue pothos once it’s fully dry to touch. Water your dry Cebu blue pothos to the extent till it soaks in water. This is known as the soak and dry method, and it is conducive to a healthy Cebu blue pothos.
Withering, curled leaves indicate that your Cebu blue pothos is dehydrated.
Temperature and Humidity
You can tamper the temperature as per your liking because this plant can adjust to a variety of household temperatures. However, it would still need to be acclimatized to its new environment.
The key is to keep the chosen household temperature stable once your Cebu blue pothos has acclimatized.
The temperature range should be around 16-32 degrees Celsius.
As far as the humidity requirements are concerned, the Cebu blue pothos can survive in a vast variety of indoor humidity levels, so you need not worry about that too much.
Fertilizer
Apply a good quality liquid plant fertilizer during spring and summer to ensure healthy and nourished growth for your Cebu blue pothos.
This step can be omitted as well; many plant growers do not deem fertilizer necessary for this low-maintenance arum.
Potting and Re-potting
The exciting part about growing a Cebu blue pothos is that you do not need a standard-sized pot for this plant. You may opt for a variety of pot sizes and even baskets, whichever suits your liking.
The Cebu blue pothos may need re-potting when its leaves start to split. Opt for progressively bigger sizes each time you re-pot this plant.
The Cebu blue pothos has juvenile and mature phases; to keep them in the former phase for longer, go for hanging baskets.
Pruning the Cebu Blue Pothos
To maintain the Cebu’s edgy and sleek look, one must incorporate periodic pruning sessions.
Any decayed, dead, or damaged vines and leaves should be removed using only sterilized pruning shears.
Keep in mind to avoid excessive pruning; each vine should still have considerable leaves left after each pruning session; otherwise, the growth will become stunted.
Propagation
There are two ways to propagate the Cebu blue pothos:
Propagation by stem cuttings
The best time to propagate the Cebu blue pothos is during the spring when its growth rate is on peak rise.
Use sterilized pruning shears to make a precision cut beneath a node at the base of the stem.
Dump some fresh soil in a pot – the soil should be similar or identical to the one you used for the primary or parent Cebu blue pothos.
Make a small well in the soil to place your stem cuttings.
After watering the cuttings, place the pot in an area that receives ample sunlight.
You can use a heating pad or use a plastic bag as a cover; this will harness heat and speed up the growth process.
Propagation in water
Follow the same instructions as mentioned above, except, place the stem cuttings in a container of water instead of soil.
Place this jar in a well-lit area and frequently change the water to avoid contamination.
As soon as you witness growth, place the cuttings in the soil.
Challenges & Solutions
Soggy and drooping leaves
This sign indicates that you have over-watered your Cebu blue pothos.
Dark brown, decaying leaves
Dark leaves indicate root rot which almost always results from over-watering the pothos.
Discard the infected leaves to help the pothos recover.
Ask Away: The FAQ Section
What does it mean when a Cebu blue pothos goes into dormancy?
Dormancy is a period when a plant shows little to no signs of growth. Usually, this is not a cause of worry as it is a natural process depicting a resting stage for the plant.
Does the Cebu blue pothos prefer to be root bound?
It’s actually quite the opposite; a Cebu blue pothos prefers open space to grow freely. It’d thrive in a spacious pot rather than being root-bound.
A root-bound Cebu blue pothos will demonstrate poor growth, yellow and drooping leaves, along with other signs of ill-health.
Why don’t pothos prefer being root-bound?
When a plant like the Cebu blue pothos is root-bound, it becomes hard for it to absorb oxygen, water, and other essential nutrients from the soil.