Pothos plants come in all kinds of interesting varieties. Some of them are very different, while others are so similar that many people can’t tell them apart. The “Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos” debate is a perfect example of the second scenario. Is there really a difference between these two types of Devil’s Ivy? Or are they different names for the same thing?
There’s no real way to tell if your plant is a Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos. For all intents and purposes, they’re the same plant: an Epipremnum Aureum with splashes of yellow and white. Some claim that Hawaiian Pothos leaves are larger and more variegated, but their examples look identical to mature Golden Pothos foliage.
In this article, we’ll look at why some people consider Hawaiian Pothos a distinct variety and why we disagree. We’ll explore the difference between species and cultivars, how Pothos plants respond to different growing conditions, and how they change as they mature. And we’ll explain the one scenario in which it might be worth paying more for a “Hawaiian Pothos” than a Golden.
Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos – Are There Differences?
It’s easy to find online articles claiming to help you identify a Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos. All of them agree that both varieties have heart-shaped green leaves with speckles and streaks of color ranging from bright yellow to creamy white. Then they list several differences, such as:
- Golden Pothos has smaller leaves
- Hawaiian Pothos develops fenestrated foliage
- The stems of Golden Pothos can be yellow, while Hawaiian Pothos has green stems
- Hawaiian Pothos has more creamy white and less yellow in its variegation
Those all sound like important differences, but there’s one glaring problem. Nobody can seem to agree on which feature goes with which plant.
You can find articles and videos claiming both sides of nearly every single “telltale difference”. One person claims that the Hawaiian Pothos has yellow stems, while another person says they’re always green. Another article says the Golden Pothos has more creamy white in its variegation, while the next one says it’s the Hawaiian Pothos.
You might think, “Well, no big deal, people are wrong on the internet all the time.” But this isn’t a question of some people having the wrong answer – it’s that there is no right answer.
We can’t just go ask a botanist because no one is claiming that these are different species. They’re saying that the Hawaiian Pothos is a distinct cultivar of Epipremnum Aureum, AKA Golden Pothos. And a cultivar is just a plant variant with identifiable, reproducible traits. If no one can agree on what features make a Hawaiian Pothos, there’s no basis for calling it a separate cultivar.
A Hawaiian Pothos Is Just an Extra-Large Golden Pothos
The one common claim in every “Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos” article is that a Hawaiian Pothos develops big, fenestrated leaves. (“Fenestrated” means it has holes or split edges, like a Monstera.) That sounds like an important difference…except that Golden Pothos can do the same thing. So can any type of Pothos, with the right care.
Most people growing Devil’s Ivy as a houseplant don’t realize it can turn into a giant, shaggy monster. That’s because a Pothos requires some specific environmental conditions to reach maturity. Without those requirements, the plant remains in its juvenile phase, featuring the small heart-shaped leaves we know and love.
Our guess is that this is how people became convinced that the “Hawaiian Pothos” was a thing. Someone from a colder climate most likely visited Hawaii and noticed all of the enormous, split-leafed Pothos plants. We can see how you’d assume you were looking at a different variety if you didn’t know that environmental conditions were responsible.
In tropical regions, these plants often grow in the wild. With bright sunlight, a mild climate, and plenty of trees or buildings to support it, an outdoor Golden Pothos can easily grow into a towering plant with huge fenestrations. The higher light levels also tend to cause lots of colorful variegation.
Can You Turn a Golden Pothos Into a Hawaiian Pothos?
If you’ve seen pictures of a “Hawaiian Pothos” and fallen in love with its huge, colorful leaves, you may be glad to learn it’s just a bigger Golden Pothos. That means you can raise your small Epipremnum into a giant one, right?
Yes, this is certainly possible. We won’t pretend it’ll be easy, though. Here’s what your Devil’s Ivy needs to grow into a huge, “Hawaiian-style” Pothos.
Time
A Pothos never develops gigantic, split-sided leaves until it matures. The plant has two distinct life stages. First is the juvenile phase, in which it looks like the Pothos plants most of us are familiar with, and the second is the sprawling tropical giant that most people picture when they think of a Hawaiian Pothos.
Most people raising Pothos indoors find that their plants need at least a decade to start producing large, fenestrated leaves. You may be able to speed the process up somewhat by providing ideal growing conditions. However, even if you’re raising it in a greenhouse, you should expect to wait at least five years before your plant looks like a “Hawaiian Pothos”.
Light
Sunlight is critical to the “Hawaiian Pothos look” for two reasons. For one thing, it’s what fuels your plant’s growth. The foliage needs lots of energy to reach its mature phase, not to mention to grow those enormous leaves.
You also need light to get the intense variegation that many people consider a trait of the Hawaiian Pothos. The yellowish and cream-colored spots on the plant have less chlorophyll than the green areas. That means they can’t absorb as much light. So your Golden Pothos can only afford to produce tons of variegation if it’s getting more than enough sun already.
The problem is that pretty much any indoor room, short of a glass-walled solarium, gets less sunlight than the outdoors. That’s why you’re much more likely to see a humongous Pothos growing in a Hawaiian forest than in a Manhattan apartment. See here for some advice on how to give your Pothos enough sunlight.
Structure
Pothos plants get the biggest when they have something to climb. In nature, they snake their way up tree trunks to the upper reaches of the forest. Since there’s more light up there, they can make good use of their spreading, luxurious leaves. When you grow a Pothos solely as a hanging, trailing, or creeping plant, it will never leave the juvenile phase.
If you give your Golden Pothos a vertical structure to grow along, you should see its foliage get bigger over time. Just about anything upright can work – a stake, a trellis, or even a wall with a few hooks or thumbtacks to get your plant started.
A moss pole is a particularly good tool. This is essentially a vertical stake wrapped in an absorbent, textured material like sphagnum moss or coconut coir. It gives your Pothos something to grip with its aerial roots, as well as retaining moisture for hydration and humidity. You can find instructions on building a moss pole here, along with tips on guiding your Golden Pothos to climb.
Is There Any Point in Buying a Golden Pothos Labeled as Hawaiian?
We’ve explained that the “Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos” question is moot because they’re the same plant. So what does that say about all of the people selling “Hawaiian Pothos” cuttings online? Are they simply scammers?
Not necessarily. Most of them probably do believe that they’re selling a distinct cultivar. It’s not like there’s a centralized index of Pothos varieties they can refer to! They probably received their plants from other people who called them Hawaiian Pothos and simply accepted that as true.
However, we wouldn’t recommend paying a markup for a plant simply because it’s labeled a Hawaiian Pothos rather than a Golden Pothos. There’s only one scenario in which this might make sense: if you’re buying a cutting from a very mature plant. Many “Hawaiian Pothos” cuttings have very big and colorful leaves, indicating they’re from well-developed plants.
This is helpful because Pothos plants undergo some epigenetic changes as they age. A cutting from a mature plant should already have activated the genes for large leaves and heavy variegation. That means if you propagate it, it will likely produce bigger and bolder foliage than a cutting from a smaller plant. That may be worth paying a little extra.
Note: you’ll still have to give it bright light and support its vertical growth if you want it to continue producing big growth in the long term. But buying a clipping of a mature plant is a good way to kick-start the process.
Final Thoughts
Ignore all the Golden vs. Hawaiian Pothos guides floating around the web – these are just two names for the same plant. You can get the rich lemon-lime stripes and massive leaves of a “Hawaiian Pothos” by giving your Golden Pothos plenty of love and care. If you’re patient with your plant, you may be startled by the impressive growth it can produce.
