Taking care of interior plants

How to Care for Devil's Ivy

Mary Smith
By Mary Smith. Updated: March 22, 2022
How to Care for Devil's Ivy

Devil's ivy, also referred to as golden pothos or the money plant, is a house plant from the Araceae family. Devil's ivy is commonly used as a decorative element in homes, shopping malls, offices etc. Not only does this heart-like shaped yellow and green leafed plant reduce indoor air pollution, but it’s also believed by many that it brings luck into a home.

For more about how to care for golden pothos or devil’s ivy, keep reading this oneHOWTO step-by-step.

You'll need:

  • A devil's ivy cutting
  • A pot
  • Compost
  • A saucer with stones that will be used as drainage
You may also be interested in: Best Large Indoor Plants For Low Light

Steps to follow:

1

Are you wondering how to grow a golden pothos? You have two routes which you can take when wanting to grow a devil’s ivy plant:

  1. Take a cutting of about 15-20 centimeters and place this piece of devil’s ivy plant in water until it grows some small roots. Make sure to change the water every two days.
  2. Or, place the cutting directly in a pot with soil. Because devil ivy plants climb when they grow, we recommend placing a stick into the moderately damp soil so that the leaves follow this line.

For more, we recommend reading how to care for a silver satin pothos.

How to Care for Devil's Ivy - Step 1
Image: filckr.com
2

Devil Ivy is a houseplant that should be kept in a bright space but out of direct sunlight. If your devil’s ivy is not getting enough sunlight, you may notice that its leaves change yellow. In this case, place it in a sunnier spot.

If you'd like to grow your Devil's Ivy outdoor then there are some points that you should take into account so that it grows healthily:

  • Plant your devil’s ivy next to a tree or high wall, specifically so that it only gets sunlight during some hours in the day. This will also function aesthetically if you’re looking for a climbing plant effect.
  • If you live in a rainy climate, you won’t need to water your devil’s ivy plant.
  • If you live in a dryer climate, you will have to water your Devil's ivy once a week.
3

The best temperature for a golden pothos or devil’s ivy is between approximately 10 to 25 degrees Celsius (60-75 degrees Fahrenheit). Generally, devil’s ivy grows better indoors. However, if you wish to place your devil’s ivy outside, you should avoid a climate of extremely low or high temperatures.

For more, discover our list of the best large indoor plants for low light.

How to Care for Devil's Ivy - Step 3
Image: dnaindia
4

Devil’s ivy watering should be moderate. We recommend watering your golden pothos every 10 days in winter and every 5 days in summer. Its soil should always be dry and if you water it in excess, its leaves will begin to turn brown.

We recommend using fertilizer every 2 weeks in order to keep the plant healthy and help it grow effectively. In fact, we recommend using natural fertilizer. For more, read how to make natural fertilizer at home for plants and garden.

5

Devil ivy plants enjoy humid environments. In order for you to achieve this type of atmosphere, place a saucer under the pot with some stones or spray the leaves. Make sure you know how to prune Devil's Ivy correctly in order to keep it healthy at all times.

How to Care for Devil's Ivy - Step 5
6

Repotting your golden pothos should be done once a year, preferably during springtime. When repotting your devil’s ivy, we suggest cutting off the longest stems if you don’t want it to grow longer.

If, however, you would like it to grow longer, you will need to repot it into a bigger pot, with plenty of fertilizer and stones. Take note that during plant repotting, it’s normal that it may shed some leaves.

For more, read about the best outdoor plants for partial sun.

7

As we’ve already mentioned, many believe that a devil’s ivy plant is a money plant that bring wealth and prosperity into a home. So, what other plants bring good luck? Read what are the best plants for good luck.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Care for Devil's Ivy, we recommend you visit our Gardening & plants category.

Tips

  • Avoid changing the devil's ivy pot a lot. Not before every two years.
  • Devil's Ivy is not a recommended plant if you have cats at home, as it's highly toxic for cats.
  • You may use it as a hanging plant, it will look great in any room and will grow downwards to create a beautiful waterfall effect.
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4 comments
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Shona Cotter
i have a question about taking golden devils ivy cuttings is this best done in spring or can they be done any season when growing inside .Is their any special care needed if taking cuttings in colder seasons.
OneHowTo Editor
Devil's ivy is very hardy and should propagate any time of the year. However, if it is too cold, then it won't grow, just as a fully grown plant will die if it is too cold. If you do it inside with the right conditions, it should be fine.
Janet
I have devils ivy in my bathroom it's about 5ft tall it developed sticky leaves so I washed the leaves with soapy water the leaves are falling off which it does a bit every year did I do the right thing by washing it in soapy water ? Thank you
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Janet,

It's OK to wash the leaves with soapy water, but it is always advised to use a mild soap. You don't want to upset the pH balance of the soil too much, something which harsher soaps might do. Something like dish soap will work well. You can also buy insecticidal soap which is specially formulated for this purpose. The shedding is probably normal, but keep an eye on it and make sure it is taken care of. Also, although it likes bright spaces, take care not to leave in direct sunlight for long. Hope this information is useful to you.
CrazyaboutDevilsIvyplants
I have two in glass vases with colored rocks without the soils and they are growing well with just water and colored rocks.
Rating:
Devilsivymadness
Thank you for the article, I just bought a devil's Ivy plant and had no idea what to do with it. In fact, it makes a great addition to my living room decor. I would like to ask if it is ok if I didn't put any stones, I didn't grow it from scratch and it is in the same pot it came in.
Thank you
OneHowTo Editor
Hi there,
If you have been given a devil's ivy plant as long as you prune it properly and feed it enough water it will be ok: https://home.onehowto.com/article/how-to-prune-devil-s-ivy-12034.html
However, we advise you to add the pebbles next year when you transplant your devil's ivy plant. Hope this helps!
Image: filckr.com
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How to Care for Devil's Ivy