Pothos is one of my all - time favored plant . This tropical plant is typically grown indoors as an ornamental . And trust me when I say that I have more than a few of these set aside from my ceiling .
But while having an indoor hobo camp is unquestionably something to aspire to , there ’s also the need to , you know , really survive in your house . And in my case , this means that some of my houseplants have needed to find their way to my balcony instead .
A lush green balcony is gravely the aspiration ( there ’s a reason you could recover pictures of them all over Pinterest ) but , as you could belike guess , it ’s not just a case of move some plants outdoors and call it a twenty-four hour period . After all , some of these indoor plants are indoors for a reason .
So this is why it ’s deserving ask the motion : can pothos live outdoors ? It ’s certainly known for being a hardy plant – but is it intrepid enough to cope with the boastful wide world … or , at the very least , your balcony ?
Let ’s find out !
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Easy Pothos Care Guide 💚
⭐ Want one?Grab yourvery own Pothos here !
💧 Water : Water when the top column inch of land feel ironic . Pothos are forgiving and tolerate periodic drying out but do n’t allow the soil stay squashy .
🌱 Soil : Use a well - draining pot commixture -I personally usethis potting mix . This received indoor one works great , specially with its tote up perlite for aeration .
☀ ️Light : Bright , collateral lighting is skilful , but Pothos can adapt to lower clear conditions . nullify prolonged verbatim sun , as it can scorch the leaves .
🌡 ️Temperature : Pothos thrive in temperature between 65 - 85 ° F ( 18 - 29 ° ascorbic acid ) . Keep them away from cold drafts and sudden temperature changes .
🌿 Fertilizer : Feed with a balanced , water system - soluble plant food ( my top blame isthis Miracle - Gro one ) once a calendar month during bound and summer . Skip feed in fall and winter .
Canpothos live outside?
Pothos can live outside , even though it ’s popularly known as an indoor works . In its born environment in the tropic rainforests in south - east Asia , Scindapsus aureus prosper outside . If you emulate its natural habitat in term of temperature ( 65 ° F – 85 ° F ) , easy , land , water system , and plant food , your ivy arum will also thrive outdoors .
So how can you best simulate pothos ’ home environment in your backyard to ensure your plant does n’t just survive but grow well too ?
Pros of pothos living outside
There are even advantage to produce your golden pothos outside ! Here ’s a few master 1 that I give away :
What’s the pothos hardiness zone?
The recommended United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) plant hardiness zone for pothos is 10 - 12 . zona 10 - 12 constitute the warmer states in the US , so admit those located in the deep south and southern coastal areas .
Since pothos is a tropical plant , used to growing in warm , humid climate , zones 10 - 12 are ideal for pothos , especially when Epipremnum aureum are arise outdoors .
Whichmajor cities fall in the plant hardiness zones of 10 - 12 ?
So in general , zones 10 - 12 in the USA let in southerly Arizona , southerly coastal and inland California , south Florida , Hawaii , Louisiana , Nevada , Puerto Rico , and south Texas .
If you are n’t sure in which Agriculture Department plant daring your area falls ( like me ! ) , have alook on the zona single-valued function .
What temperature can pothos tolerate?
Pothos acquire best in a 70 ° F – 90 ° F ( 21 ° century – 32 ° C ) temperature range , but the flora may endure temperatures as abject as 50 ° F ( 10 ° nose candy ) . However , as pothos is n’t cold- or Robert Lee Frost - hardy , it should n’t be out of doors anywhere that expend below 50 ° farad .
temperature below that grade can damage your Epipremnum aureum and even cause it to give out , which perhaps is n’t surprising when you think that it ’s a tropical plant that prefers warm to blistering climates .
In the USA , specifically , grow your ivy arum in the subtropic areas or USDA hardiness zones 10 - 12 . The middling temperatures for the warmest months in the US subtropics are 70 ° F – 80 ° F ( 21 ° light speed – 26 ° C ) and 45 ° F – 50 ° F ( 7 ° C – 10 ° nose candy ) for the coldest months .
The subtropical region in the US are :
This means that your golden pothos can live outside jubilantly in these areas , or any others in the abovementioned temperature reach . In those kind of areas , the pothos will stay put live every year , provided there is n’t a sudden inhuman front or a once - in - a - decade frost that occurs .
In the semitropical area , pothos should be planted as an understory vine in partially shaded areas . The best locations for an understory vine golden pothos is at the base of mature Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , underneath ornamental shrub , and near your patio where a trellis canhelp the Scindapsus aureus climb .
If the weather condition drops below 50 ° F ( 10 ° C ) as a one - off , cover your golden pothos with a wrangle cover or frost cover . Should the weather condition stay on below that limit for a longer full point of time , it ’s best to bring your Epipremnum aureum inside .
Canpothos live outsidein winter?
Pothos can inhabit out of doors in wintertime , but this look on how cold your winters are . The tropical plant life can tolerate temperatures as scummy as 50 ° F ( 10 ° deoxycytidine monophosphate ) . But since pothos is illiberal to cold because its native growth zone is fond - hot and humid , the plant can suffer from cold shock and potentially drop dead or be sternly damaged .
So if you have temperate wintertime temperature , your Scindapsus aureus will be just okay outside .
For those who live in inhuman climates during the winter month , move your ivy arum indoors where it is tender to prevent inhuman daze . This is easy if you keep your golden pothos in containers or mickle .
you may also transpose the golden pothos from a garden bed or planter in your front or backyard into a potful during the winter months .
FYI : If move your Scindapsus aureus indoors is n’t possible , get across its base with mulch . A frost blanket can cover the rest of the plant . or else , you could also push back bet into the reason and have a burlap environs or get over the tropical industrial plant .
Is pothos cold hardy?
Pothos is n’t inhuman hardy because it ’s a tropic industrial plant that natively grows in warm and hot climates where the humidity level is gamy . As such , pothos do n’t wish the cold because it is n’t something the plant is equipped to deal with . When the temperature drops below 50 ° degree Fahrenheit ( 10 ° snow ) , it ’s likely that cold shock will jell in .
If a tropical works like the pothos is exposed to cold temperatures for an extended period , the leaves will discolor and eventually turn smutty . There may also be burn - alike musca volitans on the leave-taking , and the leaf and stems can start to droop or lookdroopy on your pothosor wilt as they become easygoing and mushy .
Did you know : When a ivy arum suffers from inhuman shock , the plant ’s prison cell collapse and die . Why ? The water inside the plant cells turn into chicken feed and expands during this operation . The expansion breaks the cellular telephone bulwark , causing the prison cell to die .
Pothos does n’t have the ability toactivate its cold tolerance . That is n’t to say your pothos will cash in one’s chips from moth-eaten shock . If only a part of the plant is damaged , the golden pothos can renovate and recuperate .
What’s the lowest temperature for pothos to survive?
The lowest temperature for pothos to hold out is 50 ° F ( 10 ° C ) . In the case of some specific varieties , pothos can be outdoors at a lower temperature of 40 ° F – 45 ° F ( 4.4 ° C – 7 ° C ) but it ’s not ideal . Your pothos may shed its leaves in cold-blooded climates , and regrow when the temperature warm up .
It ’s very potential that the pothos will die when temperatures reach freeze level or lower as the tropic flora truly is n’t cold stout .
Will pothos come back after a freeze?
Pothos can add up back after a freezing depending on the kind of freeze , how much damage the plant sustain , and if the pothos is a young plant . If the freezing wrong is n’t too severe , the ivy arum will lose its farewell but will regrow when the temperature warms up in bounce .
A promiscuous frost will damage your hardy ivy arum but not as much as a hard frost . A “ light ” frost damages the plant life ’s foliage . The leaves will suffer from a frigid burn , and they will discolor .
With ahard frost , the water inside the flora ’s cells freeze down , cause a cellular shift and permanent damage to the tissue of the plant . The freeze damage can sham the whole plant , from foliage to roots .
FYI : The most damage after a hard hoar takes place when the Dominicus come up , which is when the pothos defrosts . This kills the stem and leave .
And if your ivy arum is extra dauntless and does n’t cash in one’s chips , it ’ll still be very difficult to aid the plant life recover .
Canpothos live outsidein summer?
Pothos can live outside in summertime , provided temperatures do n’t exceed 90 ° F ( 32 ° vitamin C ) for long period of fourth dimension . As a tropic plant , pothos grows well in warm and humid weather . States in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 - 12 are perfect if you require to keep your Scindapsus aureus alfresco during the warm months of the year .
subtropic expanse are another good option for pothos to survive outside .
However , if you live in plant hardiness zones 9 and below , I advocate you keep your pothos in spite of appearance .
When ivy arum grows indoors , you could ensure the works gets the proper amount of sunlight , nuance , water , and humidity much more easily . Plus , you may curb the inner temperature during the coldest month of the year to ensure your Scindapsus aureus does n’t get insensate shock or drop dead because of too - cold temperatures .
Can pothos live in direct sunlight?
Pothos can survive in unmediated sun if the works only get direct sunlight during the early morning and late good afternoon . The rest of the day , pothos should have bright , collateral Inner Light . This means the tropic plant postulate igniter that ’s filtered from other tree and plants .
Direct sun , especially during the hot part of the day , will damage the flora and chair to yourpothos get burn . The leaf will look burned , which is when brown , cream , or yellow patches seem on the pretty pothos leave-taking . The folio will finally yellow and brown .
Any damage from too much light exposure is lasting . So you ’ll require to remove these leaves and relocate your Scindapsus aureus to an sphere where there ’s bright , indirect , or filter clear .
Do pothos like full sun?
Pothos does n’t like full Lord’s Day . The flora is a raw understory vine so in its raw home ground , these plant sneak , trail , and vine under shrubs and trees where they are mostly in the shade . Even when pothos maturate as a ground cover , the dense tree canopy in the rainforest keep the plant covered .
If golden pothos is exhibit to as much as 3 - 4 hours of lineal sunlight a mean solar day , the plant will suffer from foliage burn , scorch , or leafage sunscald , which is the plant tantamount to mass getting tan .
What’s best for golden pothos: indoor or outdoor?
Both an indoor or outdoor space are great for golden pothos . After all , pothos ( and all its varieties ) are famed ornamental industrial plant for indoor spaces . However , an out-of-door environment that assume the golden pothos ’ raw growth zone – shiny , indirect light , affectionate temperatures of 65 ° F – 85 ° F ( 18 ° C – 29 ° century ) , and high humidity levels – are also perfect for the fortunate pothos .
Of course , not everyone is lucky enough to live in areas with warmth and humidity .
So maintain your halcyon Scindapsus aureus in an indoor space will then work better for you as you’re able to “ unnaturally ” flim-flam your golden pothos into believe it ’s growing in its native tropical surround in a rainforest somewhere .
