Temperature
65–85°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Dragon tail plant
Epipremnum pinnatum
Dragon tail plant wants bright indirect light and water every 7 to 12 days, once the top inch is dry. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. It climbs: without support its leaves stay small.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or four feet back from a south one. Given a pole and good light the leaves split; flat on a shelf they stay entire.
Water
Every 7–12 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top inch is dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
45% and up
Wants 60%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 1 of 5: Scores 1 of 5: as tough as a common pothos and considerably more interesting once mature. Fenestration only arrives on a climbing plant, which is the one thing people miss.
Habit
Climbing
Needs a moss pole or board. Not decorative — leaves will not mature without one.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans — poison severity medium
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates. Reported signs include oral irritation, intense burning of mouth and tongue, excessive drooling.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says 2 sources concur
- ASPCA — entry for a different species in this genus: Epipremnum aureum
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Medium · Calcium oxalate crystals · If ingested, this plant is toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. Symptoms include mouth and throat irritation, drooling, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and swallowing.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or four feet back from a south one. Given a pole and good light the leaves split; flat on a shelf they stay entire.
Water
Every 7 to 12 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top inch is dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top inch is dry |
Soil and potting
One part potting soil, one part orchid bark, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 2 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Leaves not splitting monitor
- Leggy growth monitor
- Yellow leaves this week
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Mealybugs this week
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 10 to 21 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 10–21 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Epipremnum aureum Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Epipremnum pinnatum Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q549727 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Epipremnum pinnatum Accepted name; family Araceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Mokkie, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02