Temperature
65–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Satin pothos
Scindapsus pictus
Satin pothos 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. It is not a pothos, and the silver spotting dulls in deep shade.
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 forgiving as a pothos, slower growing, and it tolerates a dim corner without dropping leaves. Root rot from overwatering is the only common failure.
Habit
Trailing
Needs a moss pole or board. Not decorative — leaves will not mature without one.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans
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
- ASPCA
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or four feet back from a south one. It is not a pothos, and the silver spotting dulls in deep shade.
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
Two parts potting soil, one part perlite, one part orchid bark.
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.
- Yellow leaves this week
- Leggy growth monitor
- Root rot act today
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.
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 14 to 28 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 | 14–28 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Scindapsus pictus Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Scindapsus pictus (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q9334559 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Scindapsus pictus Checked 2026-09-12.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Scindapsus pictus Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Vengolis, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 4.0.
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