Money Plant (Pothos) Care in India: Varieties, Water Growing and Problems

Pothos (money plant) care guide: varieties, growing in water and common problems for Indian homes

By Fish Bazaar · Updated 22 October 2026 · 12 min read

Money plant is the common Indian name for pothos (Epipremnum aureum), a trailing plant that grows in low to bright indirect light, needs water only when the top 3 cm of mix has dried, roots easily from cuttings in a glass of water and is listed as toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. This guide covers care month by month in Indian conditions, the main varieties, how to keep a money plant in water for years, how to fix yellow leaves and other problems, and pet-friendly alternatives if you share your home with animals. It is part of our wider complete guide to indoor plants in India.

Quick answer: Give it bright indirect light, water when the top 3 cm of mix feels dry, use a pot with drainage holes, keep it out of reach of pets and trim long vines just above a node. For a glass-jar plant, change the water every week.

About this guide: Written by the Fish Bazaar plant team. Fish Bazaar is an India-based seller of live bromeliads and air plants (Dombivali West, Maharashtra), so we handle, pack and ship these plants ourselves and we sell what we recommend; we say so wherever it applies. Last updated: 22 October 2026.

Orders are processed within 7 business days, we share a video of your plants before dispatch and send tracking on WhatsApp.

Key takeaways

  • Money plant and pothos are the same plant in most Indian homes. Money tree (Pachira) and lucky bamboo are different plants.
  • Light shapes the look. Plain green types cope with dim rooms; white, cream and yellow patterns fade to green without brighter light.
  • Overwatering is the usual killer. Pothos forgives a dry spell far more easily than constantly wet roots.
  • Water growing works, with limits. Weekly water changes, a clean jar and a pinch of diluted feed keep a cutting going for years, but growth is slower than in soil.
  • It is toxic to pets and children if chewed. Hang it out of reach or choose a non-toxic plant such as a bromeliad or spider plant.
  • Air-cleaning and luck claims need context. Pothos is a good-looking, easy plant; it is not an air purifier for a whole room.

What is a money plant, and how is it different from pothos?

In India, "money plant" almost always means Epipremnum aureum, the plant sold internationally as pothos, golden pothos or devil's ivy. It belongs to the arum family (Araceae), is a vine from the tropical South Pacific and grows by clinging to trees with aerial roots. The nickname "devil's ivy" comes from its habit of staying green in dim rooms. Indoors it trails from shelves, hangs from baskets or climbs a pole, and it is one of the cheapest ways to bring greenery into a home. The confusion starts because other plants share the "money" or "lucky" label, so the table below sorts out the look-alikes.

Name people use Plant How to recognise it Pets (ASPCA listing)
Money plant, golden pothos, devil's ivy Epipremnum aureum Heart-shaped, waxy, slightly uneven leaves, often with yellow or white marbling; vines with aerial roots Listed as toxic
Satin pothos, silver vine Scindapsus pictus Darker, velvety leaves with silver splashes; similar care but a different plant Check the ASPCA page before buying
Heartleaf philodendron Philodendron hederaceum Thinner, softer, more clearly heart-shaped leaves; new leaves wrapped in a thin sheath that dries and falls off Listed as toxic
Money tree Pachira aquatica A small tree with a braided trunk and hand-shaped leaves; not a vine Listed as non-toxic
Lucky bamboo Dracaena sanderiana Straight green or spiral stalks sold in water; not real bamboo Listed as toxic
Pothos (money plant) growing as an indoor plant
A pothos, called money plant in India, is a trailing aroid that adapts to most indoor spots.

Telling pothos from philodendron matters because their care is nearly the same but the leaf habit differs. Look at new growth: a philodendron wraps each new leaf in a thin sheath that dries and drops off, while pothos leaves unfold without that papery sheath. Pothos leaves are also thicker and waxier. Both are covered together in our guide to the names of common indoor plants.

Heartleaf philodendron, the look-alike of pothos
Heartleaf philodendron: softer, thinner leaves than pothos, with very similar care.

Popular pothos varieties and the light each one needs

All of these are cultivars of the same species, so the care is identical; what changes is how much light the pattern needs. The rule of thumb is that the more white, cream or yellow a leaf carries, the more light the plant needs to hold that pattern, because only the green tissue makes food.

Variety Look Light needs Growth speed Good for
Golden pothos Green leaves with yellow-gold marbling Low to bright, indirect Fast First plant, dim rooms, hanging pots
Marble Queen Cream and green marbling, some almost white leaves Medium to bright Slower than golden Bright shelves where pattern shows
Neon Bright lime-yellow leaves Medium to bright Fast Colour in a bright corner
Manjula Wavy, broad leaves with cream, silver and green splashes Medium to bright Medium Table-top or shelf plant
N'Joy Compact, crisp white and green patches Medium to bright Slow Small pots and desks
Pearls and Jade Small leaves, green with white edges and flecks Medium to bright Slow Small pots and desks
Jessenia Chartreuse and green blocks Medium to bright Medium Light-toned foliage
Cebu Blue (Epipremnum pinnatum) Silvery blue-green, slender leaves; a related species Bright, with more humidity Medium Collectors; fussier than golden pothos

If you are buying your first money plant for a typical Indian room, plain golden pothos is the safest pick. Choose a variegated type only if you can give it a spot within about a metre of a bright window. Remember that a pale pattern is not a disease: a Marble Queen kept in a dim corner simply turns greener and its leaves get smaller. If you are unsure how much light you have, our guide to indoor plants for low light shows a one-minute hand-shadow test.

Pothos care in India: light, water, mix, feeding and humidity

Light

Pothos grows best in bright, indirect light, such as a metre or so from an east window, or behind a sheer curtain on a west or south window. It survives in lower light but grows slowly and loses variegation. Hot afternoon sun through glass, common on west-facing Indian balconies, can bleach or scorch leaves. If a room is truly dim, a small full-spectrum lamp running for 10 to 12 hours a day is more reliable than moving the plant around; see grow lights for indoor plants.

Water

Water thoroughly when the top 3 cm of mix feels dry, until water runs out of the drainage hole, then empty the saucer after about 30 minutes. A wilting, slightly limp plant in dry mix will usually recover within hours of watering, while a plant with yellow leaves and wet mix needs the opposite treatment. Our guide on how to water indoor plants covers the finger test, bottom watering and hard-water issues in more detail. If your tap water leaves a white crust on the pot rim, flush the pot with plain water every month or two so salts do not build up and brown the leaf tips.

Mix and pot

Use a free-draining mix, for example cocopeat or garden soil with perlite or coarse sand and a little compost, in a pot with drainage holes. Terracotta dries faster and is forgiving for people who tend to overwater; plastic and glazed pots hold moisture for longer. Repot every one to two years, or when roots circle the pot or push out of the drainage hole, and go up only one pot size. The full method is in our guide to pots, potting mix and repotting.

Temperature and humidity

Normal room temperatures of roughly 18 to 30°C suit pothos. It tolerates average indoor humidity, although leaves look lusher in humid air, which is why a Mumbai monsoon suits it better than a Delhi winter. Keep it away from cold air-conditioner vents and drafts, and from heaters; temperatures that fall below about 10°C can damage the leaves.

Feeding

Pothos is not hungry. During active growth, roughly March to October in most of India, feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half the label strength about once a month, always into damp mix, and skip feeding in winter or when the plant is stressed. See fertilizer for indoor plants for types and dilution.

Looking after a money plant through summer, monsoon and winter

Season What changes What to do Typical watering rhythm*
Summer (March to June) Heat above 35°C, strong sun, fast-drying mix Filter west and south sun with a curtain; check the mix every 2 to 3 days; wipe dusty leaves Every 3 to 5 days
Monsoon (June to September) High humidity, weak light, slow-drying mix, gnats and rot Water less; give airflow with a fan; move closer to a window; watch for gnats Every 7 to 12 days
Post-monsoon (October to November) Best growth window Repot, prune and take cuttings now; resume monthly feeding Every 5 to 8 days
Winter (December to February) Cooler nights in the north, slower growth Water less, no feeding; keep away from cold glass and heaters Every 10 to 14 days

*These are rough ranges for a pot of 6 to 8 inches; always go by how the mix feels, not by the calendar. A plant in a tiny pot on a hot balcony may need water twice as often as one in a large pot in an air-conditioned living room. For a broader seasonal plan, see our indoor plant care guide for beginners.

Growing a money plant in water: how it works and how long it lasts

A money plant in a glass of water is one of the most common sights in Indian homes, and it works because pothos stems form roots at their nodes. A cutting can live in water for years, but it is a different growing method from soil, with its own limits. Plain water holds little nutrition, the roots that form are thin "water roots", and growth is slower with smaller leaves than in a pot of mix.

In water In soil mix
Effort Rinse the jar and change the water weekly Water when the top 3 cm is dry
Growth speed Slower; smaller leaves Faster; larger leaves, especially with a pole
Nutrition Almost none unless you add a very dilute feed Mix holds nutrients; feed monthly in the growing season
Main risks Algae, slimy roots, mosquito breeding in stale water Overwatering, root rot, gnats
Best for Desks, kitchens, shelves, short-term rooting Long-term plants, hanging baskets, big displays

Step by step: a money plant in a jar

  1. Take a healthy cutting. Choose a stem of 15 to 20 cm with at least two or three nodes, the small bumps where leaves and roots emerge, and cut just below a node with clean scissors.
  2. Strip the lower leaves. Anything below the waterline will rot, so keep only the leaves that sit above the jar.
  3. Use a clean jar and stood water. Fill it so that at least one node is submerged. Tap water that has stood overnight is fine for pothos; lucky bamboo is the fussier one.
  4. Give bright indirect light. Strong sun heats the jar and turns the water green with algae. Tinted or opaque glass slows algae.
  5. Change all the water every week. Rinse the roots gently and scrub the jar. Weekly changes also stop mosquitoes, whose eggs need standing water for roughly a week or more to become adults in warm weather.
  6. Feed lightly or pot up. Add a few drops of a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to a quarter of the label strength every three to four weeks, or move the cutting to mix once roots are 5 to 8 cm long.

When you move a water-grown cutting into soil, expect a short adjustment: water roots are not built for mix, so keep the mix evenly moist for the first two to three weeks and leave the plant out of harsh sun. More ideas, including other plants that root in water and the jar-versus-aquarium differences, are in our guide to water plants to grow at home in India. If you want a display with no pot at all, air plants and other soil-free options are a better fit than a pothos in a jar.

How to propagate, prune and train a money plant

Every stem with a node can become a new plant, so one healthy pothos can fill a whole room. October and November, after the monsoon, is a good window because warmth and humidity help roots form. Use the table to pick a method.

Method How Typical time to roots Notes
Water Cutting with a node submerged in a clean jar Often 1 to 3 weeks in warm weather Easy to watch; plan the move to soil
Soil or cocopeat Cutting with 2 to 3 nodes pushed into damp mix Often 2 to 4 weeks Skips the water-root adjustment; keep the mix evenly moist
Sphagnum moss or perlite Cutting nested in damp moss in a clear pot Often 2 to 4 weeks Good compromise between the two

Timings depend heavily on temperature and light, so treat them as a guide. To keep a plant full, trim leggy stems just above a node, root the trimmings, and plant three or four cuttings together in one pot. Pinching the growing tip every few weeks makes the plant bushier. Wear gloves or wash your hands afterwards, because the sap of aroids can irritate skin and mouth.

Left to trail, pothos keeps small leaves. Given a moss pole, a coir pole or a wall to climb, the vine produces progressively larger leaves, because it behaves like it does when climbing a tree trunk. Tie stems gently to the support and mist or damp the pole so aerial roots can grip. For trailing ideas beyond pothos, see hanging indoor plants and vines.

Common money plant problems and how to fix them

Almost every pothos problem traces back to water, light or pests. Change one thing at a time and give the plant two to three weeks before judging the result. University extension services such as the UC IPM houseplant problems guide publish similar diagnostic charts.

Symptom Likely cause Fix
Yellow lower leaves, damp mix Overwatering or poor drainage Let the mix dry, empty the saucer, check the drainage hole; remove the yellow leaves
Yellow leaves, dry mix, crisp edges Underwatering or very hot, dry spot Water thoroughly, move away from heaters and sun-baked glass
Pale, washed-out leaves Too much direct sun, or hunger in a pot not fed for a year Move out of direct sun; feed at half strength in the growing season
Brown, crispy tips Dry air, salts in tap water, irregular watering Flush the pot, use filtered or stood water, water on a steadier rhythm
Long stems, small leaves, gaps between leaves Too little light Move closer to a window or add a grow light; trim and replant cuttings
Variegation fading to green Too little light More light, or accept a greener plant
Curling or drooping leaves Thirst, or root rot if the mix is wet Check the mix first; water if dry; repot if roots are mushy
Black, mushy stems at the base Root and stem rot from constant wetness Cut above the rot, take healthy cuttings, repot in fresh dry mix
Cottony white patches, sticky leaves Mealybugs or scale Isolate, wipe with a cotton bud dipped in diluted isopropyl alcohol after a small patch test, repeat weekly
Fine webbing, speckled leaves Spider mites in hot, dry rooms Rinse the leaves, raise humidity, repeat treatment as per product label
Tiny flies around the pot Fungus gnats in wet mix Let the top layer dry between waterings; use sticky traps

Our deeper guides help when the symptom is not obvious: yellow leaves: causes and fixes, fungus gnats and other houseplant pests and why indoor plants die. The University of Illinois Extension also publishes a general houseplant troubleshooting sheet.

Rescue tip: If a stem has turned black and soft, cut it off with clean scissors above the damage and root the healthy part. A money plant that looks lost is often saved this way, because every node on a healthy piece can make roots.

Is pothos safe for cats, dogs and children?

No. The ASPCA lists pothos (Epipremnum aureum) as toxic to cats and dogs. Like many aroids, it contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, and chewing a leaf or stem can cause drooling, pawing at the mouth, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Signs are usually irritation of the mouth and gut, but the exact reaction depends on the animal and the amount chewed. Children may react in a similar way, so place the plant where they cannot reach it.

If a pet chews a leaf, take the plant part away, wipe out the mouth with water if the animal allows it and call your veterinarian or an animal poison helpline straight away; do not try home remedies. You can check any plant on the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list before you buy. Our pet-safe indoor plants guide sorts common houseplants by listing.

Pothos or a bromeliad? When each is the better choice

Fish Bazaar sells bromeliads and air plants, so we have an obvious interest here, and the fair answer is that pothos beats them in some situations and loses in others. Pothos wins on price, speed and tolerance of dim light. A bromeliad wins on colour that lasts for months, on a very different watering style (a central cup instead of wet soil) and on pet listings. The table shows the trade-offs.

Question Pothos / money plant Bromeliads and air plants
Light Tolerates low to bright indirect Prefer bright indirect; Cryptanthus and some Vriesea cope with less but colour fades
Watering Water the mix when the top 3 cm is dry Keep the central cup topped up and flush it; air plants are soaked and dried
Colour Green, yellow, white and silver patterns Red, pink, orange, striped and speckled foliage plus long-lasting bracts
Growth Fast, vining; can fill a room Slow, compact rosettes; each rosette flowers once and then makes pups
Pets (ASPCA listing) Listed as toxic Common bromeliads generally listed as non-toxic
Typical cost Cuttings and small pots are cheap at local nurseries Mini Neoregelia from ₹180 per plant
Water growing Yes, as cuttings No: they rot if kept submerged

The University of Florida's Bromeliads at a Glance fact sheet describes bromeliads as bright-light plants that do best in diffused sun, suggests indoor watering about every one to two weeks by filling the central cup and then draining it, and says that houseplant bromeliads rarely need fertilizer. That is why they pair well with pothos: put the pothos in the shadier spot and the bromeliad in the bright one. Our bromeliad care guide and the easy bromeliads for beginners list explain the basics, and the complete guide to bromeliads as indoor plants compares them with other houseplants.

Prices are per plant as listed on 22 October 2026 and can change; each product page shows current price and stock. A trailing look without a pothos can come from a mounted Tillandsia air plant or from bromeliads on a high shelf. Browse the beginner-friendly bromeliads, the bromeliads under ₹500, or the full bromeliad range. Bromeliads are not a pothos substitute everywhere: they stay small, grow slowly and need brighter light than a dim corner can offer.

Honest limits: our shop is built around bromeliads and air plants, so for pothos itself a local nursery or a friend's cutting is usually the most practical source. Our comparison of local nurseries and online plant stores explains when each makes sense.

Luck, Vastu and clean air: what to believe about a money plant

Many Indian families keep a money plant because it is believed to bring prosperity. Vastu writers often suggest the south-east corner of the home or a room, and some also advise against letting the vines touch the floor. These are cultural beliefs, not horticultural facts, and the plant itself grows the same wherever you place it, so light should win over direction when the two conflict. Our indoor plants and Vastu guide sets out traditions and practical overrides.

The air question has a clearer answer. A 1989 NASA study, Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement, measured pollutant removal in sealed chambers, which is very different from a ventilated room. A 2019 review in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology by Cummings and Waring, Potted plants do not improve indoor air quality, concluded that the rates of removal in real rooms are too low to matter compared with ventilation. A pothos is a pleasant plant to live with, but opening a window does more for the air. See do indoor plants give oxygen? for the full numbers.

Related indoor plant guides

Keep exploring: related guides across our plant library

These guides cover the same topic from other angles, from bromeliads and indoor plants to garden and balcony plants.

Your questions answered

How often should I water a money plant in India?

Water when the top 3 cm of mix feels dry. In a 6 to 8 inch pot that is roughly every 3 to 5 days in summer, every 7 to 12 days in the monsoon and every 10 to 14 days in winter, but go by the mix, not the calendar. See how to water indoor plants.

Can a money plant live in water forever?

It can live in water for years if the water is changed weekly, the jar is clean and the light is bright but indirect. Growth is slower and leaves are smaller than in soil, and a very dilute feed every few weeks helps. Many people move it to mix later; see water plants to grow at home.

Why are my money plant leaves turning yellow?

The most common cause is overwatering or a pot without drainage, so check the mix first. Less often it is thirst, too much direct sun or an unfed plant in an old pot. Remove the yellow leaves, correct the cause and wait a few weeks. Our yellow leaves guide has a full table.

Can a money plant grow in low light?

Yes, plain green golden pothos survives in low light, but growth is slow and stems get long with small leaves. Variegated types lose their pattern in dim rooms. A small full-spectrum lamp helps in a truly dark spot; see indoor plants for low light.

Is pothos the same as money plant?

In most Indian homes, yes: money plant is the local name for pothos, Epipremnum aureum. Money tree (Pachira aquatica) and lucky bamboo (a Dracaena) are different plants with different care, and heartleaf philodendron is a look-alike.

Is money plant toxic to cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists pothos as toxic to cats and dogs because of calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and gut. Keep it out of reach, and if a pet chews it, call your vet or an animal poison helpline. Non-toxic options are in our pet-safe plants guide.

How do I make my money plant fuller?

Give it brighter light, trim leggy vines just above a node and plant three or four rooted cuttings together in the same pot. Pinching tips every few weeks encourages branching. Feed lightly during the growing season, roughly March to October.

Does a money plant purify the air?

Chamber studies in the 1980s found small pollutant reductions, but a 2019 review concluded that potted plants clean indoor air too slowly to matter in real rooms. Keep a pothos for greenery and use ventilation for air quality; see do indoor plants give oxygen?.

Which direction is best for a money plant at home?

Vastu traditions often suggest the south-east, which is a cultural belief, not a plant-care rule. For the plant, choose the spot with bright indirect light, away from air-conditioner vents and hot afternoon sun. Our Vastu guide explains the traditions.

What is a good pet-friendly alternative to pothos?

Spider plant is a trailing option listed as non-toxic by the ASPCA, and common bromeliads and Tillandsia air plants are generally listed as non-toxic too. Our bromeliad pet-safety guide explains the listings and the sharp leaf edges to watch.

Can a money plant grow on a balcony or in a garden in India?

Yes, in bright shade with protection from harsh afternoon sun and heavy monsoon rain, and it climbs happily on a support. Outdoors it dries and grows faster, so check the soil often. For ideas on training it, see balcony creeper and climber plants and shade garden plants for India.

Why does my money plant have long bare stems and small leaves?

That leggy look usually comes from too little light, and sometimes from never being pruned. Move it to brighter indirect light, trim the long stems just above a leaf node, and root the cuttings to make the plant fuller. New growth tends to come in smaller and paler when light stays too low.

Can I grow a money plant and bromeliads together?

Yes, as neighbours on a shelf or in a bright corner, since both do well in bright indirect light, but keep their care separate. The ASPCA lists pothos as toxic to pets, while many bromeliads are generally listed as non-toxic. See easy bromeliads for beginners.

Sources and further reading

हिंदी में संक्षेप: मनी प्लांट असल में पोथोस (Epipremnum aureum) है। इसे कम से मध्यम अप्रत्यक्ष रोशनी में रखें, जब ऊपर की लगभग 3 सेमी मिट्टी सूख जाए तभी पानी दें और गमले में जल निकासी का छेद ज़रूर रखें। पानी की बोतल या जार में उगाने पर हर हफ्ते पूरा पानी बदलें ताकि मच्छर न पनपें। पीले पत्ते अक्सर ज़्यादा पानी का संकेत होते हैं। ASPCA की सूची में पोथोस बिल्ली और कुत्तों के लिए विषैला बताया गया है, इसलिए इसे पालतू जानवरों और छोटे बच्चों की पहुँच से दूर रखें। पालतू जानवरों वाले घर के लिए ब्रोमेलियाड और एयर प्लांट जैसे विकल्प देखें।

Not sure which plant suits your room, light or budget? Message us on WhatsApp at +91 91523 30102 with a photo of your space and we will help you choose. You can also ask us about bromeliads and air plants that sit well beside a pothos.

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