How to propagate pothos

Epipremnum aureum

Propagate pothos by node cutting. Roots in 10 to 21 days in water. The cutting must include a node.

PREFERRED METHOD

node cutting

The only method that works reliably for this species.

TIME TO ROOT

10–21 days

Roughly 1.4 to 3 weeks — fast for a houseplant. 34 of the 40 species in this database root more slowly.

NODE REQUIRED

Yes

A cutting without a node has no tissue that can become root and will rot instead.

MEDIUM

water or soil

Water roots are more brittle than soil roots and sulk for a week or two after potting up. Both work; soil skips the transition.

BEST SEASON

Any time of year

Cuttings taken in active growth root faster and rot less than winter ones.

GROWTH HABIT

trailing

Habit is what decides which methods are available at all.

Why node cutting works here

A single-node segment is the smallest unit that can still root, so one long vine becomes many plants instead of one.

Doing it

Chop the vine into pieces with one node each. A leaf on the segment helps but is not essential; the node is.

Where it goes wrong

Wet cut ends rot faster than intact stems, so give them air and change the water.

DISPLAY — in-content responsive

Before you cut

The sap is not harmless. Pothos is toxic to cats, dogs, and humans (insoluble calcium oxalates). Keep offcuts and rooting jars away from pets, and wash your hands. What that means for cats.
Take more than you need. Losses are normal. Three cuttings in one jar costs nothing extra and changes the odds.
Use a clean blade. Scissors crush the stem and crushed tissue rots. A craft knife wiped with alcohol is enough.
Do not fertilise a cutting. There are no roots to take it up, and the salts sit in the medium and burn what does form.

Also for this species

Full care entry — light, watering interval, soil recipe and difficulty, with sources. Toxicity to cats and to dogs.

Sources

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Epipremnum aureum Cultivation and propagation notes. Checked 2026-09-11.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Epipremnum aureum Accepted name and family. Checked 2026-09-11.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Epipremnum aureum Toxicity of sap and offcuts. Checked 2026-09-11.
Wikidata entity Q161809

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Rooting times are typical ranges for indoor conditions, not guarantees. Warmth and light move them more than anything you do to the cutting. How this is sourced.