Golden Pothos Goldilocks Hanging Basket

Golden Pothos 'Goldilocks' (Epipremnum aureum 'Goldilocks') is the brightest pothos there is, carrying near solid golden leaves instead of the usual green flecked with cream. It trails or climbs to about 2m and spreads around 80cm. Fast and forgiving, it is the indoor plant a beginner is least likely to lose.

Why you'll love it

• Colour you notice across a room. Almost entirely golden leaves lift a dim corner where a plain green plant disappears.
• Fast enough to watch. It can add a metre of vine in a warm season, so a small plant becomes a full basket quickly.
• It forgives neglect. Missed waterings and dry indoor air barely register, and it recovers from a wilt that would finish most houseplants.
• Trail it or train it. Let it hang from a shelf or basket, or run it up a moss pole for noticeably larger leaves.

Where it works best

Indoors. Living rooms, bedrooms and offices anywhere in the country, because indoors your climate stops mattering. Keep it in bright indirect light near a window to hold the gold.

Balconies and courtyards. It grows happily under cover in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so southern and inland balconies need it brought inside over winter.

Homes with pets. Worth saying plainly: pothos is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Hang it or shelf it above nose height rather than standing it on the floor.

Growing golden pothos in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light. It survives low light, but the gold drifts back to green and the vines stretch. Midday sun through glass scorches the pale foliage. Outdoors it wants a sheltered, frost free position.

Soil. Standard indoor potting mix with added perlite or bark. The pot needs a working drainage hole. A cover pot quietly holding water is the most common way a pothos is lost.

Water and feed. Water once the top 3cm of mix is dry, roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. Half strength liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to autumn is plenty.

Pruning. Cut any leggy vine back just past a leaf node and the plant branches from that point. The offcuts strike in a glass of water within a few weeks, so a single plant can fill several pots.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tubestock, or established in 175mm and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are rooted cuttings with a handful of leaves and fill a 175mm pot within a season. The potted plants already trail and can go straight into a hanging basket or a decorative pot that drains.

Some leaf curl or a yellow leaf or two after transit is normal rather than a fault. Give it a bright indirect spot and a fortnight to settle before you expect new growth. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse the full indoor plant range
• Why variegated plants need more light
• Plants for rooms with little natural light

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals that are toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, bringing on mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting. Keep it hanging or high on a shelf if your pet chews foliage.

Why is my Goldilocks turning green?

Not enough light. The golden pigment only holds in bright indirect conditions, so a plant in a dark corner reverts leaf by leaf. Move it nearer a window, out of direct sun, and new growth comes back yellow.

Can I make it fuller instead of stringy?

Yes. Cut the vines back by a third in spring and push the trimmings into the same pot. They root readily and thicken the crown instead of leaving you with a few long bare stems.