image: @jamies_jungle
by Jessica Hill
I searched high and low to find my neon pothos. I raved on about their beauty all my friends. When I finally found a baby neon at my local plant store, I brought it home, popped it up on the floating shelf I’d had my boyfriend install specifically for this moment, and waited for him to come home. But when he walked through the door, he looked up at the plant and said, “Is that it?”
source: Pinterest
At that stage the plant had about 5 leaves and barely touched the shelf. It definitely didn’t have the cascading, bright green I’d sold as its defining feature.
Our fast paced and constantly changing world means we’ve evolved to expect things to happen instantly. We can order anything we want at the touch of a button, only to have it delivered from the other side of the world to our doorstep in a matter of days. We’re not all that good at waiting.
Fast-forward 2 years and our neon pothos is by far the most impressive plant in the house. It’s a waterfall of neon green. Its vines have grown over 6 feet and now gently skim the floor and its original leaves has almost doubled in size.
The neon pothos really is one of the best house plants around. Watching it explode into life is a real treat, and it doesn’t require any special care. It will do well in low light (and even better in medium-high light) and won’t die if you miss the occasional watering. Like many of the other plants I’ve profiled for #itsplantporn it will do best with a good soaking once the top few inches of soil become dry. The easiest way is to have a plant party in your shower: throw your plants in together, hose everyone down and forget about them for the rest of the day.
If you do start to grow a little impatient and want your neon to grow faster you can feed it with regular houseplant fertiliser during spring and summer months. And don’t worry, it’s normal if some of the older leaves begin to turn a dark green, the new leaves should continue to sprout in the trademark neon green.
Another thing I love about the neon pothos is propagation is extremely easy. Simply cut off a section of the plant just below the leaf node and pop it in some water until roots develop, or push it into some good quality soil mix straight away. Now you can have multiple neons in your house, or share them with your family and friends.
Instead of expecting things instantly, sit back and enjoy the moments in between. At the risk of sounding cliché, the neon pothos is clear evidence that “good things come to those who wait”. #itsplantporn
image: @anest84
Jessica Hill is a freelance journalist who is interested in the relationship between plants and people. Follow her on Instagram @plantsunknown.
