Cebu Blue Pothos Plant Care

Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Admin

The Cebu Blue Pothos (Epipremnum Pinnatum) is one of the more unique pothos varieties because looks distinct form the others.

For one, its leaves don’t have any variegations. Its leaves also have a longer, narrower shape. And, it carries a darker green color compared to the others.

If you look closely, you’ll notice it has a blue hue as well which is the reason for the color being included in its name.

That said, the plant is as beautiful as the others. It likewise has many similar features including its vining stems that grow up to 10 to 20 feet long.

This is much smaller than in its native habitat where it can reach 40 feet in length.

This makes it versatile in that you can grow it in containers as well as hanging pots. I’ve also seen some gardeners use it a ground cover because it can get bushy if left to grow.

The plant comes from the Philippines, specifically the island of Cebu. Thus, its name. But, it can also be found in other Asian and European countries.

One thing worth noting with the Cebu blue pothos is that is appearance looks very different in its young (juvenile) stage compared to when it matures.

In its juvenile stage, the plant’s blue hue is much more prominent along with some gray and green. These colors vary from leaf to leaf. It will likewise have oval or longer foliage that grow so around 2 to 4 inches each.

When the plant matures, its leaves turn more green in color. There’s still a hint of blue and a little bit of a metal look to it. you’ll also see its lines and patterns become more distinct while its leaves are bigger in size at around 4 inches in length.

Table of Contents

Cebu Blue Pothos Light

The Cebu blue pothos thrives in bright, indirect light. It can tolerate medium and low light conditions as well. However, I’ve noticed that the less light it gets, the slower it growth gets. Also, its leaves don’t get a big as they normally do.

On the other hand, bright, indirect light allows not only makes it grow bigger but also fuller and bushier as well. In this setting they also produce their most vibrant colors.

The one plant you don’t want to keep it in is under direct sunlight. This will cause its leaves to scorch and burn.

As far as directions go in your home, you can grow them in the east, west and south facing windows. It likewise didn’t has a problem in the north.

From what I’ve seen, an east facing opening or window is the best spot. Here, you don’t have to protect it from the sun because the morning light isn’t intense. So, you can just leave it there and it will be very happy.

On the other hand, in a south facing location, you need to protect it using curtains or keep it in a corner away from direct sunlight. This is especially true during the mid afternoons. That way it gets filtered or dapped light when the sun is most intense.

In the north, you want to do the opposite. Here, you want to find the brightest spot possible to give it enough light. While a north facing location has lower light, I’ve found that if you put it in a bright enough spot, the plant won’t have any issues.

Cebu Blue Pothos Temperature & Humidity

Your Cebu blue pothos likes warm conditions. And, it does best in temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it hardy to USDA zones 9 to 11.

As long as the weather is warm enough, it will be happy growing indoors or outdoors. I live in Southern California which is warm and sunny compared to most parts of the country. It is likewise drier than many other regions. Here, the plant doesn’t need any special attention or care as far as weather goes.

As such, if you live in areas where you get frost during winter, you’ll want to bring the plant in if you keep it outside. Indoors, it has no problem at all with normal room temperature, since that almost always falls between the range above.

Humidity likewise isn’t much of an issue as the plant can tolerate lower humidity. But, it thrives when humidity is kept between 50% to 70%. As such, you may want to monitor your plant to see how it reacts. It you notice brown leaf tips occurring, it is a sign that the air is too dry.

This can be the case during winter or if you use the air conditioner and heater quite a bit, both of which dry the air.

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Cebu Blue Pothos Watering

Watering your cebu blue pothos is very similar to that of the golden pothos which is the most popular kind of pothos. It isn’t a particularly thirsty plant which makes it fairly low maintenance in this department.

However, you do want to keep the soil slightly moist. Avoid letting the soil dry. More importantly don’t let it stay wet or soggy.

The good news is, the plant is fairly resilient in that it can withstand a little lack of water. And, when this happens, it will tell you.

You’ll notice it start to look sluggish. Instead of being bright and looking lively, its stems will droop and its leaves will look dry. The color will also visibly be duller.

When this happens, water it. Within 1 to 2 days you’ll see it perk back up again. But, it is important not t let this keep happening. While it can recover this way, your plant won’t looks its best. And, if allowed to happen too often, it will begin to deteriorate.

In addition to this, I’ve found 3 effective ways to know when to water your cebu blue pothos.

Get a moisture meter. This is an inexpensive little tool you can stick into the soil and it will tell you how moist or dry your potting mix is. This is the surest way with no guessing at all. I highly recommend this for any beginner.
Stick your finger in the soil. With experience, you’ll be able to tell. If the top soil of the plant is starts to dry, it is time to water. Otherwise, wait a little longer before adding more moisture. If you have a problem telling the how moist the soil is, use the moisture meter instead.
Eyeball it. With even more experience, you’ll be able to tell just by looking at it. Although this can differ between plants so it can take over a year to get the hang of this. You can likewise just lift the container and feel its weight. The lighter it gets, the drier the soil is.

When watering the cebu blue pothos, you want to pour slowly until it start dripping from the drainage holes below. Then allow the excess moisture to dry before putting it back in its regular spot.

Also allow the soil to slightly dry before you water it again.

Soil

Your cebu blue pothos isn’t particularly too picky about soil. As long as you use light, airy, well-draining potting soil, it will be happy. Since the plant doesn’t like sitting in water, it is essential to make sure that the soil drains well.

Thus, you can go to the store and get a high quality potting mix and that should work as long as it is loose and well draining.

You can likewise add perlite, pumice or orchid bark to improve its drainage. This is a good idea if you tend to overwater.

Should this be the case, I highly suggest getting a moisture meter. This will solve your problems and save you all the trouble of trying to gauge how moist or dry the soil is.

On the other hand, if you prefer making your own DIY potting mix recipe here’s a good one that works very well.

50% peat moss or coco coir
30% perlite or pumice
10% orchid bark
10% worm castings

This allows the medium to hold enough water for the plant to stay hydrated and absorb nutrients. But, drains well enough to keep it from sitting in too wet conditions.

As always, make sure that there are holes at the bottom of your pot to allow the moisture to escape.

Fertilizing Cebu Blue Pothos

Your Cebu blue pothos isn’t a big feeder either. And, because it is a foliage plant, it’s a good idea to use a balanced fertilizer. This gives it enough nitrogen to let its leaves grow optimally.

As you already know, there are tons of different kinds of plant food. And, you can pretty much use whichever you prefer since the plant isn’t overly picky. As long as it receive enough sustenance, it will produce good sized, vibrantly colored leaves.

That said, I do like liquid fertilizer since it reduces your risk of overfeeding. However, do know that liquid fertilizer is just the same is the concentrated on. The only difference is, the manufacturer has added the water for you.

This makes it easier to use and reduce the risk of using a too concentrated dose. But, it is also costlier since you’re paying for the water. Since the container sizes are the same, liquid fertilizer has less fertilizer than the concentrated version since it is diluted with water. So, you end up paying more on a “pound per pound” basis.

Another alternative is fish fertilizer. This is cheaper. Plus, you get to add the water yourself. So, you get more for your money. However, be aware that fish fertilizer smells, at least until it dries. So, be prepared and don’t be alarmed by the odor, it is normal.

The plant doesn’t have any problem with synthetic fertilizer so you can use that as well if you want to save extra cahs instead of organic which is more expensive.

In either case, apply fertilizer once every 2 week during its growing period (spring and summer). Then go down to once a month the rest of the year.

Pruning Cebu Blue Pothos

The plant is fairly fast growing. As such, you may want to trim is back to maintain its size and shape. Without pruning, it can grow and become fairly sizeable.

This isn’t a problem is you’re hanging it from a pot or basket which allows its stems to trail downwards. But if you keep it on a tabletop or shelf, it might get a little too big.

Similarly, lack of pruning will make the plant look messy with leaves overlapping one another and growing all over the place,

Pruning allows you to manicure it to fit your home, be in hanging from a container in the balcony or sitting on a counter in your living room.

That said, the plant’s main attraction are its leaves. As such, if you notice it being more stem dominated, it is probably time to prune.

Too much stems and less leaves means it isn’t growing a lot of foliage. It can also mean your plant is getting leggy. Either way, pruning will help encourage new growth to help fix it.

Additionally, you’ll want to trim away old, dead discolored and damaged leaves.

Cebu Blue Pothos Propagation

As beautiful as the Cebu blue pothos is, you’ll likely want to grow more of the plant you already have. it also makes a great gift because it is unique. So, you can propagate them and give them away from friends and family.

The goods news is, it is very easy to propagate cebu blue pothos. And, the best way to do so is via stem cuttings. This makes it simple with good success rates.

How to Propagate Cebu Blue Pothos from Stem Cuttings

Look for a healthy stem with at least 2 to 3 leaves on it. You also want something that’s long enough to put in water or plant in soil.
Once you’ve made your choice, cut the stem. You’ll want to make the cut below a node. Nodes are the joints where the stem and leaf are attached together. From that point, you want to go down about half an inch to an inch and make the cut.
Remove the bottom leaves. This is optional. But, doing so makes it easier since you’ll be dipping that part in water or soil anyways.
Now you have a choice. You can plant it directly into a pot with fresh soil. Or, stick in in water. Propagating in water takes an extra step. And, you’ll need to move it later on to soil after it roots. But, I’ve found that the success rate is much higher when you start in water. Also, it roots faster in water compared to soil. Either way, you have a choice.
If you want to start in water, place the stem cutting in water. Then wait. Soon, you’ll see roots start to grow. This is another advantage because you can see through glass and observe how the roots are growing. You can’t do that with soil.
Once it roots, you can move it to a container with fresh potting soil
If you decide to go straight to soil, insert the stem cutting into soil that’s in a container. It will take longer for the plant to root because soil offers more resistance than water. I’ve also been told by other gardeners that soil makes the root foundation stronger because it had to work harder to expand early on. Although, there’s no way for me to really tell how much of a difference that is compared to water.
At this point you have the cutting in a container. All you need to do now is water is to keep the soil moist. You also want to keep it in a warm, humid location to promote early growth. And, allow it to get bright, indirect light.
Soon, you’ll see it sprout new growth.

Transplanting & Repotting

Depending on how fast your Cebu blue pothos grows, you’ll likely need to repot every 2 to 3 years. Proper pruning allows this trailing plant to look good above. But, it doesn’t limit the growth of its roots under the soil.

Once the plant has outgrown its current container, it is time to repot to a larger once. The simplest way to tell is when you see roots poking out of the drainage holes. This is a sure sign that it needs a bigger container.

How to Repot Cebu Blue Pothos

Have a bigger pot ready. You want to go with a container that’s 2 inches bigger. You can likewise take this opportunity to change the container if you want. Say you used to keep in in a pot on a shelf or tabletop. But now, you want to hang it from above. This is your chance to do so.

Prepare fresh potting mix. Ideally, get high quality potting mix that drains water well. You can likewise make your own mix using the recipe above.
Gently slide the plant out of its container.
Once you have the root ball out, dust away excess soil. Also, inspect its roots to see if there’s any damage or signs of rotting. If there is, trim away the brown, mushy or black parts. You’ll also want to spread the roots apart and untangle them if needed.
Fill the bottom of the new container with fresh potting mix. You can estimate how much to put by placing the plant side by side with the new pot to see how high it should stand out of the rim. Ideally, you want the plant stand as high as it did in its previous pot. This reduces one item the plant has to adjust to.
Insert the plant into the soil. Then, backfill the pot with soil.
Water the soil and place the container to its location.

Toxicity

The Cebu blue pothos is toxic to both people and animals. As such, keep it away from young kids, dogs and cats. Ingesting any part of the plant is always dangerous because it poses a choking hazard.

However in this case, it is poisonous. Doing so will cause unpleasant symptoms like irritation, vomiting and breathing problems.

Pests and Diseases

If you give the plant all the things it needs above, you should experience any issue with the plant. I’ve had mine for a while now and have and zero issues.

That said, with plants there’s always the risk of disease and pests. Mealybugs and spider mites are the most common intruders when it comes to your Cebu blue pothos.

When they do happen, use insecticidal soap or neem oil. These are two natural ways to getting rid of these pests without resorting to chemicals.

With diseases, the best way is to avoid them. Many houseplant problems are borne out of overwatering. And, your plant is more prone to fungal and bacterial infections if given to much moisture.

Cebu Blue Pothos Plant Care – How to Grow Epipremnum Pinnatum