Cebu Blue Pothos Care

Last Updated on June 15, 2023 by Grow with Bovees

About Cebu Blue Pothos Plants

Cebu blue is a pothos, a tropical evergreen perennial vine that’s native to the island of Cebu in the Philippines.

The plant’s sparkling silver-blue, heart-shaped leaves have a wonderful sheen to them and dazzle in the proper light.

The Cebu blue plant is a member of the Araceae family and belongs to the Epipremnum pinnatum species. The plant grows wild in Asia, northern Australia, and portions of Europe, in addition to the Philippines.

It is known by various names, including blue pothos, dragon tail, devil’s Ivy, blue philodendron, and centipede tongavine.

They can grow up to 40 feet tall in their natural habitat and are tropical vines that spread doggedly. Fortunately, they don’t do this when cultivated as indoor plants, where their growth is normally limited to a few feet.

The Cebu blue pothos is an excellent houseplant, since it is reasonably easy to maintain. They’re a perfect addition to your indoor jungle, giving you the sensation of being on a tropical island without leaving your house.

Here, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Cebu blue pothos, including how to care for them at home, and how to propagate Cebu blue pothos to create lots of new plants to give to your family and friends—sharing with them the love of this ornamental tropical delight.

We’ll also share with you how to propagate Cebu blue pothos plants, creating lots of new plants to give to your family and friends—sharing with them the love of the beautiful Cebu blue plant.

The topics we’ll cover are:

  • The Pothos Cebu Blue Plant Stages
  • Cebu Blue Pothos Care
  • Repotting Your Cebu Blue Pothos
  • How to Prune Your Cebu Blue Pothos
  • How to Propagate Cebu Blue Pothos Plants
  • Problems With Your Cebu Blue Pothos

The Cebu Blue Pothos Plant Stages

The Cebu blue pothos has two distinct stages of development, which are easy to distinguish: juvenile and mature.

Juvenile Phase

In its juvenile phase, the Cebu blue pothos has elongated oval leaves that resemble the shape of a heart. They’re usually two to four inches long at this point and have a distinctive silver or bluish-gray tint with many various tones on each leaf.

Their real beauty comes out when they are in bright light, as they then start to shimmer and sparkle, giving a stunning display of color. 

In this phase of the Cebu blue pothos, it’s commonly known as the European houseplant as it’s often used in European residences for interior decoration.

The juvenile Cebu blue pothos plant will form sleek dangling vines, ideal in hanging baskets, where they’ll grow independently without any support.

Cebu Blue Mature Phase

As the Cebu blue pothos reach their mature phase, the leaves become green in color and have zig-zag divisions going up their midsection. 

At this stage, the Cebu blue pothos plant will require some support from canes, a moss pole, or a trellis. Your Cebu blue will make the most of the support and will cover it with beautiful dense green foliage in no time. 

The leaves will reach around four inches in length, and start to resemble palm fronds. As they grow into this mature phase, the Cebu blue pothos becomes a natural climber and will grow well up and along its support, giving you great coverage.

Cebu Blue Pothos Care

The pothos species of plants are some of the easiest vines to grow and care for, so they’re perfect for novice growers. If you tend them properly, they will give you years of enjoyment

Potting and Soil

The Cebu blue pothos isn’t a fussy plant when it comes to a soil mix or potting mix. It will grow well in just about any well-draining soil that retains moisture—your plant will suffer if sat in water that won’t drain. 

See also  Chinese Money Tree Meaning And Symbolism

Choose a chunky potting mix containing sand, perlite or vermiculite, and orchid bark. This will drain, but will still retain moisture, and your plant will get lots of air circulating to the roots. 

The pot that you choose can also have a significant effect on how your Cebu blue pothos will grow:

Hanging Basket or Pot

If you grow your Cebu blue pothos in a hanging pot or basket, it may be stunted and remain in the juvenile stage for the rest of its life. It doesn’t have the support it needs to get stronger and start climbing if it’s growing freely and trailing.

It looks fantastic when hung, but keep in mind that it isn’t necessarily the healthiest or strongest option for the plant. If the leaves are maintained in a hanging pot for an extended period of time, they may begin to shrink.

Pot on the Floor With Support

If you have a Cebu blue in a pot on the floor, support it with a moss totem pole or trellis, and it will thrive.

The natural behavior of the Cebu blue pothos plant is to climb and spread throughout the Philippines’ woods. When the perfect circumstances exist, this will occur in your home.

It will grow into a gorgeous, powerful plant with thick, brilliant green foliage in no time. It’s at ease in this environment and will repay you by flourishing and providing you with a gorgeous Cebu blue pothos plant to admire in your home.

Water

This plant doesn’t need a lot of water, and giving it too much can lead to problems like root rot, so be cautious. If you give it the appropriate quantity of water and spray it on a regular basis, it will thank you by providing you lush, strong, and vivid leaves.

Soak the Cebu blue maybe once or twice a week and then let it dry out in between waterings. 

During the warmer summer months, it may need to be watered more frequently, but the top inch of the soil should be dry to the touch before you water it again. The soil beneath it will remain moist.

If your plant looks wilted or has yellow leaves, you need to give it a bit more water.

Food

The Cebu blue pothos plants grow well on their own; however, a little fertilizer during the juvenile phase will go a long way to improving the overall health and growth of the plant. 

Choose a potting mix that already has a slow-release fertilizer included—this will make your job so much easier and ensure you don’t use too much fertilizer. 

Micronutrients are already included in most soil types. The ones that may be missing are; copper, zinc, manganese, and boron. These should be added to your plant during the growing season to get the best out of your Cebu blue. 
Only add fertilizer to your plant when it’s actively growing, during the spring and the summer. During the dormant seasons, it’s not necessary.

Light

The Cebu blue pothos plant grows well in a variety of lighting conditions. It thrives in a medium-light environment with minimal light and shade. Its preferred environment, however, would be bright, indirect light.

A small amount of direct sunlight is acceptable, such as the morning sun, but don’t place your plant in direct sun as this may burn the leaves. 

It’s better if your Cebu blue is shaded slightly by a larger plant or a thin veil of material at the window. This will give it the best of both worlds and produce a beautiful, healthy growing plant.

See also  How To Care For Your Potted Christmas Tree

Clay Pebbles

Cebu blue can also be grown or propagated using expanded clay balls, which is a material made by heating clayt in a kiln so that it forms porous clay balls.

Temperature and Humidity Levels

Cebu blue pothos prefer to be kept at room temperature, ideally between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It will grow normally once it has acclimatized to the temperature of its surroundings.

This plant requires a humid climate to thrive, so if your home is dry or has air conditioning, it may require some assistance. Misting the plant and its leaves with water will provide the necessary humidity.

To increase the humidity levels further, you can add a humidifier or a pebble tray. You can even group it with other plants to boost the moisture.

The Cebu blue should not be placed near a heating device, radiator, or cold air from fans. Keep it away from draughts, which will not benefit the plant and may potentially harm it.

Repotting Your Cebu Blue Pothos

The Cebu blue pothos is fast-growing and will fill the pot that you put it in quite quickly. Prune it occasionally and repot it once a year in fresh soil. Do this in the springtime at the start of the growing season.

Your plant will thrive if you rehouse it in a bigger sized pot each year. However, if you want to keep it small and at the juvenile phase for longer, we recommend that you put it in a hanging pot. It then won’t have the support it needs to climb and grow to the mature phase.

How to Prune Your Cebu Blue Pothos

Unlike some other houseplants, your Cebu blue pothos doesn’t need any heavy pruning

It will, however, benefit from some pruning throughout the year. You should remove any dead or dying leaves as soon as possible. This will help it grow and stay healthy.

Some vine stems may strive for the sun and become ‘leggy,’ with long thin tendrils with no leaves growing on them. You’ll get a bushier plant with flourishing leaves if you chop these back.

Pruning in the spring is particularly beneficial to your plant if you want to foster new growth. Cut them immediately above a node, which is a spot on the stem where the leaves emerge. It only requires a small amount of cutting to create a healthier, bushier plant.

How to Propagate Cebu Blue Pothos Plants

As with everything else about this easy-care plant, the Cebu blue pothos is simple to propagate. 

There are two basic methods for accomplishing this. You’ll soon have a plethora of little Cebu blues to decorate your home with or to give to your family and friends so they can enjoy the pleasure that these plants give, too.

Make sure that your pruning shears are clean and sterilized before using them to get your cuttings. This will prevent any transfer of diseases from the plants.

Stem Cuttings of Epipremnum pinnatum Cebu Blue

When pruning your mother plant, make sure that the cuttings you’re taking have at least one node on them and are a few inches long.

After that, you can put a few cuttings in a glass or jar of water, with the nodes slightly below the surface. Your new plant will soon begin to sprout tiny roots, which you can see through the glass.

Plant your cutting in a pot once you see new roots growing on it. The potting soil should be kept moist and humid at all times to give your new plant the best chance of survival and growth.

See also  Calathea Medallion Care — Calathea Veitchiana

Single Leaf Method

AAlternatively, you can propagate your plant with just a single leaf. Cut a leaf off your plant with the stem attached. This should be around one inch long and have a single node on it.

Place the leaf stem and the node into a clear jar containing water. You should then start to see new growth and small roots forming. This may take more time than the cutting, but be patient.

Once the roots have formed, transfer the leaf to a pot containing moist soil or potting mix and a drainage hole to avoid buildup of excess water.

Issues With Your Pothos Cebu Blue

As As you now know, your Cebu blue pothos’s care can be easy, and the plant is impervious to many conditions. However, there are still several problems that your plant may face that could jeopardise its health.

Pests

Some common pests that can be found on Cebu blue and other houseplants are fungus gnats, scale, mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites—so make inspections an essential part of your Cebu blue pothos care routine.

Check the leaves and the crevices of your plant. Inspecting your plants regularly will ensure that pests don’t get a hold on them.

Sometimes you can get rid of the pests just by taking the plant outside and giving it a blast of water. If this doesn’t work, try using insecticide soap on the pest-infested regions.

Once the nuisances have gone, wipe down the leaves with water and remove any damaged leaves or other damaged parts of the plant.

Disease or Issues With the Plant

If your plant’s leaves are becoming yellow, it’s possible that you’re not providing it with enough water or light. When this happens, your plant’s leaves may take on an irregular form and grow flatter.

You can rectify this by giving the plant more water and putting it in bright indirect light to revitalize it.

If your plant’s leaves are going crispy and browning, it could be the opposite, and the plant is in too much direct sunlight—so move it to a more suitable location.

Cebu Blue Pothos Toxic Properties

As with many plants, the Cebu blue pothos is toxic to cats and dogs when ingested. If you have pets or small children in the home, it’s best to keep the plant out of reach.

If the plant has been ingested, the symptoms are generally pain, swelling, and redness in the mouth. More severe symptoms are difficulty breathing and vomiting, but these are extremely rare. 

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so keep the plant away from your pets or tiny hands, and everyone will be happy.

Conclusion

The Cebu blue pothos is a stunning plant, both when trailing in a hanging basket and climbing up a trellis. It has the most stunning lush leaves that can grow up to four inches long when it reaches maturity.

Plant care is relatively easy when a Cebu blue pothos is in your home. It enjoys room temperature, slight humidity levels and light, airy spaces. It grows well in bright indirect light but also likes a little shade from time to time. 

The Cebu blue pothos will adapt to its environment once the location and water levels are correct, and it is an amazing sight to see. It gives your suburban home a touch of the tropics.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our guide and are now ready to start a little vine jungle in your own living room.

Resources;

https://www.academia.edu/37618913/EPIPREMNUM_AUREUM_JADE_POTHOS_A_MULTIPURPOSE_PLANT_WITH_ITS_MEDICINAL_AND_PHARMACOLOGICAL_PROPERTIES

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/1/3/1393