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Epipremnum aureum
Caution🐾Efeutute · (Epipremnum aureum)
Arum family (Araceae)
Description
Trailing metres of heart-shaped leaves splashed with yellow-green marbling, this vine climbs happily up moss poles or spills from hanging pots and tolerates low light and irregular watering better than almost any other houseplant. Laboratory trials have measured the whole plant taking up airborne formaldehyde, benzene and xylene, which is why it is often kept as a natural air freshener, though this lab effect should not be equated with a guaranteed improvement in ordinary room air. Every part of the plant contains needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals that cause immediate burning of the mouth and throat, drooling and difficulty swallowing if chewed, and the sap can irritate skin on contact. Grown purely as an ornamental, it is not meant for tea or any internal use and should be kept well away from small children and, especially, cats and dogs.
External use only!
This plant must NOT be taken internally. Use only as compress, salve, or bath.
Golden pothos is among the species tested in the NASA Clean Air Study (Wolverton et al. 1989, TM-101766) for the removal of gaseous indoor air pollutants in sealed chambers. In those sealed test chambers it removed measurable amounts of formaldehyde, benzene and xylene with moderate efficiency. Follow-up work (Cummings & Waring 2020) shows that the achievable purification effect in real-world rooms is practically negligible compared with normal air exchange through ventilation.
Epipremnum aureum is one of the most popular houseplants worldwide and is considered almost indestructible. It is grown indoors as a hanging plant, as a climber on moss poles, or as a groundcover. Its tolerance of low light, irregular watering and drought makes it a classic beginner plant.
Like many indoor plants, golden pothos can contribute to occupant wellbeing: controlled studies on indoor greenery show effects on perceived stress, concentration and the quality of the environment. These effects are documented for indoor plants in general and are not specific to this species.
In tropical and subtropical landscapes, Epipremnum aureum is used as a creeping or climbing ornamental in parks and gardens. In Florida, Hawaii, Australia, Southeast Asia and many Pacific islands, however, it is regarded as invasive: it smothers native vegetation, climbs high into the canopy and alters entire forest ecosystems. Outdoor planting in tropical regions is therefore problematic.
Epipremnum aureum is extremely easy to propagate vegetatively: stem cuttings with one node and an aerial root develop roots in a glass of water within two to three weeks and can then be potted on. This makes it a classic exchange and gift plant in the houseplant community.
⚠ External use only
All plant parts contain insoluble calcium oxalate raphides (the needle crystals typical of the Araceae family). Chewing or swallowing causes immediate burning in the mouth and throat, salivation, swelling of the tongue and difficulty swallowing. Plant sap can cause skin irritation in sensitive people. Keep out of reach of small children and pets, especially cats and dogs. No internal use; do not prepare as tea, tincture or food. ASPCA classification (accessed 2026-08-10): toxic to dogs and cats.
No specific safety data during pregnancy. As the plant is not used internally, simply keeping it as a houseplant carries no known risk. Avoid ingestion.
No specific data during lactation. Keeping the plant as a houseplant carries no known risk; ingestion must be avoided.
Calcium oxalate raphides can cause intense oral irritation, salivation and swelling in children. Place the plant out of reach of small children; avoid leaving hanging vines within reach.
Contraindications
- No internal use — all plant parts are irritant and potentially toxic due to calcium oxalates.
- If sensitive to Araceae (arum family) plants, avoid skin contact with the sap; wear gloves when repotting.
- Do not keep within reach of pets that chew on plants (cats, dogs, rodents, birds) — symptoms of poisoning in animals include salivation, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.
- In tropical and subtropical regions (for example Florida, Hawaii, Australia) do not plant outdoors — the species is invasive there and damages native ecosystems.
- No medicinal use: there is no EMA HMPC monograph, no Commission E monograph and no traditional medicinal use of this plant. Any advertised healing applications are unsupported.
Harvested part: whole plant (decorative)
- Time of day:
- Suitable year-round as a houseplant — no seasonal harvest timing. Cuttings are best taken in spring and summer (March to September) when the plant is actively growing.
- Drying:
- Not suitable for drying or processing — exclusively used as a living houseplant. No internal or folk-medicinal use.
- Calciumoxalat-RaphidenOtherWhole plant
Insoluble needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals (raphides) stored in specialised idioblasts — the irritant typical of Araceae. They cause mechanical injury to mucous membranes and immediate burning on contact.
- Proteolytische EnzymeOtherWhole plant
In Araceae plants, proteolytic enzymes accompany the calcium oxalate raphides and amplify their irritant effect on mucous membranes — they contribute to the burning sensation when ingested.
- FlavonoideFlavonoidLeaf
Small amounts of flavonoids in the leaves; mildly antioxidant but with no demonstrated pharmacological relevance in humans.
- Phenolische SäurenPhenolic acidLeaf
Small amounts of phenolic acids in leaves and stems, typical of Araceae; not noticeably contributing to toxicity.
- ChlorophyllOtherLeaf
High chlorophyll content — notably, the variegated cultivars 'Golden Pothos', 'Marble Queen' and 'N'Joy' have sectors with less chlorophyll and therefore need more light than uniformly green plants.
- Formaldehyd (aufgenommen)OtherWhole plant
Not a plant constituent but an absorbed pollutant: in the NASA study (Wolverton 1989), Epipremnum aureum measurably broke down formaldehyde in sealed chambers. The practical effect in real rooms is negligible according to Cummings & Waring 2020.
- Benzol und Xylol (aufgenommen)OtherWhole plant
In the NASA chamber tests, golden pothos also removed benzene and xylene from the air. The effect is limited to the sealed chamber setup and is practically not measurable in normally ventilated rooms.
- [1]MonographInterior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement (NASA TM-101766)(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [2]MonographCummings & Waring (2020): Potted plants do not improve indoor air quality — a review and analysis of reported VOC removal efficiencies. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 30(2): 253-261(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [5]MonographEpipremnum aureum (devil's ivy) — Royal Horticultural Society plant profile(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [6]MonographEpipremnum aureum (pothos) — CABI Invasive Species Compendium(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [7]MonographASPCA Animal Poison Control — Devils Ivy (Epipremnum aureum)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [8]MonographCliniTox Giftpflanzen — Epipremnum aureum (Linden & Andre) G.S.Bunting: giftig + (Institut für Veterinärpharmakologie und -toxikologie, Universität Zürich)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [3]WikipediaEpipremnum aureum (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [4]WikipediaEfeutute (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-27)
Distribution in Europe
🪴 Grow at home
- ☀ Light
- low light
- 💧 Water
- weekly
- 🌱 Soil
- Standard potting compost
- 🪴 Pot
- 18 cm
- ⭐ Difficulty
- ★☆☆ beginner
- 🐾 Pets
- toxic to pets
Tips:
- Practically indestructible — fine in low-light bathrooms.
- Vines can reach 2m — grow as hanging plant or on a pole.
- Cuttings root in a water glass in 2-3 weeks.
Care tips are general indoor-gardening recommendations, not scientific sources.