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The Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Cebu Blue’ differs from the golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) in having blueish narrower juvenile leaves that become pinnatifid and fenestrated as the plant matures. Mature plants are often confused with split-leaf Philodendrons and Monstera deliciosa.
Cebu Blue Pothos Overview
The Blue Pothos is native to Cebu, a province of the Philippines, in the Central Visayas region, comprising Cebu Island and more than 150 smaller islets.
This tropical evergreen perennial vine may climb up taller trees and old walls from the old Spanish era. This fast-growing vine is a current houseplant fad.
Cebu Blue Pothos grows in the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, and northern Australia. Cebu Blue is an Araceae species, Epipremnum pinnatum.
| Botanical Name: | Epipremnum aureum ‘Cebu Blue’ |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Epipremnum |
| Species | Pinnatum |
| Origin: | Cebu, Philippines |
| Light: | Bright, indirect light |
| Watering: | Only when the topsoil is dry. Avoid excess water to prevent root rot |
| Soil: Well-draining soil | Well-draining soil rich in organic matter |
| Temperature: | 60 to 90 °F (16 – 32 °C) |
| Humidity: | High (>60%) |
| Propagation: | Stem cuttings, layering |
| Re-Potting: | As required – minimum every second year |
| Pests and Diseases: | Susceptible to common pests |
| Toxicity: | Toxic to pets and children |
| Identification: | Thin, long leaves with silver, sparkle pattern |
| Growth: | Medium |
In its natural habitat, the Cebu Blue Pothos starts life with its delicate little lance-shaped blueish-green leaves that develop into a darker green with fenestrations and pinnatifid.
If grown outdoors, a mature Cebu Blue Pothos plant, an epiphyte, can climb up to 40 feet high. However, indoor plants can be managed and rarely exceed 10 feet in height, with bluish leaves no longer than 4 inches.
Cebu Blue Pothos has distinctively silvery or bluish-gray leaves. Cebu Blue Pothos foliage also features a variety of green, bluish-green, silver, and blue hues. In strong light, these gradations of color become beautifully accentuated.
Immature leaves of the Cebu Blue Pothos plant are two to three inches long and elongated or oval.
In the juvenile phase, plants have lanceolate, thin leaves that are a silvery blue color. As the Cebu Blue Pothos matures, the luscious dark green leaves become pinnatifid (edges have lobes) and fenestrated (oval windows in the leaves).
Cebu Blue Pothos Care
The Cebu Blue Pothos, like all aroids, is easy to grow if you give it want it needs. Tropical vines are generally low maintenance and ideal for novice growers, providing them with years of aesthetic pleasure and cleaner air.
Cebu Blue Pothos care entails giving them enough bright indirect light but avoiding direct afternoon sunlight. In nature, Cebu Blue Pathos care entails high humidity, dappled light, an opportunity to climb, and warm temperatures.
Growing Location
This easy-care plant flourishes outdoors in semi-tropical environments, USDA hardiness zones ten and above.
In these environments, the Cebu Blue Pothos may reach heights of 40 feet (12 m), with the beautiful leaves going through two distinct stages of development (heteroblastic leaf morphology).
Moss Pole
However, indoor cultivation of this Pothos plant may result in a more compact plant with smaller leaves. The Cebu Blue Pothos’ development may be impeded if grown in a hanging basket.
The Cebu Blue Pothos plant thrives when provided with a trellis or moss pole to climb, which is their natural tendency.
Watering Your Cebu Blue Pothos Plant
The Cebu Blue Pothos’s watering needs are between dry and wet. Overwatering is the most common cause of indoor plants perishing, and soggy soil should be avoided.
Don’t use a watering schedule for your Cebu Blue Pothos; feel the soil, and don’t water until the top third of the pot is dry.
The plant’s health is closely related to root health, a product of soil health. A soil mix high in organic matter holds more water than a potting mix with some inert materials like pumice, vermiculite, perlite, or LECA.
Your Cebu Blue Pothos will do best in a soil mix that balances organic and inert materials, ensuring drainage but retaining some water.
Pothos Plants Light Requirements
In its natural habitat, the Cebu Blue Pothos grows in the shade of a forest canopy that offers a combination of medium light and partial shade, making it an ideal indoor plant.
Defining Bright Indirect Light
The Cebu Blue Pothos thrives when kept out of direct sunlight in an environment that matches its native habitat. The Cebu Blue Pothos will flourish if placed in an east- or west-facing window.
Pothos Light Preferences
Like other Pothos plants, the bright light of a South-facing window, especially in the afternoon, might be challenging for your Cebu Blue Pothos. Pothos don’t need too much bright light and flourish in low-light environments.
To avoid direct light, use a reflective surface as the source.
Too much sunlight will destroy your Cebu Blue Pothos more than low-light rooms. The Cebu Blue Pothos leaves seem to optimize light for photosynthesis.
Defining Light
Assuming there are no external light obstructors, the following is how windows are classed for light availability:
- Low Light – North-facing windows
- Medium Light – East or West-facing windows
- Bright Light – South-facing window
Temperature
Your Cebu Blue Photos likes it hot(ish). Good Cebu Blue Pothos care ensures your woodland plant lives in an environment offering temperatures between 60 and 90 °F (16 – 32 °C).
Avoid exposing your Cebu Blue Pothos to temperatures that fluctuate too much. In the winter, bring the plant inside and don’t place it close to drafty windows or AC units.
If your Cebu Blue Pothos leaves are distressed, the cause is often rapidly changing temperatures. Yellow leaves and curled leaves are generally a sign of water issues.
Preferred Soil
Use soil that drains well to ensure success with your Cebu Blue Pothos Care endeavors. Tropical plants are particularly vulnerable to overwatering. Their natural environment offers fast-draining soil.
The Cebu Blue plant will flourish in a nutrient-rich soil mixture with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH – between 6.1 to 7.8.
Soil Drainage
Choose coarse potting soil with perlite, vermiculite, or orchid bark. This will guarantee effective drainage for your Cebu Blue plant while maintaining healthy moisture.
Like the roots of other plants in the aroid family, jade pothos and Cebu Blue are prone to root rot. Proper Cebu Blue Pathos care includes using containers that have drainage holes. Check each drainage hole for blockages.
Humidity
Cebu Blue Pothos care ensures sufficient humidity, matching The Cebu Blue Pothos plant can tolerate typical indoor humidity. However, if you want your pothos plants to thrive, you’ll need to raise the humidity in their surroundings. For instance, if you put the plant in a room with a relative humidity of about 80%, it will be very content.
Cebu Blue plants may need extra care if the humidity in your home is low, and you may help them out by watering them occasionally with a spray bottle. Humidifiers can be helpful for houseplants and can be installed in your home. A pebble tray could also be used. The humidity around your houseplants can be improved by placing them in groups.
Fertilizer
A less critical part of Cebu Blue Pothos care is managing soil nutrients. A little fertilizer during the Cebu Blue Pothos’ juvenile phase may help speed their vigorous growth and development.
Slow-release fertilizers and organic fertilizers are also viable options. Neither one needs to be changed. However, soluble fertilizer should be diluted to reduce its efficacy before use.
The plant should be fed when it is actively growing, which is in the spring and summer. You can burn the plant’s roots if you use too much fertilizer. As it enters its winter hibernation state, it does not require food.
Pinching/Pruning
Proper Cebu Blue Pothos care involves occasional pruning. When pruned, the Cebu Blue Pothos’s stronger, healthier trailing growth is encouraged and controlled, and the plant maintains its beautiful appearance. The Pothos plants will become leggy and straggly if not pruned. The plant could be shaped by trimming or pruning to grow vertically.
When pruning, always use sterilized shears or scissors to avoid spreading fungi. To save energy and improve the appearance of your houseplant, you should prune off any yellowing or wilted leaves.
Potting and Repotting
Cebu Blue could quickly outgrow its current container and benefit from being repotted in a larger one with new soil. Don’t use a pot that doesn’t have a drainage hole or three.
Repotting your Cebu Blue Pothos plants every second year is the recommended frequency. Repotting a plant in the spring will help it recover more quickly.
To help your Cebu Blues thrive, try repotting them into a slightly larger container filled with nutrient-rich soil. Planting your Cebu Pothos in a hanging pot is an excellent way to prolong their small, juvenile stage, but as they mature, they will need a moss pole to flourish.
Common Pests, Toxins, Diseases & Other Problems
By regularly inspecting your plant, it’s essential to keep a close eye out for pests like fungus gnats, mealybugs, aphids, scales, and spider mites. Do a thorough inspection of the Pothos’s leaves and cracks. Use an insecticidal soap or neem oil to exterminate the insects.
Propagating Cebu Blue Pothos
Use stem cutting to propagate Cebu Blue Pothos plants. Cebu Blue Pothos propagation is similar to propagating Philodendrons or jade pothos.
- Cut roughly three or four new stems using sterilized scissors or shears from a healthy, robust Pothos Cebu Blue mother plant.
- The single-leaf method entails cutting the stem just below a node and removing all the leaves, bar one.
- Place the fresh stem cuttings nodes in the water jar, keeping the remainder dry.
- Keep the jar where the freshly cut stems can enjoy bright indirect sunshine.
- Wait for the nodes to develop into roots as you change the water every 2 to 3 days.
- For the little roots to mature into a robust root system, around three to four weeks of waiting time is required.
- These are good growers; after the plantlet’s roots have grown a few inches, they can be moved to fresh soil.
- The stem cuttings can be propagated in water or planted in damp soil. However, you won’t know if the propagation was successful until the shoots begin to grow. Give it a light tug to tell if your propagation was effective.
- Always use a clean container with moist and well-drained soil when engaging in direct soil propagation.
Is Cebu Blue a Pothos or Philodendron?
As a result of its similarities to the Philodendron variety, the Cebu Blue Pothos is frequently misidentified. This is mainly because both genera have fenestrated and pinnated leaves.
Is Cebu Blue Slow Growing?
Growing a Cebu Blue Pothos is a quick and easy process. When compared to other houseplants, it can quickly outgrow its container. It has to be pruned on occasion so that its growth and spread may be managed. It’s possible that once a year you’ll need to repot the plant.
Is Cebu Blue Easy to Propagate?
The Cebu Blue is an easy houseplant to grow, even for those with little experience. One of the simplest houseplants to multiply by cuttings. It also requires the least maintenance.
Is Cebu Blue Rare?
The Cebu Blue Pothos is not as rare as it is classy.
Is Cebu Blue Pothos Toxic?
Keep all aroid plants out of the reach of animals and toddlers. Araceae plants all contain calcium oxalates that can cause stomach upset, breathing difficulty, and vomiting in canines and felines.
Always use gloves when working with a plant. The plant’s sap can provoke itchy rashes. The plant should be stored securely away from curious nibblers and little humans. They will become sick from the plant, which isn’t considered fatally toxic.
In Closing
It’s impossible to overstate the incredible beauty of a Cebu Blue Pothos in your home. The mature leaves of this plant, which may grow up to 4 inches in length, are beautiful and can be grown either trailing in a hanging basket or climbing up a trellis.
I will not think twice before suggesting that novice plant keepers start with Cebu Blue potted plants because they are forgiving. They will soon be reaping the benefits of cultivating them and will have full plants with a spectacular display of blue-silver foliage.
