Why is Golden pothos called Devil’s Ivy?
Golden pothos also called the Devil’s Ivy, is most probably the most accepted houseplant by the indoor plant enthusiasts around the globe. It is easy to grow, needs low maintenance, looks gorgeous, cleans the air, and also can grow in a wide variety of climatic environments.
Whoa, this is a long description. One plant, and so many advantages. But the real point to be noted is, Why is Golden pothos called Devil’s Ivy? What is probably the actual reason for such an unusual nomenclature?
Read the complete article to get the answer.
Why is Golden pothos called Devil’s Ivy?
Golden pothos is called Devil’s Ivy because it is almost impossible to kill a Golden pothos plant. It has adapted itself in such a way that, it can literally grow at every place, where humans can live. This character of Golden pothos is responsible for such an interesting nomenclature.
Now let’s try to understand things in detail.
Golden pothos is such a hardy and versatile plant that even you left it unwatered for a couple of months then also it has the capacity to bounce back if it gets only a few drops of water.
It can easily survive the waterlogging condition, while other plants suffer in the same situations a lot. It can easily re-establish itself even its roots have rotten due to wet feet.
Golden pothos grows so vigorously that in some areas it is being considered as a threat for the indigenous flora.
For example in Udawattakele Forest Reserve, the Golden pothos has grown so vigorously that, now it is considered as a threat to the local trees. Because this vine is growing all over them and blocking the sunlight. Initially, they were planted in the road banks at some other places in the forest. But now they are growing at a super-fast rate.
CLICK HERE to read the complete article from Wikipedia.
As a houseplant also Golden pothos has many versatile uses. You can grow it in a hanging basket. or allow it to creep on a pole. You can also allow it to grow as a covering plant to cover the walls and ceiling as a living curtain or spread on a desk. It has fantastic versatility to be used in multiple ways.
Added to the above characteristic features, vigorous vegetative growth also makes it a hardy and sturdy plant. It can even grow from a small piece of stem, provided that the stem cutting should have a node. So this plant is really very easy to propagate.
Because of so many vigorous, hardy, and strong features, the plant is often compared as a devil (in a good sense due to its vigorous growth habit). And it is a vine, the term Ivy is connected to it.
So from these two terms, the name Devil’s Ivy is derived. Golden pothos is also called Devil’s vine.
Why is Golden pothos called money plant?
Golden pothos is also called as the money plant because it has so many advantages that you have to literally pay money to get those benefits.
First and foremost Golden pothos beautifies your space and living area. It adds on greenery and freshness in your home inside.
The biggest advantages of having a golden pothos is a report published by NASA. According to this report, the Golden pothos can provide a lot of clean air to you. Even after taking CO2 in and releasing O2 out, the Golden pothos also cleans some harmful gases from the atmosphere.
According to a study conducted by NASA in associate with Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), some plants including the Golden pothos, not only absorb CO2 and release O2 but also absorb some harmful chemicals from the atmosphere like the benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene.
CLICK HERE to know the complete details about the research.
So the Golden pothos has the property of natural air purifier. It cleans the air of your living space without any cost, which will cost you a considerable amount of money if you will set up an air-purifying machine in your home.
Due to these added advantages, the Golden pothos is also called as the money plant.
Golden pothos in brief
- Botanical name- Epipremnum aureum
- Common name- Golden pothos, Devil’s ivy, Devil’s vine
- Family- Araceae
- Origin- French Polynesia
- Plant type- Tropical creeping vine.
- Soil requirement- Plant grow properly in well-draining fertile soil.
- Temperature- Ideal temperature for plant growth is around 63 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (17 to 30 degrees Celcius)
- Light- Plant can grow in any lighting condition. However bright indirect light is ideal.
- Humidity- There is no certain humidity requirement for the plant. However, for the best possible growth humidity level higher than 60% is ideal. The plant loves to grow in a humid place.
- Water requirement- Plant can grow without water for a long period of time, like for a couple of weeks also. It is recommended to water when the top two to three-inch layer of soil is dry.
- Fertilizer- A balanced liquid fertilizer is more than enough to feed the plant.
- Pest and diseases- In some cases the plant show some physiological diseases like black spot on leaves, leaf yellowing, etc. These diseases due to watering issues.
- Toxicity- Plant is toxic in nature. It is a wise decision to keep these plants away from pets and children.
The climatic parameters given above are the ideal condition for Golden pothos for its optimum growth. However, it can grow in a wide variety of climate. So this should not be confused.
Conclusion
The real reasons behind such type of nomenclature are not known to anyone. The common names of the plant given by the locals of the place where the plant is native. However, with some minor changes and modifications, these names are used these days.
So after some brainstorming and finding some information on Google I have written this article. Hope I am correct.
You can share your opinions below in the comment section.
