Complete Care Guide: Scindapsus Exotica
Complete Care Guide: Scindapsus Exotica
In this article, you'll find…
Plant Info
Care Guide
Lighting
Watering
Humidity
Soil Needs
Types
Propagating
Common Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Plant Info
Scindapsus Exotica is a cultivar of Scindapsus pictus with large, boldly-patterned leaves on thick vines. In the right growing conditions, this is a fairly fast grower, but in suboptimal conditions, growth will slow to a crawl, and leaves will come out small. Exotica looks stunning spilling over the sides of a pot in a tangle -- though I personally think the hanging baskets are best left to its smaller-leaved siblings!
Note that despite many of its common names -- most of which it shares with other cultivars like the common Argyraeus -- Scindapsus Exotica is not a pothos, though it was once considered to be one, and it's in a closely-related genus in the same family.
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Common Name(s) |
Silver pothos, Satin pothos, Silver satin pothos, Pothos Exotica, Exotica Scindapsus |
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Botanical Name |
Scindapsus pictus 'Exotica' |
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Botanical Family |
Araceae, the aroid family |
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Mature Size |
Leaves: 6 inches |
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Lighting |
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Watering |
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Humidity |
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Soil Mix |
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Flowers |
Small, rare, and insignificant aroid flowers; grown for foliage |
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Hardiness |
Not frost-hardy; keep above 10C/50F |
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Native Region |
India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines |
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Toxicity |
Mildly toxic |
Take a look at this care guide as an infographic!
Care Guide
Interestingly, the silver variegation seen on the leaves of all cultivars of Scindapsus pictus isn't caused by a different chemical makeup -- instead, there is a thin air bubble trapped within the leaf, and this distortion is what causes the silvery look!
This is a cultivar, or cultivated variety -- meaning that it doesn't appear in the wild, but the wild form grows as long vines that climb up trees in search for more light.
Lighting
Since this plant is highly-variegated, make sure to give it pretty bright lighting! Sitting in front of a south window with a sheer curtain is perfect -- that way, it'll grow its leaves nice and large, with plenty of silver variegation!
Make sure to check out our general article on lighting!
Watering
Like other vining aroids, most Scindapsus have medium watering needs, and Scindapsus Exotica is no exception. Let the top 1/3 or so dry between waterings -- but don't worry, she'll let you know if she's thirsty by curling her leaves!
Make sure to check out our general article on watering!
Humidity
Since this is a tropical rainforest plant, it prefers higher humidity than the average household will provide without some help! Add a humidifier or create a nice microclimate with other plants, if you can!
Make sure to check out our general article on humidity – including a couple common myths!
Soil Needs
Scindapsus Exotica is often epiphytic, meaning that it doesn't grow in the soil -- it can spend its whole life in the air! This means that its roots need lots of air and plenty of chunks to hold on to.
Suggestion: Start with 2 parts peat-based potting mix or coco coir, mix in 1 part perlite, and 1-2 parts orchid bark.
Don't know why you're adding these things? Check out our article on potting mixes!
Types
There are many different cultivars of Scindapsus pictus, ranging from Argyraeus, which is even more common than Scindapsus Exotica and often just called "Scindapsus", to Silvery Ann, which is much more softly-mottled and considerably rarer.
Propagating
Want more baby plants? You can easily propagate with stem cuttings, the exact same way as you do with most vining houseplants!
Simply cut off a section of stem with a few leaves, just above a node (where the leaves meet the stem), take off the lowest leaf or two (making sure to leave at least one leaf on it, but ideally a few), and then stick it in water or a moist substrate, making sure that at least one node stays moist. Put it in a bright spot for a few weeks, and you'll see roots forming!
Check out our articles on water propagation, soil propagation, or air layering for more details on common propagation methods!
Common Issues
As with most houseplants, the most common problem for Scindapsus Exotica is overwatering. If you're not entirely sure it needs water, it's best to hold off -- underwatering is better than overwatering! Remember that it'll tell you when it's thirsty by curling its leaves. Otherwise, this is a very easy-going plant, and will happily chug along once you've found a home for it.
All houseplants are susceptible to pests, including mealybugs, spider mites, and more. This plant isn't known to be particularly susceptible to any specific pest, though!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Scindapsus Exotica's leaves curling?
This means that it's thirsty! There's less water pressure to hold the leaves rigid, so they naturally curl up.
Is this the same plant as the other silver satin pothos?
Both Scindapsus Exotica and Scindapsus pictus 'Argyraeus' share the common name 'Silver Satin Pothos', among others!