Pothos is the plant I'd hand to any beginner who wants to try propagating for the first time. Cuttings root in water in two to four weeks under normal indoor conditions, with a success rate I'd comfortably put above 90% when the cutting is made correctly. I've propagated probably thirty pothos cuttings over the years and I've only lost a handful — almost always because I skipped the node or let the cutting sit in stagnant water too long.

Quick answer

To propagate a pothos, cut just below a node on a healthy vine, leaving 1–2 leaves above the cut. Submerge the node in water (leaves above the water line) and place in bright indirect light. Roots appear in 7–14 days. Pot in standard potting mix once roots reach 2 inches.

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What you'll need

You don't need any specialized equipment for pothos propagation — this is genuinely a beginner-level task.

For transplanting once roots have developed, you'll want a small pot (4-inch works for most cuttings), well-draining potting mix, and optional perlite to open up the drainage.

Understanding the node — the most important part of any propagation

Before you cut anything, spend thirty seconds finding the node on your pothos vine. Propagation fails almost entirely because people cut without including a node.

Look along the vine where a leaf attaches to the stem. At that junction — or just below it — you'll see a small brown bump or nub, sometimes slightly lighter or darker in color than the surrounding stem tissue. That bump is the node, and it contains the meristematic tissue that will form roots. The NC State Plant Toolbox describes pothos as propagating readily from stem cuttings "with at least one node." Without a node submerged in water, nothing will happen.

Pothos also has single aerial root nubs at each node — that slightly thicker, darker bump you sometimes see on the underside of the stem at the leaf junction. If you can include an existing aerial root nub in the cutting, do it. It speeds root development, though it's not required.

Taking the cutting

The ideal pothos cutting is four to six inches long with two to four nodes and two to three healthy leaves. Here's the process:

  1. Pick a stem that looks vigorous — firm, green, no yellowing or soft spots.
  2. Count up the stem from the base to find a section with two or three good nodes. Each node has a leaf attached at or near it.
  3. Using clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears, cut the stem at a 45-degree angle about a quarter-inch below the lowest node you want to include. The 45-degree angle increases the cut surface area exposed to water, which can accelerate root emergence slightly — though a straight cut also works.
  4. Remove any leaf that would sit below the waterline in your jar. Submerged leaves decompose quickly and foul the water. Leave at least one or two leaves above the water.

Keep your cutting in a small glass of water immediately after cutting if you're not putting it in its propagation vessel right away. Cuts that dry out for more than an hour or two before going into water will sometimes callus over, which can slow root emergence.

Water propagation: step-by-step

This is the method I use for nearly every pothos cutting, and it's the one I'd recommend for anyone starting out. It lets you watch the root development, which is both satisfying and informative — you know exactly when the roots are ready.

  1. Fill the jar. Put two to three inches of room-temperature water in your clean glass jar. Don't fill it all the way; the cutting needs some air exposure above the waterline.

  2. Set the cutting. Place the cutting so that at least one node — ideally two — is submerged below the waterline, with the leaves sitting clear above it. If the cutting is too short to sit upright, prop it against the inside edge of the jar.

  3. Choose the location. Place the jar in bright indirect light. Pothos roots faster in warmer conditions — Iowa State University Extension notes that most tropical houseplants root best in temperatures between 65°F and 75°F. Avoid direct sun, which heats the water and encourages algae growth. A bright windowsill with a sheer curtain is ideal.

  4. Change the water. Refresh the water every five to seven days. Pour out the old water and replace it with fresh room-temperature water. This is the step people skip — don't skip it. Stagnant water becomes oxygen-depleted and bacteria-rich, which causes the cutting to rot before it can root. Weekly changes keep the environment clean enough for roots to form.

  5. Track the timeline. Here's what you'll typically see:

    • Week 1: Nothing visible. The cutting is developing internal root initials — it looks unchanged.
    • Week 2–3: Small white bumps or translucent nubs appear at the submerged nodes. These are root primordia emerging. This is the satisfying part.
    • Week 3–4: Roots elongate. By week four, well-developed roots may reach one to two inches.
    • Week 4–6: Roots are typically two to three inches long and multiple roots may be developing from each node. This is when the cutting is ready to pot up.

The University of Wisconsin Extension notes that vining aroids like pothos typically produce water roots within three to four weeks under good indoor conditions — warm room temperature and consistent bright indirect light. Cold rooms (below 60°F) will significantly slow root development; what takes three weeks at 70°F can take seven or eight weeks at 58°F.

  1. Don't rush the transplant. It's tempting to pot up the cutting the moment you see any roots, but wait until the roots are at least an inch long — I prefer two inches. Short, just-emerged roots are fragile and often don't survive the transition to soil well. Let them develop for a full four to six weeks before moving them.

Soil propagation method

Water propagation is my first choice for pothos, but soil propagation does work. Some gardeners prefer it because it avoids the transplant adjustment period that sometimes comes with water-rooted cuttings.

For soil propagation:

  1. Take the cutting the same way — below a node, leaves stripped from the lower section.
  2. Optional: dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder (IBA-based). This isn't necessary for pothos, which roots readily on its own, but it can speed things up slightly. Iowa State University Extension notes that rooting hormones are most beneficial for difficult-to-root species and provide marginal benefit for easy rooters like pothos.
  3. Fill a small pot (four-inch) with moistened, well-draining potting mix — standard mix with 20–30% perlite added works well.
  4. Poke a hole in the soil with a pencil and insert the cutting so that at least one node is below the soil surface. Firm the soil around the stem.
  5. Cover with a clear plastic bag or cut plastic bottle to create a humidity dome. This reduces transpiration while the cutting lacks roots to absorb water.
  6. Place in bright indirect light. Mist the soil lightly every few days to keep it barely damp — not wet.
  7. Roots typically develop in three to five weeks. You'll know they've developed when you feel gentle resistance if you tug the cutting lightly, or when new leaf growth emerges.

The honest comparison: water propagation is faster to start and easier to monitor. Soil propagation skips the transplant shock. For a beginner, water is easier to learn on because you can watch what's happening.

When to transplant and what soil to use

When your water-propagated cutting has roots of one to two inches (I prefer two), it's ready to move to soil. The transition from water to soil is the trickiest part of pothos propagation — water roots and soil roots are structurally different, and some of the water roots may die back when they contact drier conditions. This is normal.

To minimize transplant shock:

  1. Choose a small pot — a four-inch pot for a cutting with two to four nodes, no larger. An oversized pot holds too much moisture relative to the root system, which leads to rot.
  2. Use well-draining potting mix. I use standard indoor potting mix with about 20% perlite mixed in. The added drainage gives the transitioning roots more oxygen while they adapt.
  3. Make a hole in the pre-moistened soil and place the cutting. The roots should go into the hole gently — don't force them. Cover with soil and firm lightly.
  4. Water thoroughly, let drain, and don't water again until the top inch of soil feels dry.
  5. For the first two to three weeks, keep the cutting in stable bright indirect light. Avoid moving it, changing its light conditions, or fertilizing during this adjustment period.

You may see minor leaf wilting for one to two weeks after transplanting. The cutting is adjusting to drawing water from soil rather than from open water. Don't overwater in response to wilting — check that the soil is reasonably moist, and then wait. The wilting almost always resolves on its own.

Troubleshooting

Cutting rots at the cut end. Usually caused by bacteria in stagnant water. Change water more frequently — every five days instead of seven. Also check that you haven't stripped too much stem — the cut end should be clean and firm, not ragged or bruised.

No roots after six weeks. Two main causes: no node submerged, or too cold. Check that you have at least one node actually underwater. If the node is right at the waterline but not below it, reposition the cutting. If your room is below 65°F, move the propagation vessel somewhere warmer — a shelf near a heating vent (not on it) can help. Iowa State University Extension notes that root development stalls in cold conditions.

Roots are turning brown. Pale tan roots are fine — that's normal coloring. Dark brown or slimy roots indicate the beginning of root rot. If you catch it early, trim the brown sections with clean scissors, rinse the cutting, clean the jar thoroughly, and replace with fresh water. A tiny amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide (one teaspoon per cup of water) added to the water for one cycle can help disinfect.

Leaves are yellowing. This is common and usually not a serious problem. A propagating cutting is under stress — it's sustaining leaf tissue without an established root system. Older leaves at the base of the cutting sometimes yellow and drop. As long as the new growth (once roots establish and the cutting is potted) is coming in green, the cutting is fine. Yellow leaves during propagation are not a sign of failure.

Algae in the water. Green algae growing on the inside of the glass is common when the vessel gets direct sun. It doesn't harm the cutting significantly but can indicate the light is too intense. Switch to indirect light and clean the jar more frequently. Using an opaque vessel or wrapping the jar in paper can also help.

Toxicity notice — cuttings carry the parent plant's toxicity

An important note before we go further: pothos cuttings sitting in a jar on your kitchen counter carry exactly the same toxicity as the parent plant. Cuttings are often placed on accessible surfaces — countertops, windowsills, shelves — while the parent plant may be up high or out of reach. The cutting in its jar is just as dangerous to pets as the full plant.

Keep propagation jars out of reach of cats and dogs. Cats especially tend to investigate jars of water. The calcium oxalate crystals in pothos cause immediate oral burning and irritation, which is painful even if rarely life-threatening. The ASPCA lists golden pothos as toxic to cats and dogs under the entry for Epipremnum aureum.

How many cuttings can I take from one plant?

This is a fair question and I get asked it a lot. You can take multiple cuttings from a single plant without harming it, as long as you're thoughtful about which stems you cut.

My rule is: don't remove more than one-third of the plant's total stem length in a single session. The parent plant needs leaves to photosynthesize and continue growing. If you take too many stems at once, the remaining plant has less foliage to support its root system and can go into shock.

Space out heavy pruning cuts over a few weeks. The pothos will backfill from dormant growth points near the cuts — you'll often see the pruned plant push out two or three new stems from near where you cut. Done right, heavy propagation pruning actually makes the parent plant fuller, not sparser.

Choose stems that are getting leggy (long sections of stem with wide spacing between nodes) for cutting first. These are the ones the plant would benefit from losing anyway.

FAQ

How long does it take pothos to root in water?

Most pothos cuttings show root nubs by week two to three, with roots reaching one to two inches by week four under typical indoor conditions (65–75°F, bright indirect light). University of Wisconsin Extension guidance on tropical houseplant propagation cites a three-to-four-week window for vining aroids. In cold rooms or low light, this can stretch to six to eight weeks. Don't give up on a cutting until at least eight weeks have passed without any root development — and confirm the node is actually submerged.

Can I propagate pothos without a node?

No. Root formation in pothos requires the meristematic tissue located at nodes. A cutting of pure stem between two nodes, or a cutting that is only a leaf with a short stem, will not produce roots. NC State Plant Toolbox specifically states that stem cuttings must include at least one node for successful propagation. The most common propagation failure I see in beginner questions is a cutting made entirely between two nodes — beautiful-looking cutting, no node, zero roots possible.

Can I put multiple pothos cuttings in the same jar?

Yes, and it often works well — multiple cuttings in the same vessel sometimes seem to root faster than solo cuttings, possibly due to plant hormones in the water. The practical limit is crowding: if the jar is too full of stems, water changes become difficult and some cuttings don't get adequate light. I typically put three to five cuttings in a single jar for propagation batches. Change the water just as frequently as you would with a single cutting, and ensure every cutting has at least one node submerged.

Sources: University of Wisconsin Extension Horticulture, NC State Plant Toolbox — Epipremnum aureum, Iowa State University Extension — Houseplants, ASPCA — Golden Pothos