Your search for the perfect climbing plant ends here. Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’, otherwise known as the satin pothos or silver pothos, is a true stunner of a plant. It offers the greenery that plant owners love, but it comes with a twist! It couldn’t be ‘Silver Ann’ without the silver, after all. No other plant wears it quite so well. Let’s just say that silver is really Ann’s color!
This pothos hails from Southeast Asia where it stretches and grows in warm, tropical temperatures. They spend most of their lives growing around or on trees. It’s an epiphyte, so you won’t catch it spending much time on the ground.
As a houseplant, these vines live for up to 10 years and they’re quite hardy. That’s good news for any beginners out there. With a little perseverance and knowledge, anyone can elevate their home with a satin pothos (or three). Just keep in mind that this plant is toxic to animals and should be handled with care!
Stick with this guide to learn just what makes Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ so special and how you can show yours the best care possible.
| Common Name | Silver Ann Pothos, Silver Pothos, Satin Pothos |
| Botanical Name | Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ |
| Native Areas | Southeast Asia |
| Sun/Light Requirements | Bright, indirect |
| Watering | Highly drought-tolerant; water when soil is completely dry |
| Soil | Well-draining, aerated |
| Temperature | 65°F to 80°F |
| Humidity | 50% to 70% |
| Hardiness Zones | USDA zones 10 to 12 |
Silvery Ann Pothos Appearance
The silver pothos is a thing of beauty. Its leaves are heart-shaped and grow to around four or five inches long. They’re not particularly large compared to some other climbing plants, but they make up for their size by having breathtaking foliage.
This plant is prized for its leaves. They’re a pleasing matte green with splashes and dots of silver all across them. Because there’s no discernible pattern to the splashes, every plant looks different. Some leaves are more silver than green, with only small windows of its base color sneaking through. Still, others are mostly green with surprising streaks of silver here and there. It makes each new leaf exciting, like a little surprise waiting to unfurl!
In their natural habitat, satin pothos can grow up to an impressive ten feet long. You won’t see quite that level of growth with your houseplant, but they still stretch up to four feet in length. Since the leaves are relatively small, you can expect to see plenty of them growing and gathering along the vine.
Don’t hold your breath to see your Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ flower. They’re notoriously difficult to coax into flowering indoors. If they flower, they develop a white spathe and spadix for their tiny flowers. Fortunately, nobody is bringing home a satin pothos for their blooms. It’s all about that foliage, and you can rest assured that it won’t disappoint you.
Silvery Ann Pothos Care Requirements
The Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ is accustomed to warm temperatures and high humidity. It’s versatile and hardy, however, so it can tolerate a considerable range of conditions. Always remember where your plants come from – whether it’s lowland forests or high elevations – and keep that in mind as you set up their environment.
Light
Your satin pothos needs a lot of light to maintain the silver colors on its leaves. This is a variegated plant. Those pale silver spots that make it so appealing don’t contain chlorophyll, leaving all the energy production up to the green portions. Without adequate light, they can’t do their jobs and your plant will lose its silver variegation in an effort to keep itself alive.
There’s an easy way to avoid that, of course. Give your plant the right lighting and all will be well. Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ prefers bright, indirect light for several hours a day. Low or medium lighting situations just won’t do, and too much direct light could burn the leaves.
The best way to get the right lighting level is to place your plant a few feet away from your chosen window. If it’s a west-facing window, it might need a bit more distance. Watch out for any signs of damaged leaves, including browning around the edges.
Water
This plant is highly resistant to drought. For those of you who forget about watering day, the satin pothos won’t mind. Let the soil dry out completely before watering this plant.
Typically, you can tell that the soil is completely dry when the pot feels much lighter than usual. There are plenty of moisture meters on the market if you don’t trust your own judgment!
Overwatering is dangerous and may cause root rot, but there isn’t much concern on the other side of that. As long as you don’t completely forget you have a plant, the satin pothos can hold out for a while without a drink.
Soil
In the wild, these plants grow on trees. Since they’re epiphytes, they don’t root in the soil. They tend to get all their nutrients from the environment and air around them. Obviously, you can’t grow a tree in your kitchen just to please a house plant. The next best thing is a well-draining soil.
True to its easygoing nature, this plant doesn’t really have a lot of other preferences. You can use any potting soil mix you prefer. Add drainage materials like pumice, perlite, or sand to ensure you’re not leaving its roots in soggy soil.
Temperature
For optimal growth and vivid colors, stick to warmer temperatures. This plant will do fine in the common household temperature range (65°F to 80°F), but the upper end of that will boost its growth the most. Anything below 60°F poses a risk to the plant. It isn’t frost or cold-tolerant at all and cool temperatures may send it into shock or stunt its growth.
Needless to say, please don’t leave your satin pothos outside during cold weather. Keep it away from any cold spots or drafts in your home, too. It’s hardy in many ways, but this is not one of them!
Humidity
This plant thrives in high humidity. Anything from 50% to 70% humidity will work, so there is a wide acceptable range. If you have other tropical plants, place your Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ near them to maintain higher humidity levels. You can also try a humidifier, pebble tray filled with water, or misting your plant. Low humidity can cause the leaves to turn brown.
Fertilizer
The satin pothos does a commendable job of gathering everything it needs from the atmosphere, so it doesn’t require a lot of help in this department. However, occasionally feeding the plant helps it develop larger, more colorful leaves. Leaving it completely to its own devices does the opposite – you’ll end up with smaller leaves and fewer of them.
Use a balanced fertilizer diluted to about a quarter-strength. You can feed the plant once per month during the growing season. Alternatively, add a fresh layer of compost on top of the soil every two to three months and you can skip chemical fertilizing altogether.
Pruning Silvery Ann Pothos
Pruning your Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ helps it maintain a full, bushy look. If you see leggy growths (often caused by low lighting), dead or decaying leaves, or you just want to help train it to climb around a certain area, feel free to trim it. You can remove up to a third of the plant at a time. More than that could send it into shock.
Silvery Ann Pothos Propagation
This plant makes propagation simple. The stem-cutting method works best. Since it’s a vine, getting the perfect cutting is fairly simple. Take a healthy cutting, about four or five inches long, and take all the leaves off the bottom half of the cutting. There should still be a few of them left at the top. Press the cut end into your soil mix, keep it moist, and put it into bright, indirect light. In a few weeks, you’ll have adorable new satin pothos coming in.
Repotting
A lot of your repotting will happen in the first couple of years of having this plant. New plants tend to grow more quickly than mature ones and you’ll likely have to repot once a year for the first few. Afterward, check for signs of the plant being root bound.
- Roots crawling from drainage holes
- Roots reaching across the soil surface
- Slowed or stunted growth
If you notice any of those signs or feel that the plant’s soil needs a full refresh, go one size up and repot your plant with new soil. It’s best to do it during the spring and summer growing seasons, if possible.
Pests
Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ has a few insect foes. Watch out for any signs of
- Scale Bugs
- Spider Mites
- Mealybugs
All of these insects can be treated by thoroughly spraying down your plant to clean off its leaves. Once you’ve removed visible traces of the insects, treat them with neem oil or another plant-safe oil or soap.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing quite as lovely as the sight of a Scindapsus pictus ‘Silvery Ann’ crawling up a trellis or pole. If you have an empty space in your garden or indoor collection, consider adding this easy-to-handle plant into the mix. It fills in the gaps wonderfully and adds richness to any room.
