Is the Neon Pothos the ideal plant for you?

The Packard automobile was the height of luxury and class. It is one of the first cars to have a modern steering wheel and air-conditioning. Packards are sleek and fast; one model even had a 12-cylinder engine adapted from the Liberty L-12 fighter plane. Packards became the car of distinction with the famous tagline, "Ask the man who owns one."

Always on the leading edge, in 1923 the Los Angeles Packard dealer installed two giant signs that glowed with neon, the first in the Western Hemisphere. Neon is always an attention-getter, and neon in the garden is just as eye-catching. The brilliant Neon Pothos (Epipremnum aureum 'Neon') sports heart-shaped leaves in a brilliant, electrifying green.

Best of all, this charming houseplant is just as tough, easy to grow and carefree as all other pothos plants. These bright plants perk up rooms and offices with their chartreuse yellow-green leaves.

While the heart-shaped leaves can grow as large as 20 inches long, indoors the leaves are usually smaller, around five inches long. They can tolerate diverse growing conditions. Best is a spot out of direct sun, in filtered light. They even grow well under fluorescent lights. Avoid hot, direct afternoon sun and keep the plant away from drafts.

Neon pothos are vigorous growers and do well in hanging baskets or anyplace where their trailing vines can fall freely. Because they tolerate low light, Neon pothos plants can grow in a bathroom or office. Neon pothos cuttings can even live for years in plain water, so this makes it easy to add a houseplant to hard-to-reach places, such as atop a grandfather clock.

If your Neon pothos leaves begin to look pale, it may be getting too much light, so it should be moved away from the sunlight. Pothos plants like average home temperatures between 65° and 80°F. They can go a long time without water, but try to give them water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.

You can take cuttings any time of the year and root them in soil or water. Oddly, cuttings started in water will not grow well in soil, and a Neon Pothos cutting started in soil won't do well in water.

As if their easy care and bright chartreuse-green leaves aren't enough, Neon Pothos is a living air purifier, able to remove toxins found in paint, carpeting, and even insulation. Is the Neon Pothos the ideal plant for you? To quote Packard Motors, ”Ask the man who owns one.”