Pothos plants are the prettiest tropical plants to grow and maintain at home. And there are a bunch of different pothos varieties to choose from. I have also discovered that some pothos varieties are challenging to differentiate.
Golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos have a similar appearance. These aroids tend to toss the mind of many houseplant enthusiasts across the world. There is so much information over the internet about these types of pothos plants.
So, what is the difference between golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos? The golden pothos has brighter yellow and deep-green leaves, while Hawaiian pothos has light yellow and green leaves. The leaf size and coloration are vital factors in differentiating these aroids.
Continue reading this comparison article to learn more differences between Hawaiian pothos and golden pothos. I have also highlighted some close similarities between golden and Hawaiian pothos for better understanding.
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Comparison Table (Golden Pothos Vs Hawaiian Pothos)
| Comparison Terms | Golden Pothos | Hawaiian Pothos |
| Foliage Color | The deep-green leaves have intense and rich yellow colors. | The bright-green leaves have light yellow colors. |
| Blooming | Have small snow-white flowers. | Have large cream-white flowers. |
| Shape | Compact. | Large. |
| Fenestration | Leaves do experience fenestrations. | Leaves do not develop cuts or holes. |
| Climbing Vines | Have yellow vines. | Develop deep-green stems. |
| Maximum Growth | 20-40 ft long and 3-6 ft wide. | 1-4 ft long and 1-2 ft wide. |
| Season Effect | Change colors with the change in season. | Maintain colors regardless of seasonal changes. |
| Growth Habits | Slow-growing | Fast-growing |
| Light Requirements | Low-light condition | Medium to bright indirect light. |
| Watering Frequency | Regular watering requirements | Less watering frequency |
What Is Golden Pothos?
Golden pothos is a type of pothos plant that is easy to grow and maintain. The heart-shaped leaves with deep-green and yellowing colors are the reasons behind its popularity.
The golden pothos is the best tropical plant for beginners due to the ease of growth and maintenance at home. It requires bright indirect sunlight, dry and wet soil to flourish.
The small snow-white flowers and compact growth pattern make this evergreen plant ideal for indoor space. The yellow vines can match any indoor décor.
The leaves have fenestrations, and the entire plant tends to change colors with seasons. It can grow up to 20-30 ft long and 3-6 wide.
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What Is Hawaiian Pothos?
Hawaiian pothos is a pothos cultivar with large leaves ideal for a hanging basket. The bright green leaves with yellow streaks create lasting impressions.
The long vines and large leaves create an attractive vertical accent when growing up a pole or in a hanging basket. Pruning helps to maintain a compact design and control the stem length.
Golden Hawaiian pothos produces large cream-white flowers. This fast-growing pothos cultivar does not develop leaf fenestration like other cultivars.
Hawaiian pothos price is higher than other pothos varieties. Giant Hawaiian pothos care involves the provision of bright indirect sunlight, slightly moist soil, and high humidity level.
How to propagate giant Hawaiian pothos is a no-brainer task. Stem cutting is the best option since the roots will develop from the nodes.
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Main Differences between Golden Pothos and Hawaiian Pothos
Foliage Color
Golden pothos has bicolor leaves where the yellow color is more intense and rich on the deep-green leaves. Other golden pothos cultivars have white stripes along with yellow and green.
Hawaiian pothos also has bicolor foliages. But the yellow color is lighter and tends to mingle with the bright green foliages to result in vibrant variegation.
Blooming
Most pothos varieties are flowering tropical plants. These plants will need bright light, nutrients, light, and well-draining with moisture to bloom.
Indoor golden pothos rarely produces flowers. The ultimate golden pothos care routine will promote the development of snow-white flowers without a hint of cream color.
Hawaiian pothos is slightly larger than golden pothos. The robust root systems allow the plant to develop large cream-white flowers.
Leaf Size and Shape
All types of pothos have heart-shaped leaves with different colorations. The close similarities give many houseplant enthusiasts a challenging task to tell their differences.
Golden pothos leaves have sickle-shaped appearances that are wide and scarce. Hawaiian pothos leaves are straight with dense and short leaves.
Height and Structure
Hawaiian pothos and golden pothos are climbing-vines plants. These tropical evergreen plants grow upward and a little bit wide.
Golden pothos can reach 20-30 ft long and 3-6 ft wide in their native habitat. But the indoor counterpart grows up to 10 ft long with moss pole support.
Hawaiian pothos grows up to 1-4 ft long and 1-2 ft wide at home. The pothos species need a regular pruning routine to prevent it from taking more space.
Similarities between Golden Pothos and Hawaiian Pothos
Taxonomy
Both golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos belong to the Epipremnum aureum family. Besides that, these tropical plants belong to the same genus.
Sheath
Pothos leaves do not have a sheath. New pothos leaves grow by unfurling light green color that extends from the current leaves.
Growth Habits
Golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos have vining growth habits. Both these pothos varieties can reach 30-50 ft in their native habitat.
Propagation
Stem cutting is the most reliable method for propagating golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos. Cut 4-6 inches of a healthy vine with three leaves above the stem nodes.
Growing Requirements
Members of Epipremnum aureum have the same growing conditions. Provide bright indirect sunlight, high humidity, and a temperature range of 65-85oF (16-29oC).
Leaf Shape
Both golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos have heart-shaped leaves with different colorations for easy distinction. But Hawaiian pothos plants have dense and numerous leaves.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hawaiian Pothos Rare?
Yes. It belongs to the rare pothos varieties in the market. It is the only pothos species that is highly appreciated and can double in size.
Is Golden Pothos Rare?
No. Golden pothos is the most popular than other types of pothos. These pothos species are easy to grow and maintain at home. Besides that, they are highly affordable.
How Long Does Golden Pothos Take to Grow?
Approximately 4-5 months. The provision of better growing conditions can make your golden pothos grow faster than the stipulated dates.
How Long Does Hawaiian Pothos Take to Grow?
About one month. It is among the few fast-growing pothoses in the world. Every houseplant should provide appropriate growing conditions to experience a fast growth rate.
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Conclusion
Golden pothos vs Hawaiian pothos is similar in many ways. These similarities are the reason behind the confusion among houseplant lovers.
Both golden pothos and Hawaiian pothos are easy to grow and maintain at home. These pothos varieties are the best option for season growers and beginners.
Selective breeding is the reason behind the emergency of Hawaiian pothos. Research shows that Hawaiian pothos is a cultivar of golden pothos.
The main difference between Hawaiian pothos and golden pothos is that the former has deep-green leaves with bright yellow streaks while the latter has light green leaves with yellow marks.
