Pothos cuttings in water: find the node before you cut

Start a pothos cutting with a piece of stem containing a node. Follow this sequence to keep leaves out of the water, watch the roots and choose the next step from the plant’s condition.

By Coru · Published 2026-10-24 · Updated 2026-10-24

Before you start

Use an identified pothos, Epipremnum aureum, and a healthy stem without soft patches or visible pests. Gather clean, sharp scissors, a clean transparent container, water and a label. Water lets you watch roots develop; this method does not apply unchanged to every plant.

Keep the plant and cuttings out of reach of children and animals: pothos is not edible. Choose a stable, bright position out of direct sun. Keeping one cutting in the container makes its changes easier to follow.

Find the node before you cut

Follow a leaf back to the point where its stalk, called the petiole, joins the main stem. That junction is the node; it may look slightly raised. The stem between two junctions is the internode. Point to two separate nodes before picking up the scissors.

For this attempt, choose a stem tip with several nodes, roughly 10–15 cm long as a guide. Recognizing the junctions matters more than the measurement. Cut just below a node so that the node stays on the cutting you will put in water.

If your piece is a leaf with its petiole but no section of main stem containing a node, choose another piece. Iowa State’s propagation table recommends stem cuttings for pothos; it does not list pothos among plants propagated by leaf cuttings. A leaf staying green does not demonstrate that a new plant is forming.

Set up the stem: node in, leaves out

Remove the lower leaves that would be submerged, keeping leaves at the top. Do not cut away the node when removing a leaf. Place the lower end in room-temperature water: at least one node should be underwater and all leaves above it.

Look at the setup from the side. If a leaf touches the water, adjust the height or use another container that supports the stem better. Mark the starting water level and note the date. Check that the cutting is not upside down: the growing tip still points upwards.

What to check while you wait

Iowa State recommends changing the water once or twice a week. For this log, choose two checking days; change it sooner if it becomes cloudy. Between checks, top up evaporated water so the node and any developing roots remain submerged. Keep leaves out.

Wisconsin Extension gives about three to four weeks as a usual rooting time for pothos in water. That is a guide, not a deadline. Light, temperature and the cutting’s condition affect the pace. Do not cut a healthy piece again simply because you cannot see roots yet.

Look through the container and compare a weekly photograph taken from the same side. Write what you see: “no visible roots”, “two short roots” or “one longer root”. You do not need to lift the cutting out every day to check it.

Three decisions based on what you see

Keep waiting: the stem stays firm and you cannot see roots yet. Check that a node is underwater and the position has indirect light; record the absence of roots as an observation, not a confirmed failure.
Change the water and observe: it has become cloudy, but you cannot see soft tissue. Cloudy water alone cannot identify a disease. Also check for leaves that may have slipped below the surface.
Discard and start with healthy material: the cutting softens and falls apart. Dark, soft roots are a sign of deterioration; dark color alone does not diagnose the cause. For this first attempt, skip rescue surgery on rotten tissue. Clean the container before using it again.

When to move into a pot

Kew suggests transplanting when roots reach about 2–5 cm. Use that as a guide to prepare a small pot with drainage holes and premoistened houseplant potting mix. Do not wait to fill the glass with roots or plant solely because a particular week has arrived.

Make a hole that accommodates the roots without forcing them. Cover them with mix and leave the leaves above it. Keep the mix moist, without leaving the pot standing in water, and maintain indirect light. Roots formed in water must adjust to the potting mix; signs of stress can appear after the move. The first day in a pot does not by itself show that the plant is established.

Copy this observation log

text

Cutting date:
Nodes identified / nodes underwater:
Position:
Checking date:
Water: clear / cloudy; level:
Stem: firm / soft:
Visible roots and approximate length:
Action: wait / change water / discard / pot up:
Next checking date:

An observation log, not a controlled experiment. Note any change of position or container to help interpret the next comparison.

What this guide covers

Coru has organized source recommendations into a decision sequence and a home observation log. We have not run a rooting trial or measured a success rate. The aim is to help you select a suitable cutting and choose the next step without promising that every cutting will thrive.