The Global Green pothos is one of many different pothos varieties, all of which are grown for their attractive foliage. In particular, if you’re looking for a plant that seems to have every shade of green on just one leaf, this could be the one for you.
Global Green is similar to other pothos varieties in many ways, including its ability to withstand a wide array of environments.
With the right care and a little love, however, you will find success growing this delightful houseplant.
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What is Global Green pothos?
Global Green is a variegated variety of pothos, which is a popular houseplant known as the Devil’s Ivy. The variegation on the Global Green is green on green, with the main leaf coloring being a deep green with darker green edging and the variegation coming in as a lighter green.
It is also not uncommon for the variegation on the Global Green to be a white or creamy color.
Another thing that makes the Global Green pothos unique is the almost crumpled appearance that their leaves have. This look gives the plant an unusual and interesting texture that is sure to add elegance to any indoor garden.
When you pair this with just how easy it is to care for them, you can understand why the Global Green pothos quickly becomes a favorite of houseplant lovers.
Where do Global Green pothos come from?
The Global Green pothos is a patented hybrid that was first discovered by a breeder in Japan. Because it is a hybrid, the Global Green isn’t found naturally in nature, but it does have the same ideal growing conditions as other naturally occurring pothos varieties.
Since Global Green is a hybrid, it does have traits similar to its parent plant, which is the Njoy pothos. Like the Njoy pothos, the Global Green needs warm temperatures, an abundance of sunlight, well drained soil, and humidity levels of above 50%.
Just like the other pothos varieties, the Global Green is fairly low maintenance, and can tolerate just about any growing conditions. However, keep in mind that poor growing conditions may not produce the results you were hoping for with this pothos plant.
How do you take care of Global Green pothos?
Like other pothos varieties, the Global Green is a relatively easy plant to care for. It can tolerate a wide array of growing conditions and doesn’t have many problems.
That said, just because the pothos is low maintenance, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to provide the plant with its ideal growing requirements.
1. Warm temperatures
The Global Green pothos is native to a warm climate where temperatures are between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the entire year. This plant isn’t cold hardy, and temperatures below 50 degrees can cause problems for the pothos. Because it has a low tolerance for freezing temps, the Global Green pothos cannot be grown outdoors in most areas of the United States.
Even when grown indoors, however, the plant will need to be kept away from areas where the temperature tends to fluctuate. This includes near an exterior door or under a heating or cooling vent.
Related: Can Pothos Live Outside? (Check For Your Area!)
2. Humidity levels above 50%
While the Global Green pothos loves humidity levels between 50 and 70%, they are not picky and actually grow well in normal home humidity levels. If, however, you want to increase the humidity level for your plant, consider using a humidifier or a drip tray.
In most cases, the humidity level won’t become an issue unless you are in an area where the weather is extremely dry and dusty. In this case, increasing the humidity will help the overall health and happiness of the Global Green pothos.
You may also want to consider a light misting when the weather is particularly dry, as well as wiping the leaves clean with a damp cloth.
3. Give your pothos 10 to 12 hours of bright, indirect light per day
The Global Green pothos is a light lover that thrives in bright or medium indirect sunlight. When a pothos plant gets its much needed light, it grows better and helps to maintain its variegation. You should, however, keep the plant out of direct sunlight as this can cause the plant’s foliage to burn and become discolored.
If your Global Green pothos has received too much direct sunlight, immediately move the plant to an area where the light is filtered and then prune off the damaged foliage. Once the leaves have been damaged, there is no saving them.
Thankfully, once the problem is corrected, the new foliage produced won’t be damaged.
4. Water every one to two weeks
Global Green pothos do not like growing in soggy soils, and usually only require watering once every 7 to 14 days. Soggy soils will not only stunt the plant’s growth, but it also increases the chance of the plant developing root rot. A good way to prevent overwatering the pothos is to let the soil dry out a little between waterings.
Make sure to also only grow the Global Green in a container that features drainage holes at the bottom. A lot of potting containers have drainage holes along the sides, which require the water to be at a certain level before it drains out. This means the bottom portion of the soil, and potentially the roots, can still stay soggy.
Overwatering is such a concern that it is better to provide less water than too much water. This is because a pothos that’s underwatered can come back, but it is extremely difficult to restore a Global Green pothos once root rot occurs.
5. Well drained soil rich in organic material
Like other types of pothos, the Global Green needs potting soil with good aeration. This allows the roots to breathe while also letting the water drain out properly. The right growing medium helps prevent overwatering and thus reduce the chance of fungal problems.
While you can use commercially available potting soil for the pothos, you should consider adding sand or perlite to the mixture to help improve the soil drainage ability. Another option is to create your own potting soil by mixing equal parts perlite and peat. Alternatively, mix equal parts perlite and potting soil, or equal parts perlite and succulent mix.
6. Provide some fertilizer
Giving the Global Green pothos balanced houseplant fertilizer can help improve the plant’s growth. Follow the instructions found on the bottle, but reduce the dosage in half. Then apply the fertilizer to your pothos once every few weeks during the spring and summer months when the plant is actively growing.
Avoid using low quality fertilizer as this can actually cause the plant to develop smaller leaves and a slow growth rate. These cheap, low quality fertilizers also typically leave an abundance of salts in the soil, which can harm the roots of the pothos.
7. Watch for pests
Pests are not a common problem with the Global Green pothos, but that doesn’t mean they cannot come under attack by common houseplant pests. Spider Mites, mealybugs, and scale are all indoor houseplant pests that could try to make your pothos their home.
Regular inspection of the plant’s foliage, both on the top and underside of the leaves, and stems will help alert you to potential pest problems before the issue becomes out of control.
FYI: If you do notice pest problems, take action immediately by treating the pothos with insecticidal soap (my top pick is Natria Organic Insecticidal Soap – you can check the latest price here).
Insecticidal soap is a relatively non-toxic alternative to chemically-filled pesticides and is safe to use in your home.
Furthermore, since it is not uncommon for pests to infest more than one houseplant at the same time, it is best to quarantine an infested plant away from the other houseplants until you can get rid of the pests.
Also, consider treating the other plants in your home with insecticidal soap if one plant becomes infested. This will help stop a re-infestation from happening and protect your other plants from damage caused by sap-sucking insects.
8. Prune the Global Green to control the plant and encourage growth
If left to its own devices, the Global Green pothos can become tall, long, and a bit wild. Even when grown indoors, the plant can reach heights of up to 10 feet. This is where pruning comes in handy, since it gives you the ability to control and help tame this plant.
If you do decide to prune your pothos, make sure to use sharp and clean pruning shears, and prune above a leaf node. If you prune off a healthy stem, consider rooting it in a small pot or a glass with water instead of simply tossing it away.
9. Repot your Global Green as needed
Sometimes, the Global Green will outgrow its current container and will need to be repotted into a new, larger container. The exact time frame for when the plant should be repotted will vary depending on several factors. However, a good general rule of thumb is to repot the pothos plant every 2 to 3 years.
When you do repot the pothos, wait until the spring or early summer to tackle the process as this is when the plant is actively growing. This means that it will have a better chance of surviving the stress that naturally occurs when a plant is repotted.
The size of the container you repot the plant in is also important. The ideal size pot is one that is about 3 to 4 times the size of the old pot, but not more than 6 times its size. You want a container that will give the roots room to grow, but not too big that it makes it harder for the plant to absorb the nutrients and water in the soil.
10. Check for diseases
One of the great things about the Global Green pothos is that it doesn’t have to deal with many diseases. Root rot, however, is one fungal problem that can take a toll and even kill your pothos. Root rot occurs when a plant is overwatered, which means that this potentially fatal disease is easy to avoid.
Root rot in pothos is very difficult to get rid of. That is why it is important to take the necessary precautions to keep root rot at bay. This can be done by simply watering only when the soil feels dry.
11. Be aware of loss of variegation to address it fast
Global Green pothos is one of the variegated varieties of pothos plants, but the variegation isn’t stable. What this means is that the variegation can revert, which causes the foliage to lose its variegation and turn a solid green.
The most common cause of the variegation reverting is not enough light, although a plant can lose its variegation at any time for any reason.
Can Global Green pothos revert?
While the Global Green pothos is grown for its stunning variegation, the plant can lose this look with little to no warning. When the Global Green reverts, the once variegated foliage will become all green and look similar to other non-variegated varieties.
Remember that when a Global Green pothos reverts, it loses that variegation forever and nothing you can do will get it back. That is why it is important to take the necessary precautions to keep the variegation from going away in the first place.
Keep in mind, however, that it can be difficult to stop a plant from reverting. Even when you think you are providing all the right requirements and care for the Global Green pothos, it can still revert and lose its variegation.
Why is my Global Green pothos losing its variegation?
The most common cause of the Global Green pothos losing its variegation is lack of light. When the plant isn’t receiving the proper amount of light, the attractive variegation will start to disappear and you are left with solid green leaves. Unfortunately, once Global Green has reverted, there is no getting back the variegated foliage.
You can, however, help to prevent the loss of variegation by ensuring the Global Green pothos has the right amount of sunlight. Select an area where it can get indirect or filtered sunlight. You want the light to be bright but indirect, as direct sunlight results in leaf scorching.
If you cannot provide the Global Green pothos with 10 to 12 hours of sunlight every day, consider supplementing it with either a grow light or fluorescent lights. Supplement lighting isn’t always ideal, but it can help provide the plant with the necessary amount of light to help prevent it from reverting.
Is Emerald pothos the same as Global green?
The Emerald pothos and the Global Green are not the same. While they are both pothos and their names are similar, each one is its own type, with its own distinctive appearance. In particular, the color of their variegation is different.
The Global Green has dark green foliage with a light green or white variegation that typically appears near the center of the leaves.The Emerald pothos, on the other hand, produces light green leaves with a darker green variegation that usually forms on the interior of the foliage.
Is Global Green pothos rare?
While the Global Green pothos isn’t the most rare of the pothos varieties, it also isn’t the most common. The Jade pothos and the Golden pothos are usually the varieties you commonly see in stores, and the rarest of the pothos is the Harlequin. The rarity of the Golden Green pothos falls somewhere between them.
Because it isn’t as commonly found as other varieties, trying to obtain the Global Green pothos from a local store may be a bit difficult. This can leave you scouring the internet for online garden centers that sell this variety.
Where can I find Global Green pothos for sale?
Global Green pothos are not as commonly found in nurseries and garden centers as other pothos varieties, but you may come across one at some point. If you do, it’s best to snatch it up. This pothos variety is, however, available for purchase online from various garden merchants.
Purchasing a plant online does have the added cost of shipping, which can quickly eat up your plant budget. Consider reaching out to local gardening clubs to see if any of the members have a Global Green you can purchase from them, or if they can point you in the right direction of a local nursery that may have one for sale.
Another option is to look for local plant swapping groups who are willing to exchange a cutting of their pothos for one of your plants. You would be surprised at how common it is for gardeners to swap plants with one another so that everyone in their community can experience the joy of growing a new plant.
Is Global Green pothos a hybrid?
Global Green pothos is a hybrid variety that was crossed with the Njoy pothos. The patterns on the foliage of the Global Green look similar to the Njoy variety. However, unlike the Njoy pothos, the Global Green has a light green variegation and not the white that you see on the Njoy.
Is Global Green pothos patented?
The Global Green pothos was discovered in 2006 when a gardener in Suzuka, Japan found a naturally occurring mutation from an unpatented pothos variety. This breeder patented the plant and named it Global Green.
Since the plant is patented, you cannot propagate these pothos plants for sale. You can, however, take cuttings of the Global Green pothos for personal use.
Why is my Global Green pothos turning yellow?
There are several things that can cause Global Green pothos leaves to turn yellow. The most common causes, however, are too much sunlight, low quality fertilizer, or temps that are too hot or too cold. As such, addressing these points is key to save the color of your plant’s leaves.
You can prevent the plant’s leaves from turning yellow by ensuring it doesn’t have more than 12 hours of indirect sunlight, as well as using only high quality fertilizer applied at half strength every 3 weeks. Furthermore, make sure the Global Green is in an area where the temperature falls between 65 and 85 degrees.
Why is my Global Green pothos getting brown tips?
Brown tips are a sign that the Global Green isn’t getting enough humidity. When the humidity levels are too low, the tips of your Global Green pothos can begin to turn brown. To correct this problem, increase the humidity level in the area near the plant.
A humidifier or a drip tray works best for increasing humidity around the pothos. Aim for a humidity level higher than 50%. Unfortunately, any pothos leaves with brown tips that have been affected by the low humidity won’t turn back to green, but new leaves won’t develop this side effect.
Why is my Global Green pothos leggy?
When your Global Green pothos starts to look leggy, it’s time to prune the plant. When the vine starts to age and gets old, new leaves won’t grow back. This leaves your plants with long vines without leaves, which results in that unattractive leggy appearance.
Use a clean pair of pruning shears to cut off those old, leggy vines. Make sure to cut above a leaf node and discard the old vines. When you are done pruning, clean and sanitize the shears in preparation for their next use.
Why is my Global Green pothos growing slowly?
A Global Green pothos that is growing slowly is a sign that the plant isn’t getting the optimal growing conditions. Ensure the plant is getting indirect but bright sunlight at least 10 hours a day, as well as that you are not overwatering or underwatering the pothos.
You can also give the plant a boost by applying fertilizer once every few weeks during its active growing period.
If you’re providing the pothos with the right growing requirements and it is still slow growing, it could be the plant’s natural growth rate. Like other variegated varieties, the Global Green has a slower growth rate than the non-variegated pothos variety.
As long as the plant is still growing and healthy, try not to worry too much about a slower growth rate.