Marble Queen and Golden Pothos are two of the most popular pothos vine varieties available on the market. They are wonderful and perhaps the best in their own world.
There are four major differences between Marble Queen Pothos and Golden Pothos. They are 1. Foliage Color and Variegation; 2. Light Requirements: 3. Growth Habit and Plant Size; and 4. Taxonomy or Origins and Names.
The Differences Between Marble Queen and Golden Pothos
The following is to discuss their differences (and similarities) to help you decide which plant is for you.
The Color of The Foliage and Their Variegation
The first thing you will notice and the most obvious difference between the two is the color of their foliage.
The Golden Pothos has medium to dark green leaves splashed with yellow patches.
These yellow patches can be big or small and some leaves have more of them than the other leaves and they are completely normal.
The Marble Queen Pothos, on the other hand, has creamy white or light green leaves complimented with wonderful patterns of yellow and dark green patches.
These patches are small and abundant giving the leaves an appearance like marble. Thus, they are called Marble Queens.
One thing to remember when growing Marble Queens and Golden Pothos is the light they receive.
The variegation of both plants will be more distinct and vivid if provided with enough bright light.
If you deprive them of bright light, the variegation will fade and the colors will become solid green thus losing their edge against one another.
Moreover, the appearance of the Marble Queen is highly dependent on the plant from which it was propagated.
Remember, Marble Queen is an evergreen perennial cultivar, and this gives you a good advantage to control what the plant will look like.
As a result, some plants will have finer markings than other plants, and it all boils down to your preference whether you like fine markings or defined markings.
On the other hand, Golden Pothos does not have this quality because it is not a cultivar. That makes their variegation fixed depending on what the plant produces.
But it is not something that makes this plant less valuable than Marble Queen because both are unique and great in their ways.
Lighting Requirements
The next thing that Marble Queen and Golden Pothos differ in is their lighting requirements. This is due to their variegated leaves making them demand different light settings.
Marble Queen leaves contain little chlorophyll, a substance responsible for giving plants a green color and allowing them to photosynthesize.
As a result, Marble Queen needs a brighter environment than Golden Pothos. The Golden Pothos has greener leaves and can photosynthesize even under partial shade.
The low chlorophyll levels on the Marble Queen are because of the light colors of the leaves. These leaves cannot photosynthesize and therefore need an excessive amount of sunlight to survive.
But it does not mean you will place them under direct sunlight because that is too much for them to bear, especially in the summer season when temperatures increase rapidly.
The ideal lighting environment is bright, indirect sunlight, to protect the leaves from the scorching heat of direct sunlight.
Golden Pothos, on the other hand, does not require that much attention when it comes to lighting.
It can thrive even if you place it in an area with little light exposure because it contains a larger amount of chlorophyll than Marble Queens.
Again, it is not an invitation for you to deprive them of sunlight. They also love being in an area with plenty of bright, indirect sunlight.
If you keep them in an area with little to no sunlight, their variegation will fade and that affects their cosmetic value.
Growth Duration and Plant Size
The chlorophyll in each plant is reflective of its growth duration and plant size. But first, Marble Queen and Golden Pothos belong to the same family which means they are vine plants and can grow long.
This quality makes them a great choice as a hanging plant or to spice things up a bit by growing them around curtain poles.
However, despite having the same build, they are hugely different in terms of growth duration and size.
Since Marble Queen has lower chlorophyll, it grows more slowly than the Golden Pothos. Not only that, but Marble Queen also has smaller vines compared to those of Golden Pothos.
But these are all completely normal and it is not some kind of defect on the part of Marble Queen.
If you want to grow Marble Queens more quickly than usual, you must place them in an area with bright, indirect sunlight.
Meanwhile, Golden Pothos is a fast-grower, and will grow healthily if the right conditions are met.
Taxonomy or Names
The last difference between the two is none other than their names.
Golden Pothos has many names such as Devil’s Ivy, Money Plant, Ceylon Creeper, Hunter’s Robe, and Joseph’s Coat. Some of these names refer to the same quality of the plant—its toughness and durability. This plant is very hard to kill.
The name Golden Pothos is attributed to its green and yellow variegation making it appear as if the plant is splashed with gold. The “Epi” and “aureum” from its scientific term Epipremnum aureum also have interesting meanings.
Epi means stem in Latin while the aureum or “aurum” means gold in both Latin and Greek. All of these make sense because of the appearance of Golden Pothos.
The name Marble Queen, on the other hand, is also derived from the appearance of the plant because it has variegation forming attractive marble effects.
However, Marble Queen and Golden Pothos share the same qualities that make growers curious. At first glance, you can say they look similar but, there are major differences between the two.
The main difference between Marble Queen and Golden Pothos is the color and pattern of the leaves. That fact is already suggested in the name itself because the Marble Queen has marbled leaves while Golden Pothos has splashes of gold in the leaves.
Also, the markings on Marble Queens’ leaves are finer and lighter in color compared to Golden Pothos.
Interestingly, there are more differences between the two pothos than the main ones.
Getting Familiar with Marble Queen and Golden Pothos
Before we jump directly to the differences between both Marble Queen and Golden Pothos, it is best to know the profile of each plant first. That way, we will have a better understanding of their differences.
Golden Pothos
Epipremnum aureum is the botanical name for Golden Pothos which belongs to the family of Araceae. Conversely, the Golden Pothos plant is also called The Devil’s Eye for some reason.
They are native to the Solomon Islands, a country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Golden Pothos is a climbing vine which means they grow long. They produce abundant yellow foliage that is attractive to the eyes of many.
In their native habitat, they can climb trees by aerial rootlets and can spread on the ground acting as ground cover.
This vine can grow 40 inches or more in length if they are allowed to. But as a houseplant, they are maintained only for up to 6 to 8 inches tall.
That is understandable because you don’t want tall vines going around the house, so it’s better keep them short.
During their early stages, Golden Pothos feature bright, waxy, and heart-shaped green leaves and multi-coloured with yellow or white that can grow for up to 4 inches long.
When they matured, the vines develop larger leaves size of 30 inches long with deep lobes.
However, the Golden Pothos also comes with their caveat. A very important warning, this plant is poisonous if ingested, so you need to keep it away from your pets and children.
To be ultra-safe, never touch this plant unless you are wearing gardening gloves.
Marble Queen
Interestingly, Marble Queen is a variety of Epipremnum aureum which is an evergreen perennial cultivar from the common Epipremnum aureum. Like Golden Pothos, the Marble Queen also belongs to the Araceae family.
As a vine plant, Marble Queen can also grow up to 3 meters long and can climb trees when allowed to do so.
It is sometimes mistaken to be Golden Pothos because of its similarities in appearance, but a careful examination reveals that these plants are different.
This perennial evergreen is popular for its glossy green and variegated leaves. When it climbs, it can reach up to 40 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet tall as a groundcover.
However, it’s usually maintained in a small size as a houseplant to match the conditions inside the house.
Marble Queen also shares the same characteristics of leaves when they are premature but differs in color. When they mature, they also develop wider leaves and stronger vines.
Lastly, they are poisonous to humans and animals once ingested—very similar to Golden Pothos.
Final Thoughts
These plants are not fussy and will grow into beautiful vines with which you can make beautiful shapes if you please. Just remember that they hate drafts and love humidity.
You can take them gently to the bathroom if you plan on soaking in the hot tub for long time, but, if you really want to spoil them, put on a humidifier so they can enjoy constantly humidified air. They’ll like that!
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
