Super White Marble Queen Care Guide

Marble Queen, Super White, Snow White, Snow Queen... you'd be forgiven for getting confused. Not to mention being called a Pothos, Epipremnum, Scindapsus and more. But they're all the same. Well, the same plant that is. 

Most often called Marble Queen Pothos, although Pothos are technically Epipremnum (Epipremnum aureum to be exact). Along their botanical journey they've been called Pothos, Rhaphidophora, Epipremnum pinnatum and more [source here if you're interested in the history]. The most common name used seems to be 'Marble Queen Pothos' if you're looking to add one of these (slightly higher maintenance), beauties to your collection.

And yes, even a Snow Queen or Super White are different common names for the same plant. And it's all thanks to the original green and gold speckled 'Golden Pothos' as the source of them all.

The difference? The level of variegation. And wow can they get super variegated. However the more variegated, the more care they compared to their greener siblings. 

Super White vs Snow Queen

Marble Queen's selected and grown for more white get called Super White - and the really white ones are sometimes called Snow Queen or Snow White - but all still the same plant at heart.

In theory, any whiter Marble Queen could revert, however we own multiples of each, and haven't had it happen yet. With that extra variegation they do need more attention to their needs to maintain so much white. The very white Queens are definitely not for the faint of heart - you need to be on top of your plant care game for these babes. One for a collector with a bit of experience under their sleeves, not the best pick for a newbie.
 

Here's a leaf from one of my whitest Queens below...

Light, humidity & temperature

Being so white - but still a greeny at heart - Super White's do need extra light to maintain that variegation - and stay alive! A common complaint if you've landed a really white Queen, is early leaf death, usually starting with brown patches or leaf margins that slowly take over the whole leaf.

Those super white leaves are more prone to browning, then dying off, one sad leaf at a time. Giving your Queen plenty of bright, indirect light helps immensely. Avoid sunlight directly hitting those leaves though or sunburn is likely as being so variegated that are more prone to scorching.  

These gorgeous girls thrive on high humidity as low humidity is another cause of browning. They prefer a warmer temperature range, about 18 to 30 degrees. Mine handle lower temperatures than that in winter, so provided the rest of their conditions are good they become more tolerant.

Soil

A medium to chunky, airy, free-draining mix is ideal for Marble Queens. You can DIY your own mix or buy a pre-made aroid mix (like these aroid blends).

If your Marble Queen has come from a garden centre or nursery, it'll often arrive in a fine, dense, soil-based or peat-based mix. Great for growing in a greenhouse, but often too high in water retention (and too low in oxygen) for a typical home.

If you find your substrate is taking a long time to dry out (more than a week) or your Marble Queen is showing any signs of root rot, consider repotting into a chunkier, airier, faster-drying aroid mix. But if all is well, delay repotting for 2 to 4 weeks and let your new arrival settle in first. A big change in conditions from the grower to your home is enough stress to deal with.

Water

Marble Queens prefer it on the dry side but also don't like to be left fully dry too long. Lightly moist is ideal. Overwatering is a no-no. Wet feet or soggy bottoms are not okay (plus how very un-Queen like).

A pot with a drainage hole goes a long way to help avoid root rot. You can top water or bottom water, but if you bottom water, avoid leaving them to soak in water for long.

Best to tip out the excess water after 15 to 30 minutes or so of soaking. When I bottom water mine I wait until the top surface is wet before removing it and letting it drain well. 

Being slower growers than their greener family members, Marble Queen are more prone to fertiliser burn from excess mineral salts hanging around un-used in their soil. I use a reduced-salt, variegation-friendly fertiliser for mine (the one I use is GT Foliage Focus which has no sodium, urea or chlorides - all high-salt index ingredients common in most fertilisers) but if you don't have a low-salt fertiliser, a good solution is to either feed half-strength, or feed as per the label but every second water (so your plant gets a good flush through with plain water every other time to flush out excess salts).

Some will recommend avoiding tap water for Marble Queens but because the quality of tap water varies so much, it's not one rule for all. I've found our tap water hasn't caused any issues but by all means try rain water if you're worried about excess salts or chemicals causing burn.

Super White Marble Queen pro tips & problem solving

Brown edges or patches on leaves

Brown patches or edges which slowly take over the entire leaf are a common complaint for the really white Marble Queens. A sign when conditions aren't ideal. The whitest areas are the weakest, so the first to shown you when something's wrong. What the cause is can be hard to pinpoint, so rule out pests, then go through the conditions they love, to help rule out what's wrong. Adding a little Silica to your water is also a clever trick to help reduce browning also in times of stress. Shifting to a new environment, whether that's a whole new home or just a new pot after repotting, can cause transplant stress. Silica also helps with that. More about how silica helps and what type to use for plants > 

Brown tips on leaves

The most common cause of brown leaf tips in Marble Queens is water stress. That can be from drying out a little too long or from dry air. Tap water or fertiliser can also cause brown leaf tips, although watering or humidity is the most common reason in my experience. 

Leaves more lemony, lime or creamy white, not pure white

That's normal for the Super Whites. Their new leaves normally start out a lemony creamy white, and as they age, get lighter and whiter. The level of whiteness does change plant to plant, and leaf to leaf. One of our girls routinely puts out really white leaves right from the start, but our others all start off a pale creamy yellow with a lime tinge. Others keep that lemony or limey tinge even as the leaves age. More light does help them maintain that super white variegation.

Leggy stems or smaller leaves

Sometimes your previously bushy, compact Marble Queen get leggy, with long stems and smaller or fewer leaves. Light is one reason (it wants more), but as they mature, this can also be a sign they're ready to climb. Try increasing the light level first and if new growth is the same, next thing I'd try is a grow pole.

Drooping or wilting leaves

Not quite as scary as it seems. Droopy or wilted leaves are relatively normal for the Pothos fam. Usually it's rather dramatic, one day fine, the next day droops-ville. Typically due to extremely dry soil.

If the wilting is only slight and it's due to going too long between watering, water as normal. If the wilting is more severe or it's been dry a long time, water just lightly. Wait 2 to 3 days and if it's no worse or getting better, water as normal. Watering a badly wilted plant too heavily right away can sometimes end up causing root rot. 

Just to make it extra confusing, over-watering can also cause wilt. If the soil's still saturated even though you watered a while ago, do your best to mop up that excess water and get those roots some air quickly. Also check the roots to make sure they are still firm and healthy, not soft or stinky!   

Leaves turning yellow

A few common reasons for this one, and such a common problem I wrote a separate guide with the solutions. Here's why plant leaves turn yellow and how to fix it before it's too late >

Pet safe?

Sadly no, the Super White Marble Queen is not pet safe. Safe to touch, just toxic to nibble on. To be fair, your pet probably has to really go to town to get a bad reaction, but not all pets react the same way, so it's best to play it safe and pop your Marble Queen up safely out of reach of curious pets. The foliage can irritate the lips, mouth and throat if chewed, and cause digestive upsets if swallowed. There's even the risk of swelling.