How magnificent the universe is in its diversity! That is absolutely true if we are talking about variegated pothos. Today I want to tell you about two wonderful varieties which are becoming more and more popular every year.
The main difference between the Snow Queen and Marble Queen pothos is the leaves. Snow Queen has more white color on the leaves whereas Marble Queen pothos has about the same amount of green and white. Also, the Marble Queen is more likely to be called cream than white. Snow Queen on the other hand has pure white variegation and the green part is lighter.
The next thing that distinguishes them is that Snow Queen grows a bit slower than Marble Queen. As a result of the faster growth, Marble Queen pothos needs pruning whereas Snow Queen remains compact for a long time.
Snow Queen Pothos vs Marble Queen Pothos Leaves
| Snow Queen Pothos | Marble Queen Pothos | |
| Temperature | 18-23°C (65– 75°F) | 18-23°C (65– 75°F) |
| Mature height | 6′ (1.8 m) | 6′ (1.8 m) |
| Mature width | 2′ (0.6 m) | 2′ (0.6 m) |
| Shape | vine | vine |
| Growth rate | slow | medium |
| Leaves | variegated, white 80%, green 20% | variegated, white 50%, green 50% |
| Sunlight exposure | indirect, very bright | indirect, bright |
| Soil | loose, well-drained | loose, well-drained |
| Soil pH | 6.0-6.5 | 6.0-6.5 |
| Watering | once every 10 days | once every 7 days |
| Diseases | fungus | fungus |
| Pests | insects | insects |
Read also: Best Hydroponic System For Beginners
They have different foliage
Both of these plants have leaves of approximately the same size. If grown indoors in pots, they will be smaller than if they were growing in the ground in the wild.
The leaf shape is also not much different. They both have heart-shaped leaves with sharp tips. Snow Queen has slightly more pointed tips than Marble Queen.
But the real difference in the foliage is its variegation. When the leaves first begin to unfurl, they are green in both varieties. As they mature, they gain variegation in varying degrees.
Snow Queen has much more chlorophyll-free tissue than its competitor. This means that 70-80% of the leaf is white and the rest is green. Usually, the green color is scattered in small spots on the leaf. Also, it has a light green color and the white is clearer. Sometimes the leaf is slightly transparent.
Marble Queen has a ratio of green to the white of about 50% to 50%. The variegation appears as large green islands on a creamy white background. The green color of the leaves is darker and richer. In addition, the white color has an admixture of gray and other colors, making it creamy rather than white. The leaves are also completely non-transparent.
The leaves of both plants are slightly waxy making them appear glossy. The leaf surface is not smooth but has some irregularities, which undoubtedly makes them interesting.
Marble Queen is more vigorous
Because Marble Queen pothos leaves have more chlorophyll, it grows faster and more vigorously than the competitor. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. If you want a vigorous plant the Marble Queen is a good choice.
This variety can reach a length of six feet if given the right conditions. In the wild, it can exceed 6.5 feet in length.
The Snow Queen is about the same size. But the difference is that it will take much longer to grow to that size. And if you like compact plants, this might be your choice.
Both have a climbing growth habit. That means they cling to wood and climb up. If you want, you can plant them in hanging pots and get a hanging shape. But they look most beautiful when hung around low support, in which case they will look the most natural.
Because of its vigor, the Marble Queen will need more potting soil. If you want a big plant, you will need a bigger container and more space in your house. The Snow Queen, on the other hand, can be grown in a more modest space.
If you like the Marble Queen better but want it to be compact, keep it in a small pot and trim it down from time to time. By pruning, you can get a nice round bush that doesn’t look like a vine at all.
Snow Queen more susceptible to fungal diseases
Due to the less green pigment on the leaf, the plant not only grows more slowly but is also more vulnerable to disease. This is especially true for fungal diseases.
Snow Queen is more susceptible to fungal spore damage. This is usually visible as brown spots on the leaves. There are several fungal disease pathogens that I won’t describe here, but instead, I will give you some recommendations to avoid trouble.
First of all, you should place the Snow Queen in a spot where there is good air circulation. This means within 1 foot of the plant there should not be any objects or plants around it that would block the air movement. The room in which the Snow Queen grows should be well-ventilated.
You should not over-water the plant. Also, provide it with enough sunlight. We will talk more about this later in this article.
You also need to be prepared at all times to treat the disease if it has already attacked your plant. This also applies to Marble Queen. This variety has a stronger immunity, but it can still be affected, though less often than a competitor.
To cure pothos, you have to spray it with fungicide at the slightest sign of the disease (spots on the leaves). There are many good products on the market that can be used indoors. Choose the best one and use it as written in the manual. Very often one treatment is not enough, so repeat the treatment after a while.
Snow Queen Pothos and Marble Queen Pothos
Marble Queen needs more soil and a larger container
Since the Marble Queen is a more vigorous plant, it needs more soil to develop its roots. At the same time, the Snow Queen can grow long enough in a small amount of soil.
For normal growth, the Marble Queen needs a container at least 8 inches wide and deep. The Snow Queen will do well in a 6 by the 6-inch container. A larger pot can be used if you want a larger plant, but always the Snow Queen will need a pot 30% smaller than the Marble Queen pot.
It is important for both plants that the containers have drainage holes to drain excess water, as otherwise, they can get root rot. To improve drainage, place some stones in the bottom of the pot.
As for soil quality, both plants have similar requirements. The soil should be medium-light and well-drained. For their cultivation suitable soil mixture for cacti. Or you can buy a special substrate for aroids. You can easily find it on the market and it is not expensive.
You can also go the other way and make your own substrate. Take 30% good potting soil and add 30% disease and pest-free compost. Then put in 30% peat and mix it well. You can also add a small amount of perlite in there. The result is a nice, nutritious substrate for growing pothos.
Besides a little more soil and a bigger pot, Marble Queen needs slightly more nutritious soil. This is to meet the needs for a faster growth rate.
The light requirements are different
Depending on the desired result, the lighting requirements will be different. Let’s start with the Marble Queen. As I mentioned earlier, this variety is more vigorous, so it needs a lot of light to develop well. Best to place it near an east or west-facing window, but in such a way that it is not directly exposed to the sun’s rays.
But if you place them so there will be little sun, the plant will be less variegated. That is, the leaves will be more green than white.
At the same time, the Snow Queen is slower but still needs the same or even more light. This is because the amount of light is what makes the variegation more pronounced.
If you give the Snow Queen less light, in a northern room, for example, it will be greener and it will even grow a bit faster. But then the leaves and stems may become elongated and soft and as a consequence even more susceptible to disease.
So Marble Queen is best placed to the side of an east or west-facing window. Whereas the Snow Queen pot is better placed at the side of the south window. As a result, you will get fast growth from the former and beautiful variegation from the latter.
What you definitely shouldn’t do is place them in direct sunlight. Otherwise, at least they will be pale in color and at most, they will get burnt.
Marble Queen needs more water
As for watering, there are also some differences.
During the growing season (from spring to fall) Marble Queen needs to be watered on average every 7 days. When the weather is hot it is necessary to water more often, in cloudy and wet weather, respectively, less often.
The best indicator of watering is soil moisture. Just check with your fingers how dry the soil is in the pot. If the soil is more than 2 inches dry, it’s time to water the plant. Water with enough water to make sure the substrate is completely moist.
The Snow Queen also needs watering when the soil in the pot is more than 2 inches dry. The difference is that it will dry out more slowly than the Marble Queen because the former grows more slowly and uses less water. On average, the Snow Queen should be watered once every 10 days during the summer months. But again, the best indicator of the need for watering is the dryness of the soil.
During the winter months, both plants should be watered as little as possible. About once every 10-14 days should be enough. Even if you don’t water at the right time, there will be no harm. The main thing is to constantly monitor the condition of the plant.
You need to avoid overwatering both varieties. Because otherwise, the plants can get root rot. This is especially dangerous for the Snow Queen because as you already know it is more vulnerable to disease.
Marble Queen needs more fertilizer
Feeding is something both plants almost don’t need. They are able to get enough nutrients from the soil so they don’t need to be fertilized.
But if you want to improve the appearance of the plants a bit, you can give them a little more nutrients.
The Marble Queen needs a bit more fertilizer, again because it is growing more vigorously. To get a good result, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer in early spring. It is better to use something with a little more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. As a result, the plant will get the energy for better foliage development for which this pothos is so prized.
The next thing to do is to water Marble Queen no more than twice a season with a water-soluble fertilizer. You can find a fertilizer designed specifically for aroids or you can use a multipurpose one.
As for Snow Queen, there’s not much point in fertilizing it as the lack of chlorophyll does not make it grow any faster. Yes, you may notice some results after fertilization, but not much of a difference. So once a year at the beginning of the season a small amount of slow-release fertilizer with equal amounts of all major elements (NPK 10-10-10) will suffice. This will give a little extra energy throughout the season, but again, don’t expect much.
Snow Queen needs no pruning
The next thing I have to talk about is pruning. Marble Queen has a relatively fast growth rate so you need to shorten it occasionally.
Depending on what you want to achieve you will need to do things differently. If you want a climbing form of this plant, first of all, you should put a pole in the middle of the pot. Then you will need to trim back the side branches that protrude beyond the desired shape. Sooner or later you will also have to shorten its length because it will grow taller than the pole anyway.
If you aim to have a shrub, you will need to trim Marble Queen quite often. A few prunings a year should be enough for the plant to branch out after a while to produce a beautiful bush. In this case, you will only have to cut to length.
In the case of the Snow Queen, you do not have to cut it at all. Its growth rate will not allow it to grow quickly beyond the limits of acceptable length or width. The only exception is the removal of old or diseased leaves. Such prophylactic pruning is necessary to keep the plant healthy.
When pruning each of these varieties, you should use only sharp and sterile tools to avoid disease and unnecessary injury to the plant.
Similarities
Pothos is a tropical plant so it prefers heat. The same is true for our two varieties. Unfortunately in the USA, you can’t grow them outdoors, only indoors. To get them as comfortable as possible you have to ensure the temperature is 65°F to 75°F. They will grow more slowly in cooler conditions.
As for humidity, it’s even easier. Both plants can tolerate the normal humidity of a living house just fine.
The next thing they have in common is taxonomy. Both Snow Queen and Marble Queen belong to the same species Epipremnum aureum. This species is widely distributed all over the world in warm climates.
This species is often confused with others, hence you can find its other names. There are also many other wonderful varieties of pothos which we will definitely talk about.
And the last thing to say here is the petioles. Petioles are the parts of the plant with which the leaves are attached to the vine. The length and shape of the petioles of both varieties are approximately the same. The difference here is that the Snow Queen can sometimes have white petioles because it has more chlorophyll-free tissue. At the same time, the petioles of Marble Queen pothos are always green.