Epipremnum aureum, the Pearls and Jade pothos, is a species in the arum family Araceae, native to Mo'orea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.

[1] The species is a popular houseplant in temperate regions but has also become naturalised in tropical and sub-tropical forests worldwide, including northern South Africa,[2] Australia, Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent, the Pacific Islands and the West Indies, where it has caused severe ecological damage in some cases.

[9] Epipremnum aureum is an evergreen vine growing to 20 m (66 ft) tall, with stems up to 4 cm (2 in) in diameter, climbing using aerial roots which adhere to surfaces.

While E. aureum is classified as an angiosperm, which typically produce flowers at some point in their life cycle, it is the only reported species in its family (Araceae) that does not readily bloom, if at all.

Regardless of where this “shy-flowering” plant is grown, or what the conditions are like, it will apparently not flower due to a genetic impairment of the gibberellin (GA) biosynthetic gene, EaGA3ox1.

[10] In temperate regions, it is a popular houseplant with numerous cultivars selected for leaves with white, yellow, or light green variegation.

It is often used in decorative displays in shopping centers, offices, and other public locations largely because it requires little care and is also attractively leafy.

As an indoor plant it can reach more than 2 metres (2 yd) in height if given the adequate support (a trellis or moss pole to climb), but hardly develops adult-sized leaves.

The best results are achieved by providing indirect light; it tolerates an intense luminosity, but long periods of direct sunlight burn the leaves.

[13] The plant can remove indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, trichloroethene, toluene, xylene, and benzene in controlled circumstances (e.g. a sealed room).

Possible side effects from the consumption of E. aureum are atopic dermatitis (eczema) as well as burning and/or swelling of the region inside of and surrounding the mouth.

[18] Having no natural enemies, it completely overgrows the forest floor as well as the trunks of trees, causing severe ecological disruption.

Additionally, however, the study pointed out that E. aureum cannot propagate on a large scale due to its lack of seed banks as well as its minimal immunity to herbicides.