We’ve Reached Peak Fiddle Leaf: Is This the New “It” Plant?

updated May 3, 2019
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(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)

A recent New York Times article highlighted the current “it” plant of the home design world: the fiddle-leaf fig plant. Dark green leaves and height create a bold statement in any home. But have we arrived at “peak fiddle-leaf”? I’ve observed another plant taking center stage in interiors recently. A beautiful, dramatic plant addition to any home—but without the price tag (or sometimes-fickleness) of fiddle-leaf plants.

The New York Times article chronicles the rise of the fiddle-leaf fig plant, analyzing reasons for its popularity. It makes a statement. It infuses a space with a youthful feel. Fiddle-leaf fig plants are endlessly flexible, working with nearly any style of room decor. The article even claims that these plants own the ability to “magically transform any room.” I agree with the article. But I also wonder if it’s time for another plant to claim center stage. There’s a plant I’ve seen stand out in interiors lately. I even own two myself.

Could the pothos plant be the new “it” plant for interiors?

The interesting quality (in my opinion) of the pothos plant (Epipremnum aureumis) is their rapid transformations. They start as a small cluster of leaves but then explode into dazzlingly long vines of verdant green. And, in my personal experience, they’ve been easy to care for. (From the Wikipedia page: “It is also called devil’s vine or devil’s ivy because it is almost impossible to kill.”)

(Image credit: Emily Billings)
(Image credit: Jaime Kowal)
(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)
(Image credit: Emma Fiala)
(Image credit: Jessica Isaac)
(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

As the photos in this post show, pothos plants lend a wild, jungalow-style vibe to any room. They’re not as versatile as the fiddle-leaf fig—the pothos might prove a strange plant partner in a more traditionally designed space. But with a little imagination and the bare-minimum of plant care, the pothos plant can be similarly statement-making.

→ The 5 Plants I Haven’t Killed Yet & How I Turned My Black Thumb Green (-ish)

*A note to pet owners: The pothos plant is considered poisonous to furry friends, so please keep curious cats and dogs away from the pothos’ enticing vines.