Several unique characteristics make it easy to identify a snow queen vs marble queen pothos. These physical features will also affect the specific growing conditions for each variety. So, it helps to know which plant is which so you get the right one for your region.
With twenty years of hands-on experience, I’ve learned the best ways to tell the difference between these two plants. And now, I’m here to help you become a pothos identifying expert with this detailed snow queen vs. marble queen pothos plants comparison.
Table of Contents
- Marble vs. Snow Queen Pothos – Which is Better?
- Are Marble Queen and Snow Queen Very Different?
- Can I Understand Pothos Type At a Glance?
- FAQ
Marble vs. Snow Queen Pothos – Which Is Better?
While they seem practically identical, there are some important features that stand out which make each plant unique. Let’s dive a bit deeper into the particulars of these two plants with a side-by-side comparison of both.
Snow & Marble Queen Pothos Have Different Color Variations
The style that appeals to you more will be a personal choice. Not everyone will agree.
Snow Queen is better if you want a plant with color variations on the leaves with more white than green. But stick with a Marble Queen if you prefer the more expected look of a plant with bright green leaves streaked with white.
Marble Queen Pothos Is Generally Healthier
In terms of health and vulnerability, Marble queen pothos plants are more hardy and resistant to fungal diseases.
Snow Queen plants have a higher risk of contracting fungal diseases. Evidence of an infection starts with light spots on the leaves and can be treated with regular consistent use of a quality fungicide. Prevention includes picking a planting spot with good circulation and ventilation.
The higher chlorophyll content in Marble Queen plants give them a higher immunity, making them less susceptible to fungal infections.
Snow Queen Pothos Need Less Care Than A Marble Queen Pothos
In terms of care and maintenance, Snow queens have slower growth and a smaller maturity size compared to Marble queen plants.
Although the needs for Marble Queens aren’t demanding or difficult, they require more attention and maintenance than Snow Queen plants. Marble queens can need to be repotted more often and they require pruning and fertilizing.
Snow Queen vines are more of the plant and forget type. As long as you give them the right light and some water, Snow Queens will never punish you for taking a several-day vacation and leaving them to fend for themselves.
Are Marble Queen and Snow Queen Very Different?
Use this chart for a quick reference to help you understand the difference between a marble queen plant and a snow queen pothos plant. Then check out the sections below for an explanation of the data compiled in the chart.
| Category | Marble Queen Pothos | Snow Queen Pothos |
| Plant Type | Technically a philodendron – not a pothos | True pothos |
| Leaf Shape | Wider glossy heart-shaped leaves with tips that don’t taper | Skinny glossy heart-shaped leaves with tapered tips |
| Leaf Color | Leaves with 50/50 color variation of green and cream white color | Leaves with 80/20 variation of white with small patches of green color |
| Stalk Color | Green petiole (leafstalk) | White petiole (leafstalk) |
| Flower Types | Non-showy flower production | Produces small white balls |
| Growth Rate | Grows faster, and taller | Slower growth with short height |
| Size | Up to 20 feet | 3 feet |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining moist, loamy acidic soil | Well-draining soil |
| Light | Indirect, six to eight hours of sun | Four hours of indirect sunlight daily |
| Watering Requirements | Daily waterings in summer | As needed when the soil dries out |
| Fertilizing | Fertilize once yearly | No fertilizing needed |
| Pruning | Frequent prunings to control growth | No pruning necessary |
| Ideal Temperature | Cannot tolerate below 55 degrees Fahrenheit | 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Humidity | Humid conditions | 50% to 60% humidity |
| Health | Less vulnerable to fungus diseases but at risk of pests | More vulnerable to fungal diseases and pests |
Snow Queen Is a Pothos & Marble Queen Is a Philodendron
Marble Queen and Snow Queen plants are both called pothos plants. And they’re both members of the Epipremnum Aureum family. You also sometimes hear them called Epipremnum pinnatum, Scindapsus aureus, or Rhaphidophora aurea.
But while the Snow Queen is a Pothos plant, Marble Queen Pothos classifies as a philodendron. Philodendron plants are mostly climbing vines and tropical flowering species in the Araceae family.
Their Leaves Vary by Shape and Color
The biggest difference between these two pothos types is visible. You can easily tell these two plants apart by examining the leaves.
Both pothos plants have heart-shaped leaves in similar dimensions and shapes with a glossy, smooth, somewhat waxy texture. But a Snow Queen pothos has pointed tapered down tips and are slightly longer, splindly, and thin. And a Marble Queen plant’s leaves are less pointy.
Another bigger difference between the two leaves is the variegation – color and pattern. Both species have bright green leaves as they emerge and unfurl (unroll open).
It’s not until the leaves age that you notice the identifying color contrasts. Marble Queen leaves stay a beautiful, light green with dark brown stripes. The white parts of the leaves tend to be a creamier shade. The leaf variegation is 50% green and 50% creamy white.
But Snow Queen’s leaves have brighter white – or yellow – stripes throughout the green. Snow plants have fewer chlorophyll tissues – around 80% – which leaves only about 20% of the leaves green. This greenish hue is only on small parts of the leaf. And the white parts still have a faint green hue that can sometimes make the leaf look translucent. This higher degree of white color does make Snow Queen leaves more at risk of burning from too much direct light exposure.
Snow Queen Petioles Are Whiter than Marble Queen
You can also identify the type of queen pothos by the appearance of the petiole – the part that attaches the leaves to the vine.
Petioles are circular with a small dip on pothos plants. Both types of petioles also share a similar texture and shape. But Snow Queen petioles are whiter in color than Marble Queen pothos. It may be completely white with some plants.
Marble Queen Pothos Don’t Produce Showy Flowers
The flowers formed by Snow Queens resemble small snowballs as they dangle off the vines. Although Marble Queen plants produce flowers, they are not showy like Snow flowers.
Snow and Marble Queens Have a Similar Root System
Snow Queen plants have a larger number of aerial roots, making propagated plants faster to grow.
Benefits of an aerial root system include better stability and support for hanging or climbing. It also makes for easier propagation.
Marble Queen Pothos Grow Faster Than Snow Queens
The growth of the two different queen plant variations is another distinguishable feature. Marble queen plants have a faster growth rate than Snow Queens.
This faster growth can make Marble Queen plants durable outdoor landscape plants. With the correct support, the Marble queen can grow up to twenty feet tall as climbing vines. Keeping your plant confined to a smaller pot can prevent the roots from spreading out, which will restrict how tall the plant grows.
On the other hand, Snow Queen plants grow to a smaller size of around three feet. They also have slower growth rates, making them take longer to reach their full maturity size.
Pothos Plants Care Needs
The Marble queen vs. queen Pothos plants also vary by the care they need. Each plant has specific needs for sunlight, watering, temperature, soil content, fertilizer, and pruning – trimming.
Snow Queens Need Well-Draining Soil and Marble Queens Need Acidic Loamy Soil
Having the right soil is also a necessary part of growing Pothos properly. The wrong soil can lead your plants to become malnourished or damaged. You also need to choose the appropriate pot with large drainage holes in the bottom that allow water to easily escape.
Snow Queen plants aren’t as picky about the soil, as long as it’s well-draining. An all-purpose mix or cactus (succulent) blend is the best choice for this type of hardy plant. You should keep the soil evenly moist but never leave it too wet or dry.
Marble Queens do best in acidic, loamy soil that’s kept consistently moist but also well-draining. A standard potting soil can work fine. Or you can make your own mix using one part perlite, one part potting mix, and one part orchid bark.
Due to their rapid growth, Marble Queen plants need more potting mix than Snow Queen’. They also need a larger pot size to accommodate their growth, even if you want to keep them smaller than what they can potentially become at maturity.
Marble Queens Need More Light Than Snow Queens
Snow Queens do not need as much light exposure. They can get by with as little as four hours. Proper lighting is important, as you will get stunning leaf variegation with the right light exposure.
They look best when planted on the south side of your house, where they get morning sun. Too much harsh sunlight exposure can cause the leaves to turn yellow.
Marble queen plants have higher chlorophyll content, which means they’re more vigorous. But they also require more sunlight. Specifically, these queen plants need bright, indirect lighting.
Indoors, they do best in front of west and east-facing windows. Without ideal light exposure, the leaves end up more green than white. Outside, they can tolerate some direct morning sun but cannot handle exposure to the harsh daytime sun.
Snow Queens Don’t Need As Much Water As marble Queens
You’ll need to give your marble queen plants more water than you do the snow queens. Plan to water your Marble Queens daily during spring. By summer, you may have to increase to multiple waterings each day. You can reduce watering frequency during wet periods.
The soil for Snow Queen plants takes longer to dry out. So, you’ll need to give these plants less frequent waterings than you do marble queens. Wait until the top of the soil is thoroughly dry.
You can determine when your queen pothos plants need water by poking your finger into the dirt or using a soil moisture meter.
But, do not overwater your plants, which can cause your plant to experience root rot, be more vulnerable to diseases, and die. Snow Queens are more at risk of overwatering.
Marble Queens Need Some Fertilizer But Snow Queens Don’t
Giving your pothos plants the right nutrition is also essential to proper plant care. Both pothos plants have altering fertilization needs.
For instance, the more aggressive growth of Marble Queen plants means that they will need a heavier use of fertilizer to add the necessary nutrients. The best fertilizer for queen pothos plants is a slow-release option, added to your plants in the early springtime.
On the other hand, the limited chlorophyll content in Snow queen plants does not have as fast a growth rate. Therefore, there is no need to use fertilizer on these specimens.
But that’s not to say that you can’t. You can apply fertilizer in a low nitrogen dose once yearly. Or another option is to use a slow-release pot mix that can keep your plant healthy for months.
Prune Your Marble Queen – It Grows Fast!
Pruning is often necessary for fast-growing plants. Trimming of your Queen plants should be done in the early spring.
The slower, calmer growth of Snow Queens means they do not require that you prune them to keep them maintained. However, occasional pruning can encourage extra leaf production for new shoots. You also must cut off damaged or unhealthy foliage to keep plants healthy. Dried or decayed leaves and brown, wilting stems should also be removed.
Due to Marble Queen’s faster growth, regular pruning is necessary to keep the foliage healthy. But it will also keep the leaves manageable and untangled.
Both Snow Queen and Marble Queen Pothos Like Mild Temperatures
Don’t let the name fool you. Snow Queen Pothos plants do not tolerate cool temperatures. But they also don’t do well in high heat. The ideal ambiance should be 65 to 75-degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24-degrees Celsius), which is why these plants make fabulous indoor greenery.
Marble queen pothos are more tolerant of temperature changes, which is another reason they are so popular for houseplants.
Despite their tolerance for varying temperatures, they cannot tolerate cold weather. So, do not expose your Marble queen plants to temperatures less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Give Snow Queens and Marble Queens Plenty of Humidity
You will need to create the proper humid climate for Snow queens to thrive. They do best in high humidity, between 50% and 60%. Failure to meet the plant’s humidity needs can result in leaves that turn brown.
You can use a collection tray put under your plants, filled with a handful of rocks. As the water drains from your pot, it stores in the tray. Then the rocks help create condensation that keeps your plants adequately humid. Or you can use a plant humidifier.
Marble plants can also appreciate humid climates. While they can tolerate a lower 40%, you’ll get the best growth with 60% humidity. You can place your plants to grow in a humid room in your house, like a bathroom or kitchen.
Or if you want to let them get even more humidity, you can also use a pebble humidity tray or a humidifier to create the ideal conditions.
Can I Understand Pothos Type At a Glance?
Snow Queen pothos plants are the better choice for gardeners needing a less demanding care routine. This species is suitable for those with less experience in gardening. It’s also the best choice for gardeners in the market for a slower-growing plant that won’t get too tall.
Although Marble Queen plants require more work, they have a faster growth rate. When you give these plants the proper support, they can grow as long climbing vines or thick ground cover.
Both plants can work for indoor or outdoor gardens and share similarities in appearance. Other than their size difference and maintenance needs, there are some more noticeable attributes that set the two species apart.
FAQ About Snow Queens & Marble Queens
Are Snow Queen and Marble Queen the same plant?
Despite being relatives that share a similar name and appearance, Snow Queen pothos are not the same plant as Marble Queen plants.
How to tell the Marble Queen from the Snow Queen?
The easiest way to identify the two types of Queen pothos plants apart is by the color of the leaves. Snow leaves will have a higher concentration of white undertones with a translucent nuance. But Marble Queens have fewer stripes and will be a darker green leaf color.
How to make a Snow Queen more white?
You can make your Snow Queen plant more white than green by increasing the exposure to bright, indirect sunlighting. The lower light your plants have exposure to, the darker and greener the leaves will become.
Why is my Marble Queen not white?
Marble queens do not have as much white in their appearance as Snow Queens. Rather, the leaves have a gorgeous 50/50 variation of light green with a creamy white. If you’re not noticing signs of white in your leaves, it’s most likely a sign that your plant isn’t getting the ideal amount of sunlight.
Can Queen Pothos plants grow in water?
Removing cuttings off of your plants for the purpose of propagation – reproducing to create new plant specimens – can be done via water.
Cuttings off of snow queen plants can be placed in a container of water to encourage the growth of new roots. You can then leave these cuttings in their water bed for as long as you’d like without transferring the plant to dirt.
Pothos will continue to grow and flourish when left alone to grow in water. But don’t expect to enjoy the natural full height that you would get from plants grown in dirt.
Which Queen Do You Prefer For Your Home?
We hope this side-by-side comparison of snow queen pothos vs. marble queen pothos helped you understand the many differences between these two greenery species. Marble queen is better when you want a faster-growing, larger specimen with mostly green variegated leaves. Both plants can make a beautiful and beneficial option for your home or garden.
But snow queen is better if you want a less traditional look, like leaves that are more white than green. It also has a slower, lower height risk. Snow Queen plants also have fewer demands in terms of proper plant care.
Do you have a pothos plant in your home? Be sure to share photos of your plant babies with us, and let us know what identification tips you found the most helpful! Still, have questions? We can help!
Want to Know More About the Best Houseplant for Your Home?
While either the snow queen or marble queen pothos will be great for your home, there are SO MANY other houseplants to choose from. The list is practically endless! To get an idea of all the possibilities, check out our full list of the best indoor houseplants and how to care for them. Don’t forget your tools and supplies!
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