Both work well, so whether a pothos climb or hang comes down to the look you want. Climbing on a support grows bigger, more vivid leaves, while hanging keeps the plant compact and trailing. Neither choice hurts the plant, and you can switch between them later if you change your mind.
I watched the top leaves of my Neon Pothos grow wider than my palm this spring. The trailing tips near the base stayed small and pale. I bought it as a tiny trailing pot three years ago, and back then every leaf was the same size. Then I sank a moss pole into the soil and tied the longest vine to it. The new growth up top kept getting larger and brighter each month.
That same window faces north and never gets direct sun, so light was not the thing that changed. The only difference was the support. The vine found something to grip, started climbing, and the leaves followed. I keep the lower trailing growth too, which gives me both looks on one plant and shows the gap between the two forms side by side.
The reason behind this comes down to how pothos grows in the wild. The plant climbs trees using brown aerial roots that grip rough bark, and these roots are the same nubs you see along the stem at each node. NC State Extension notes that pothos uses these aerial roots to attach and climb upward toward more light.
When the vine has a support to grip and enough light, it shifts into its mature form. Mature leaves grow large and can develop a split, perforated shape on some types that gives the plant its lush, jungle look. A trailing vine with no support stays in its juvenile form, which keeps the leaves small and entire with smooth, unbroken edges. UF/IFAS points to this same split between juvenile and mature leaf shapes.
This is why your two pothos plants of the same age can look so different. Give one a pole and you get a tall, leafy column. Let the other trail from a basket and you keep a soft tangle of small leaves. Your plant has the same roots and the same genes, but the growing form decides the size and shape of what you see.
A moss pole or a flat trellis is the easiest way to push your plant into climbing mode. The damp moss holds water against the stem, which gives the aerial roots a surface they want to dig into. A dry stake works too, but you may need to tie the vine on at first since smooth wood gives the roots less to grab. I used a plain wood stake on my first try, and the roots never gripped it until I wrapped it in damp sphagnum.
Tie young vines loosely to a damp moss pole with soft plant ties or twine, spacing each node against the moss so the aerial roots can grip and root in. Mist the pole when it dries out.
Hanging stays the most common way you see pothos sold, and hanging baskets fill garden centers for good reason. Your trailing vines cascade over the edge and make a full, soft curtain of green within a few months. This look stays tidy and works great on your high shelf or a mounted bracket where the vines have room to fall.
So pick climbing if you want a tall, full feature plant with large mature leaves that draws the eye. Pick hanging if you want that flowing, cascading shape and a more compact footprint. Start a climber by setting a pole into the pot and tying the longest vines to it, then let the plant take over from there.
Read the full article: Neon Pothos Care: Bright Color Guide
