You can try honey instead of rooting hormone on pothos cuttings, but you don't need to. Honey has antibacterial traits that keep the cut end clean. Pothos plants make enough natural growth hormones called auxins to root on their own in plain water. The honey won't hurt your cutting, but it also won't speed up the process.
I tested this with eight cuttings from a mature Golden Pothos vine. Four got a thin coat of raw honey on the cut end before going into water. Four went into water with nothing on them. Both groups grew visible roots within the same three-week window. The honey-dipped stems stayed a bit cleaner at the cut site, but the roots came in at the same rate. It was a fun test that showed me pothos don't need much help.
Using honey for plant cuttings works as a wound protector more than a root booster. The natural sugars and enzymes in honey create a barrier that keeps bacteria away from the fresh cut. For plants that struggle to root on their own, this protection gives them extra time to start growing. Pothos don't have that problem since they root so fast that bacteria can't get a foothold before the roots seal the wound.
Science offers a better natural rooting hormone pothos option if you want to try something. A 2022 bioRxiv study found that Aloe vera gel boosted root growth 16.67% faster than synthetic hormone on pothos. The gel's natural compounds gave roots a real boost. This makes Aloe vera a smarter pick than honey if you want a natural aid backed by data.
Here's an important tip from the Illinois Extension service. Too much rooting hormone can block root growth in plants that root with ease. The extra chemicals confuse the plant's own signals and slow things down. Pothos fall into this category since they make plenty of their own auxins. Less is more with rooting aids for this species.
If you want to use Aloe vera, cut a small piece from a leaf and rub the gel on the cut end of your pothos stem. Let it sit for a minute before placing the cutting in water. You only need a thin coat. The gel breaks down in water after a day or so, but by then it has done its job of giving roots a head start.
My honest advice? Try pothos rooting without hormone first. Plain water works great for this plant. Save your honey for toast and your rooting hormone for plants that need it. Pothos root fast with zero help from us. That's what makes them the easiest houseplant to propagate.
Read the full article: Propagating Pothos in 3 Easy Steps
