This species comes from the mountainous cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama, where it climbs trees under the canopy in conditions of high humidity and filtered light. The name epipremnoides nods to its resemblance to Epipremnum, but the leaves are distinctively its own: large, oblong, up to two feet long, and increasingly cut with fenestrations as the plant matures — first holes, then perforations that break through to the leaf margin entirely, producing a pinnatifid silhouette. As a houseplant it typically settles at 6 to 8 feet, though it can reach 13 in favorable outdoor conditions in zones 9 to 11.

It is classified as a rare species commercially and is sought by serious collectors partly for that leaf progression. Juvenile growth is entire and undramatic; the reward comes over time as the plant climbs and matures. Bright indirect light, rainwater or filtered water, and temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit suit it best. Dust on the large leathery leaves impedes photosynthesis, so occasional wiping is worthwhile. All parts are toxic except fully ripe fruit, which indoor plants almost never produce.