Why pothos leaves turn yellow

The short answer: Most of the time, yellow pothos leaves mean too much water. Check the soil 2 inches (5 cm) down. If it’s wet, stop watering and let it dry out.

Your pothos was fine last week. Now there’s a yellow leaf. Then another. Don’t panic — and don’t grab the watering can yet. Yellow leaves are the plant’s way of telling you something, and the pattern of the yellowing tells you what.

First: read the yellow

Before you change anything, look closely. Answer these three questions:

What you see	Most likely cause
Soft, droopy yellow leaves + wet soil	Overwatering / root rot
Yellow leaves with crispy brown edges + dry soil	Underwatering
Only the oldest leaves near the base	Normal aging (or hunger)
Pale, washed-out yellow on leaves facing the window	Too much direct sun
Small, yellowish new leaves + long bare vines	Not enough light
Yellow with tiny dots or webbing underneath	Pests (spider mites, thrips)
Yellow after you just moved or repotted it	Shock — it will settle

Now find your cause below.

1. Overwatering (the big one)

Pothos roots need air. When the soil stays soggy, roots suffocate and start to rot, and a rotting root can’t deliver water — so the plant yellows and droops even though it’s wet. That’s why so many people make it worse by watering more.

Signs: soft yellow leaves (often several at once), soil still damp days after watering, a sour or swampy smell, black spots on stems near the soil.

Fix:

1. Stop watering. Let the top 2–3 inches dry out completely.
2. Make sure the pot has a drainage hole and the saucer isn’t holding water.
3. If it doesn’t improve in a week, slide the plant out of the pot. Healthy roots are white or tan and firm. Rotten roots are brown, mushy and smell bad.
4. Cut off rotten roots with clean scissors, then repot in fresh, airy potting mix (add a handful of perlite or orchid bark).
5. Going forward, water only when the top 2 inches are dry. Here’s the finger test →

2. Underwatering

Less common, but it happens — especially in summer, in small pots or near heaters.

Signs: leaves droop and feel limp, then yellow with crispy brown edges; the soil pulls away from the sides of the pot; the pot feels light.

Fix: give it a deep drink. If the soil is so dry that water runs straight through, bottom-water: set the pot in a bowl of water for 20–30 minutes so the soil can soak it up, then let it drain.

3. Too much direct sun

Pothos grows in the shade of jungle trees. Hours of hot afternoon sun through glass can bleach leaves pale yellow or give them scorched brown patches.

Fix: move it a few feet back from a south- or west-facing window (in Australia, north- or west-facing), or put a sheer curtain between the plant and the glass.

4. Not enough light

Pothos survives low light, but it doesn’t thrive there. In a dark corner it grows long, bare vines with small leaves, and older leaves yellow and drop because the plant can’t support them.

Fix: bright, indirect light — near a window but out of harsh direct rays — is the sweet spot. Variegated types like Marble Queen need more light than plain green ones. If your home is dim, see our best plants for low light.

5. Normal aging

Every plant drops old leaves. If it’s one leaf at a time, near the base of a vine, every few weeks, and new growth looks healthy — that’s normal. Snip it off and move on.

6. Hunger (nutrient deficiency)

A pothos that’s been in the same soil for years can run low on nitrogen, which shows up as older leaves turning evenly pale yellow.

Fix: feed with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength once a month in spring and summer. Skip feeding in winter. If it’s been 2+ years, repot into fresh mix, one pot size up.

7. Pests

Spider mites, thrips and mealybugs suck sap and cause yellow speckling. Look under the leaves and where leaves meet stems.

Fix: wipe leaves with a damp cloth, rinse the plant in the shower, then spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil every 5–7 days for 3 weeks. Isolate the plant from your others while you treat it.

Can yellow leaves turn green again?

No. Once a leaf is mostly yellow, the chlorophyll is gone for good. Cut it off at the stem — the plant will put that energy into new leaves. The good news: pothos grows fast, and a healthy plant will replace lost leaves within weeks in spring and summer.

Pothos by variety: some are supposed to be yellow

Before you panic, check which pothos you have. Some varieties are naturally yellow or light:

Variety	Normal color	When yellow is a problem
Golden pothos	Green with gold streaks	Whole leaf turns soft, pale yellow
Neon pothos	Bright chartreuse all over	Leaves turn pale, dull or brown-edged
Marble Queen	Green and white marbling	Leaves yellow and revert to plain green in low light
Jade pothos	Solid dark green	Any yellowing — this one handles low light best
N’Joy / Pearls and Jade	Small leaves, white patches	Brown spots on white sections (often too much sun)

Variegated types (Marble Queen, N’Joy) need more light than plain green ones because the white parts don’t make food.

Root rot rescue, step by step

If the soil smells sour and several leaves turned yellow at once, don’t wait:

1. Slide the plant out of its pot over newspaper.
2. Rinse the roots gently under room-temperature water so you can see them.
3. Cut every brown, mushy root with clean scissors (wipe them with rubbing alcohol between cuts). Healthy roots are white or tan and firm.
4. Count what’s left. More than half the roots healthy? Repot. Less than half? Take cuttings as a backup now. How to root pothos cuttings →
5. Repot into fresh, dry, airy mix — potting mix plus a handful of perlite or orchid bark — in a pot only as big as the remaining roots, with a drainage hole.
6. Water lightly once and don’t water again until the top 2 inches are dry.
7. Expect 2–3 weeks before new growth. A few more yellow leaves in the first week are normal.

Pests that cause yellow speckles

If the yellowing looks like a sprinkle of tiny dots, or comes with silvery streaks, flip the leaves over and compare with this guide:

• Spider mites: stippling + fine webbing. 3-week plan →
• Thrips: silvery streaks and black specks. Same routine: rinse, then insecticidal soap weekly for 3 weeks.
• Mealybugs: white cotton in the leaf joints. Dab each one with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Pest ID chart →

What’s normal after you move or repot

Days after the change	What you might see	Normal?
1–3	Slight droop	Yes
3–14	1–3 older leaves turning yellow	Yes — adjustment
14+	Yellowing continues, new leaves small or pale	No — check light and water
Any time	Black, mushy stems at the soil	No — root rot, see above

Pothos care in numbers

Light	Bright, indirect; tolerates low light
Water	When the top 2 inches (5 cm) are dry
Temperature	65–85°F; damage below about 50°F
Fertilizer	Balanced liquid, half strength, monthly in spring and summer only
Repot	Every 1–2 years, one pot size up
Pets	Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)

Can cold turn pothos leaves yellow?

Yes. Pothos is tropical and starts to suffer below about 50°F. Leaves touching a cold window in winter, plants near an outside door, or a pothos left on a porch on a chilly night can yellow or develop dark, wet-looking patches a few days later. Move it a foot away from the glass and away from drafts; damaged leaves won’t recover, but new growth will be fine. Hot air is a problem too: a pothos right above a heater vent dries out and yellows at the edges.

Turn the damage into new plants

If root rot took out part of your pothos, save the healthy vines. Cut a few pieces with 2–3 leaves and a node each and root them in water — in a month you’ll have a backup plant. Step-by-step pothos propagation →

Also good to know: pothos is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. If you have pets, keep it on a high shelf — or see our list of pet-safe houseplants.