Why are my pothos leaves turning brown?
Brown on a pothos is a message, and nearly always a simple one. Where the brown sits and what it feels like tell you whether it’s thirst, dry air, too much sun or, the opposite, too much water.
On a pothos, brown, dry tips and edges nearly always come from thirst, dry air or salts that have built up in the soil. Soft brown or black patches point to too much water or cold. Before you pick up the watering can, check with a finger in the soil: that is what separates one case from the other.
Why do pothos leaves turn brown?
The pothos (Epipremnum aureum), or devil’s ivy, spells out the problem on its leaf. Where the brown is, how it looks and how it feels to the touch say more than any calendar:
- Brown tips or edges, dry and brittle. Thirst, dry air or salts in the soil.
- Soft brown or black patches, soil wet. Too much water.
- Dry, bleached patches on the glass side. Sunburn.
- Black, soft leaves after a cold night. Cold or a draught.
- Tiny brown, yellow or silvery specks on the underside. Possibly spider mites.
Does dry air scorch the tips of a pothos?
It’s one of the commonest causes, and dry, brittle tips are the classic sign of air that is too dry. A pothos comes from humid tropical forests and likes moderate to high humidity; in a heated home the air is much drier than it would like. The leaf loses water through its edges faster than the roots can send more.
What to do.
- Move it away from radiators, heaters and blasts of warm air.
- Stand it beside other plants, which together humidify the air.
- Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth from time to time.
- Check you aren’t letting the soil dry out too far between waterings.
A tip that has dried won’t go green again. If it bothers you, trim the brown part with clean scissors, following the outline of the leaf.
Is the brown a sign of thirst?
If the soil is hard and shrinking from the pot, and the leaves drooped and curled before darkening, the plant asked for water. Soak it until it runs from the hole, and tip out the saucer. Each corner of the house dries the soil at its own pace:
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| South- or west-facing window | 4 days | 7 days |
| East-facing window | 4 days | 7 days |
| North-facing window | 7 days | 12 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 10 days | 17 days |
For the full rhythm and the finger test, read how often to water a pothos.
What if the brown is soft and dark?
Here the patch is soft and dark, often with a yellow halo. The compost has sat wet for days, and you may notice a musty smell or gnats. Without air, roots rot. Pause the watering until the top few centimetres dry, empty the saucer and check the pot has a drainage hole. For more on this trail, read why pothos leaves turn yellow.
Do tap water and fertiliser leave brown tips?
They can, through built-up salts. Tap water and fertiliser leave minerals in the soil, and in excess these burn the root tips and, from there, the leaf tips, with slower growth and lower leaves dropping. Often you’ll see a white or greyish crust on the surface or around the rim of the pot, and over-feeding or over-watering makes it worse. The chlorine and fluoride in tap water can mark the tips too; letting it stand for a day before watering usually helps.
What to do. Flush the soil: pour slowly and plentifully until water pours out below, then leave it to drain. Do it twice. Feed only between spring and summer, and keep the dose weak. If you can, use rainwater or filtered water, especially in hard-water areas.
Can the sun burn a pothos?
Midday sun, even behind glass, burns. The patches are dry and pale on the side that faces the window. Pull the plant back or soften the light with a sheer curtain.
What about cold?
Leaves that darken and go soft after a night pressed against a freezing pane, or beside a door that never stops opening, have had a shock. Move the plant somewhere steadier.
Is it worth cutting off brown leaves?
A wholly brown leaf won’t recover: snip it off at the stem. If only the tip has dried, you can trim the dry part or leave it; the leaf keeps working with the green it has left.
Summary: which brown is this?
| What you see | Most likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, crispy tip | Dry air or thirst | Move away from heat, water well |
| Soft, dark patch | Too much water | Stop watering, check the pot |
| White crust on the soil | Built-up salts | Flush the soil |
| Dry patch on the window side | Direct sun | Move back or filter the light |
| Black and soft after the cold | Cold | Move away from windows and draughts |
Quick questions
Should I mist my pothos so the tips don’t dry? It gives brief relief, no more. Grouping it with other plants, moving it away from heat and keeping the soil in the right range works better.
Do brown tips spread to other leaves? Generally not: the brown comes from conditions in the spot and doesn’t pass from leaf to leaf. The exception is spider mites, which are worth wiping off quickly.
One brown, several causes
When the signs overlap, your own history breaks the tie. The Verdejar app weighs the light, the pot and the waterings you’ve logged before telling you what’s going on. For the whole picture, see how to care for a pothos.
Sources: Royal Horticultural Society · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · Missouri Botanical Garden · UF/IFAS Extension · Clemson Home & Garden Information Center · Penn State Extension · University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension · South Dakota State University Extension · NC State Extension · University of Maryland Extension. The days between waterings come from the Verdejar watering engine.