Why Are the Leaves on My Pothos Turning Yellow?

The pothos (‌Epipremnum pinnatum‌), hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 to 12, is a low-maintenance evergreen usually grown indoors. Houseplants with long, trailing stems with shiny green or variegated, heart-shaped leaves can grow up to 40 feet in length but rarely reach 8 feet as a groundcover.

Conditions that create yellow leaves in a pothos can usually be reversed with a change in environment.

Common Causes for Yellow Leaves on Devil's Ivy

As with most houseplants, both overwatering and underwatering can cause yellow leaves on a pothos. Overwatering can also cause soft brown spots on stems and leaves.

Too Much or Too Little Watering

‌It’s better to keep a pothos too dry than too wet if you’re uncertain about when to water, but don’t let the plant dry out completely.‌

If you suspect your plant is waterlogged, move it to a sunny spot temporarily and stop watering for a few days. A soil moisture meter will tell you what’s happening beneath the topsoil. Adjust your watering schedule accordingly.

When the topsoil dries out, it’s time to water. The best way to do this is to take the plant to the sink and use a slow, steady stream of water to saturate the soil. Empty the saucer before you put the plant back in its spot.

Water the pothos once a week depending on variables like the size of the pot and the humidity in the room. Plants will probably need less water in the winter when there are lower light levels.

Sudden Changes in Environment

‌Pothos plants turning yellow may also be caused by sudden changes in the environment.‌ Changes in light levels, temperature and humidity stress the plant. Make changes gradually. A heating vent in the winter or air conditioner in the summer, a drafty window or a door that’s opened frequently can all create changes in temperature that may cause yellowing leaves.

Other Causes of Yellow Leaves

Several conditions cause yellowing pothos leaves. Some of these aren’t generally found outside of greenhouses used to grow multiple pothos plants for sale at garden centers, so the home gardener is unlikely to encounter them.

Phytophthora Root Rot

Phytophthora root rot, the most common disease in pothos, sometimes causes houseplant leaves to turn yellow before they turn dark brown or black. This root rot is caused by a waterborne mold that spreads by zoospores, causing the roots to become mushy and die.

Reducing watering may help, but eventually, the plant will probably need to be discarded.

Ethylene Damage

Ethylene damage, usually seen in the fall and winter, causes yellow leaves on pothos plants. The leaves then turn light brown or tan in color, and the plant may droop even though it has been watered appropriately.

Ethylene, a gas released by decomposing plant matter, accumulates in poorly ventilated rooms.

Southern Blight

Common in warm Southern climates, southern blight typically attacks the stems of plants but may occasionally cause the plant's leaves to yellow. White feathery strands of fungus on the topsoil and stems is the first indicator of southern blight.

Potting soil infected with the fungus is usually the culprit. Pothos plants with this condition should be discarded, and the pots should not be reused.

Manganese Toxicity

The leaves of older pothos plants may develop yellow spots if they’re suffering from manganese toxicity. To counter this, eliminate fungicides or fertilizers with manganese and add lime to the soil to raise the pH to between 6.0 and 6.5.

Maja Dumat, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Ideal Pothos Plant Care

Also known as devil’s ivy, hunter’s rove, marble queen or golden pothos, pothos is an ideal houseplant for a novice plant lover. It tolerates a wide range of growing conditions but does best in indirect sunlight in temperatures between 70 and 90°F and high humidity. Keep pothos plants out of direct sunlight and away from drafts.

‌Soil:‌ Plant a pothos in a potting mix that includes peat moss, vermiculite or perlite for well-aerated soil. Use a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom, so you can water the plant thoroughly without danger of the roots at the bottom of the plant sitting in soil sodden with excess water, as this is a prime cause of root rot.

‌Watering:‌ Water only when the surface of the soil is dry, and fertilize with an all-purpose blend every two months during the growing season.

‌Pruning:‌ Older leaves will naturally turn yellow and drop off. If the plant becomes leggy with long stalks and only a few healthy leaves at the ends, prune the plant to encourage new growth. If necessary, a pothos can be pruned all the way back to within a couple inches of the soil. Repot pothos plants when they become root bound.

Yellow leaves on a pothos should be snipped off where the petiol, the stalk on which the leaf grows, meets the stem of the plant. Pothos plants are poisonous to humans and pets. Insoluble calcium oxalates in the plant cause irritation to the skin and mouth.