Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is famous for being nearly impossible to kill, so when its glossy leaves start turning brown it's a genuine surprise. Brown tips, brown edges, or brown spots are the plant's way of telling you something in its care has drifted off course.
Here are the seven most common reasons a pothos turns brown — and exactly how to fix each one.
1. Overwatering and root rot
The number-one cause. Pothos likes to dry out between waterings, and soil that stays constantly soggy suffocates the roots and leads to root rot. Overwatered pothos leaves often turn brown and soft, frequently yellowing first, and the browning tends to spread from the base of the plant.
The fix: Let the top 1–2 inches of soil dry before watering, use a pot with drainage holes, and never let it sit in a full saucer. If several leaves are browning and the soil smells sour, check the roots and trim away any that are brown and mushy.
2. Underwatering
Leave a pothos dry for too long and the leaves turn crispy and brown at the edges, wilt, and eventually drop. The soil will pull away from the sides of the pot.
The fix: Water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, and if the soil has gone completely hydrophobic (water runs straight through), soak the pot from the bottom for 20 minutes to fully rehydrate it.
3. Low humidity
Dry indoor air — especially in winter with the heating on — shows up as brown, crispy leaf tips while the rest of the leaf stays green.
The fix: Pothos tolerates average humidity, but if your air is very dry, group it with other plants, use a pebble tray, or run a humidifier nearby.
4. Too much direct sunlight
Pothos wants bright, indirect light. In harsh, direct sun the leaves develop brown, scorched patches and the variegation can bleach out.
The fix: Move it back from the window or filter the light with a sheer curtain. An east- or north-facing spot, or a few feet inside a bright window, is ideal.
5. Fertilizer burn and salt buildup
Too much fertilizer — or a slow buildup of mineral salts in the soil — burns the roots and turns leaf tips and edges brown.
The fix: Feed only during the growing season with a diluted houseplant fertilizer, and flush the pot every couple of months by running water through the soil for a minute to rinse out accumulated salts.
6. Temperature stress and cold drafts
Pothos is a tropical plant and dislikes the cold. Exposure to drafts, cold windows, or temperatures below about 50 °F (10 °C) can cause brown or blackened patches on the leaves.
The fix: Keep it in a stable spot between 65–85 °F (18–29 °C), away from drafty windows, exterior doors, and heating or cooling vents.
7. Fungal or bacterial disease
Brown spots ringed with a yellow halo, or dark mushy patches, can point to a fungal or bacterial leaf-spot disease — usually encouraged by wet leaves and poor airflow.
The fix: Remove affected leaves, avoid getting the foliage wet when you water, improve air circulation, and don't crowd the plant against others.
Quick diagnosis
- Brown + soft, spreading from the base → overwatering / root rot
- Brown crispy edges, wilting, dry soil → underwatering
- Brown tips only, leaves otherwise green → low humidity or salt buildup
- Brown scorched patches, faded variegation → too much direct sun
- Brown spots with yellow halos → disease
Match the pattern to the cause, correct it, and your pothos will push out healthy new growth in no time. For the complete routine, see our pothos care guide, and if the leaves are also going limp, our guide to drooping pothos leaves.
Every guide here comes from things I've actually tried on my own plants. Got a plant doing something weird? Send me a photo — I answer every one.
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