Plant care guide
Monstera Adansonii Yellow Leaves: Water, Roots or Light?
Updated
Why are my Monstera adansonii leaves turning yellow?
Yellow leaves on Monstera adansonii most often follow a root-zone problem: mix kept too wet, or left dry too long. Too little light, cold, and normal shedding of old leaves can also turn leaves yellow. Which leaves changed, and how wet the mix is, separate the causes.
What to do first
Check the mix below the surface before you water. If it is wet and the leaves are soft or wilting, unpot and check the roots. If it is bone dry, soak it thoroughly. Then fix light and temperature.
Yellow leaves on a Monstera adansonii are a symptom, not a diagnosis. The cause is usually in the pot. Clemson Extension’s houseplant disorders fact sheet says yellowing is most often caused by overwatering. It also lists too little light, too little fertilizer, pests, and long dry spells as causes.
Before you water again, look at which leaves are yellow and feel the mix well below the surface.
Start with the pattern
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Yellowing on old and new leaves, mix wet, stems soft | Too much water or root rot |
| Lower leaves yellow and crisp, mix dry, pot light | Mix left dry too long |
| One or two oldest leaves yellow, new growth healthy | Normal shedding of old leaves |
| Pale, small new leaves, long bare stem between leaves | Too little light |
| Leaves yellowing or damaged soon after a cold night or draft | Cold stress |
| Fine speckling, webbing, or cottony spots under leaves | Pests |
When the mix is wet
Monstera adansonii wants mix that is moist but drains. NC State Extension’s Monstera adansonii profile recommends moist, well-drained soil. UF/IFAS Extension’s Swiss cheese plant article says to water when dry and not to leave water sitting in the saucer, because root rots can follow.
Virginia Cooperative Extension’s container watering guide explains why. Mix that stays wet fills its pore spaces with water, so roots run short of oxygen, stop growing and die. Its overwatering symptoms include:
- yellowing on both new and old leaves
- wilting
- soft, mushy leaves and stems
- leaves falling off
- rotten-smelling mix and fungus gnats
The University of Maryland Extension page on root rots of indoor plants describes rotted roots as brown to black and soft, with an outer layer that pulls away from the core.
What to do:
- Stop watering and empty the saucer or cachepot.
- Slide the plant out of its pot and look at the roots.
- Cut off soft, dark roots with clean scissors. Keep firm, pale roots.
- Repot into fresh, well-draining mix in a pot with a drainage hole. UF/IFAS suggests an orchid mix would suit this plant.
- Water once to settle the mix, then wait until it dries before watering again.
If few healthy roots remain, root stem cuttings from firm, green vine. Maryland Extension advises taking cuttings only from healthy tissue.
When the mix is dry
Clemson notes that lower leaves may yellow and die if a plant stays too dry for a long time. Virginia Cooperative Extension lists other underwatering signs: a light pot, mix pulling away from the pot’s edge, and dry, brittle leaf edges.
What to do: Water slowly until the whole root ball is wet and water drains out. If water runs straight through, give two or three slow applications, as Virginia Cooperative Extension suggests for dry mix. Yellow leaves will not turn green again, but new growth should come in healthy.
When the light is too low
NC State recommends bright, indirect sunlight for Monstera adansonii. The University of Missouri’s indoor lighting guide lists the signs of too little light: long stems between leaves, smaller leaves, pale stems and leaves, and lower leaves that turn yellow and drop.
What to do: Move the plant closer to a bright window, but out of direct sun. NC State warns that direct sun can scorch the leaves.
When it got cold
NC State advises keeping Monstera adansonii away from cold drafts and temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F). UF/IFAS gives 13 °C (55 °F) as its lower limit. Check for open windows, door drafts, and leaves touching cold glass in winter.
Old leaves and pests
One old leaf near the base turning yellow while the vine keeps putting out healthy leaves is normal. Remove it once it is fully yellow.
Clemson lists insect pests and mites among the causes of yellowing. Look under the leaves and along the stems before you change watering.
Keep the leaves green
- Water when the mix has dried, not on a fixed day.
- Use a pot with a drainage hole and empty the saucer after watering.
- Give bright, indirect light and a stake, trellis or moss pole to climb, as NC State recommends.
- Raise humidity with a humidifier or a pebble tray, both suggested by NC State.
For more on this plant, see the Monstera adansonii hub and our comparison of Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii.
Related guides
Other monstera adansonii problems we cover: propagation, care guide, thrips, root rot.
References
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Monstera adansonii
- UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County: Holey leaves, when holes in leaves are a good thing
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Houseplant Diseases & Disorders
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Properly Watering Container Houseplants (SPES-804)
- University of Maryland Extension: Root Rots of Indoor Plants
- University of Missouri Extension: Lighting Indoor Houseplants (G6515)
How this guide was put together: NC State Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Clemson Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland Extension, and University of Missouri Extension guidance.