Plant care guide
Pothos Losing Variegation: More Light, or Reversion?
Updated
Why is my Pothos losing its variegation?
A variegated pothos that puts out greener, smaller leaves is usually short of light. Whole vines of solid green leaves can also be reversion, where an unstable variegated cultivar throws out vigorous all-green growth.
What to do first
Move the plant gradually into bright, indirect light and judge the next new leaves. Cut fully green vines back to a node on a variegated section, and keep cuttings from the best-marked stems.
A Marble Queen or Golden pothos that turns plain green can be disappointing, especially if you chose it for the pattern. The usual cause is light. Three extension services link low light to loss of variegation in pothos: Clemson HGIC, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension and Penn State Extension. The good news is that new leaves respond to better conditions. Old green leaves will not change back.
Check Which Problem You Have
- New leaves paler in pattern and smaller. The whole plant is drifting toward green. UF/IFAS lists this exact symptom: new leaves lack variegation and are smaller than older leaves (UF/IFAS EP151). Its first listed cause is light that is too low.
- One or two vines of solid green leaves. The rest of the plant keeps its pattern. This looks more like reversion. The RHS explains that variegated plants come from unstable mutations of green plants, and can throw out all-green shoots (RHS: Reversion).
- A cultivar that was never variegated. NC State Extension lists ‘Jade’ as having solid dark green leaves (NC State: Epipremnum aureum). Check the label before you troubleshoot.
How Much Light Variegated Pothos Needs
Clemson HGIC says pothos prefers bright, indirect light and tolerates lower light, but lower light may cause variegated varieties to lose some colour (HGIC 1568). Clemson also notes that ‘Marble Queen’ needs more light than other varieties. ‘Pearls and Jade’ and ‘Snow Queen’ need plenty of light too.
UF/IFAS gives indoor figures. Pothos tolerates light as low as about 540 lux (50 foot-candles), but variegated cultivars lose colour there. Around 1,600 lux (150 foot-candles) or more maintains colour and leaf size. A light meter app gives a rough reading for your shelf.
Move It Without Scorching the Pale Areas
Pale and white sectors are the most easily damaged. UF/IFAS lists burned, dead patches confined to the variegated areas as a sign of too much light or heat, and notes that those leaves cannot recover. Penn State adds that direct sun can yellow pothos leaves (Penn State: Pothos as a Houseplant).
- Choose a bright spot near a window, out of direct midday and afternoon sun.
- Move the plant closer to the light in stages, not all at once.
- Turn the pot weekly. Penn State notes that pothos leaves grow toward the light.
- In a dim room, add a grow light. See our grow lights guide.
- Judge progress by the next leaves to unfold, not by the leaves already there.
If pale patches turn brown and papery after a move, the spot is too bright. See our pothos sunburn guide.
Cut Out Reverted Vines
The RHS explains that reverted shoots carry more chlorophyll, so they grow more vigorously and can take over the plant. Its advice is to prune them out completely, or cut back to growth with variegated leaves.
On a pothos, follow the green vine back to the last well-variegated leaf. Cut just above the node at that leaf. New growth from that node has the best chance of carrying the pattern. When you propagate, take cuttings from stems with strong variegation. A cutting from a fully green vine will most likely stay green.
Check Feeding Too
UF/IFAS also lists magnesium deficiency and fertilizer rates that are too low as causes of green, undersized new leaves in commercial production. At home, NC State suggests fertilizing pothos every other month, except in winter when the plant is resting. Light should still be your first fix. Fertilizer will not bring colour back to a plant kept in a dark corner.
For more on light for houseplants, see our light requirements guide. To compare cultivars, see our pothos varieties guide, or return to the pothos hub.
Related guides
Other pothos problems we cover: mold, overwatering, algae confusion in water propagation, aerial roots, black stems.
References
- UF/IFAS EP151: Cultural Guidelines for Commercial Production of Interiorscape Epipremnum
- Clemson HGIC 1568: How to Grow Pothos Indoors
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension: Pothos, Epipremnum aureum
- Penn State Extension: Pothos as a Houseplant
- RHS: Reversion
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Epipremnum aureum
How this guide was put together: UF/IFAS, Clemson HGIC, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Penn State Extension, RHS and NC State Extension guidance.