Plant care guide
Pothos Yellow Leaves: Old Age, Overwatering or Root Rot?
Updated · First published
Why are my Pothos leaves turning yellow?
One old leaf yellowing near the base of a vine is normal shedding. Several yellow leaves at once usually mean the mix is staying too wet or drying out too far, with root rot, direct sun, low fertility and pests as the other causes to check.
What to do first
Note which leaves are yellow, then check the mix at depth. Wet mix with soft or smelly roots needs drying and a root trim; dry, light pots need a thorough soak. Then check light, feeding and the leaf undersides.
Yellow leaves on a pothos are worrying, but they are a symptom, not a diagnosis. The pattern tells you more than the color. Look at which leaves turned, how many, and what the mix feels like below the surface.
Start With Which Leaves Are Yellow
One older leaf at a time. NC State Extension notes that pothos leaves yellow and fall off over time, so most leaves end up near the vine tips (NC State). Wisconsin Extension describes the same natural shedding. If the rest of the vine is firm and growing, this is aging.
Several older leaves together. UF/IFAS lists older leaves turning yellow when the mix is kept either too dry or too wet (UF/IFAS EP151). Check moisture before you change anything.
New and old leaves at once. Virginia Tech lists yellowing on both new and old foliage, with soft leaves and stems, as a sign of overwatering.
Pale or bleached patches on the sunny side. Penn State Extension notes that direct sun yellows pothos leaves (Penn State).
Check the Mix and Roots
Push a wooden dowel to the bottom of the pot. University of Maryland Extension notes that moist soil sticks to the dowel or darkens it. Lift the pot too: a pot that has dried out feels lighter.
| What you find | Likely cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Wet mix, heavy pot, sour smell | Overwatering, possible root rot | Unpot and check roots |
| Dry, light pot, mix pulled from the wall | Underwatering | Soak thoroughly |
| Mix dries normally, older leaves pale | Low fertility | Review feeding |
| Webbing, cotton or bumps on leaves | Pests | Identify, then treat |
UMD names overwatering as the leading reason indoor plants fail. Excess water reduces oxygen in the soil and damages fine roots. Its first signs are wilting or yellowing of lower and inner leaves.
If the mix is wet and leaves keep yellowing, slide the plant out. Rotted roots are brown to black, soft, and shed their outer layer when pulled. Our pothos root rot guide covers the trim and repot.
Virginia Tech notes that underwatered plants also show dry, brittle leaves with brown tips, and mix that has shrunk from the container.
What to Do
- Wet mix, firm roots. Stop watering. Empty the saucer and any decorative outer pot. Let the mix dry before the next watering. Our overwatered pothos guide walks through this.
- Wet mix, soft roots. Trim the rotted roots and repot in fresh mix and a clean pot with drainage.
- Dry mix. Water until it runs from the drainage hole. Virginia Tech recommends bottom watering to rehydrate very dry mix, but not for more than 60 minutes.
- Too much sun. Move the plant out of direct sun into bright, indirect light. Penn State and NC State both favor bright, indirect light.
- Low fertility. Clemson Extension links yellow leaves to overwatering or low fertility. NC State advises feeding every other month, except in winter. Feed only a plant whose roots are healthy.
- Pests. Wisconsin Extension names mealybugs, scale and spider mites on pothos. See our guides to spider mites and mealybugs.
Remove fully yellow leaves at the stem once you know the cause. They will not turn green again.
Prevention
Virginia Tech’s rule is to water thoroughly, then wait until the root zone dries before watering again. Overwatering is about how often you water, not how much you pour. Penn State adds that pothos is better kept too dry than too wet.
Water less often in autumn and winter, when growth slows. A plant in low light also uses water more slowly. Judge each watering by the mix, not a fixed schedule.
If yellowing spreads while the roots look healthy and the mix dries normally, check for drafts near vents and look again at the leaf undersides. For general care, see our pothos care guide.
References
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Epipremnum aureum
- UF/IFAS Extension EP151: Cultural Guidelines for Commercial Production of Interiorscape Epipremnum
- Virginia Cooperative Extension SPES-804: Properly Watering Container Houseplants
- University of Maryland Extension: Overwatered Indoor Plants
- Penn State Extension: Pothos as a Houseplant
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension: Pothos, Epipremnum aureum
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC 1568: How to Grow Pothos Indoors
How this guide was put together: NC State Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland Extension, Penn State Extension, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension and Clemson Cooperative Extension guidance.