Why Your Pothos Has Brown Spots and How to Fix It Fast

Pothos plants are known for being easy to grow. But even this low-maintenance houseplant can suffer from occasional problems. Brown spots on pothos leaves can indicate that your plant isn’t getting the proper care and growing conditions.

If you notice brown spots on a pothos in your collection, it’s time to triage the issue and identify the cause so you can give your plant what it needs to thrive. Here are 5 reasons brown spots could appear on pothos leaves, plus tips for how to address the problem.

Too Much Sunlight

Pothos plants can adapt to a wide range of light conditions, but these understory plants can suffer when exposed to harsh, direct sunlight. Dry, papery brown patches on the leaves of a pothos plant that’s getting lots of direct sun are a likely sign that the plant needs more shade.

Move the plant further from the light source and ensure it’s only receiving indirect light. You can also use a sheer curtain to filter and weaken the light from a very bright, sunny window.

Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!

Too Much Water

Overwatering is one of the most common causes of houseplant problems overall. Giving your pothos too much water damages roots and prevents them from sending water and nutrients to the plant’s leaves.

Symptoms of overwatering include dark spots on the edges or tips of leaves, and may be accompanied by yellowing.

To determine whether too much water is causing brown spots on pothos leaves, consider your watering schedule and check the soil moisture using your finger. If the soil is very soggy, allow it to dry out completely before watering again.

Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage and that a cache pot or saucer isn’t trapping water.

Too Little Water

Underwatering can also cause damage to pothos leaves. The symptoms can look similar to those of overwatering, so check the soil moisture to determine the cause. If your pothos has brown spots on its leaves, has dry soil, and feels very light when you pick it up, it’s in need of a deep watering.

Water the plant thoroughly, ensuring that any excess water drains out of the bottom of the pot completely. Going forward, monitor soil moisture regularly and wait only until the top inch or so of soil has dried out before watering again.

Note that houseplants typically need more water during the spring and summer, when longer days promote more active growth, than they do in the fall or winter months.

Sudden Temperature Changes

An abrupt and extreme change in temperature, typically from temperate to very cold or very hot to temperate, can damage the leaves of tender houseplants. This issue is most likely to happen with plants that are experiencing active growth, and though succulents are often most affected, pothos plants can be, too.

Damage from a sudden change in temperature can appear on a pothos plant as irregular brown patches, typically located near the center of the leaf. Once this type of damage has been done, there isn’t anything you can do to reverse it.

However, you can keep pothos plants away from doors and windows, especially in winter, and do your best to insulate plants while moving them from place to place in cold weather.

Try packing plants in a cardboard box and filling the empty space with light packing material like packing peanuts or shredded paper to hold it in place and help keep it warm.

Plant Diseases

Certain plant diseases can appear as brown spots on a pothos plant’s leaves. Fungal or bacterial infections can cause leaves to darken or develop dark spots as they yellow, wilt, and eventually die off. Plant diseases often originate with the grower or supplier, but they may be encouraged by issues like overwatering (like root rot) or transmitted from one plant in your collection to another.

If you’ve ruled out other potential causes, a plant disease could be the reason for brown spots on your pothos’s leaves. Unfortunately, the best course of action for a pothos with a disease like bacterial leaf spot is to bag, tie, and throw out affected plants and their soil to keep the pathogen from spreading.

Disinfect hands and tools before touching other plants, and scrub and disinfect planters and pots thoroughly before using them again.