Should I cut off pothos leaves with brown spots?

Trim leaves that are mostly brown or badly spotted, since damaged tissue will not recover and, if the cause is fungal, it keeps spreading spores. Cut the whole leaf off at the stem with clean scissors. If only a small edge or tip is brown, you can trim just the brown part following the leaf's natural shape and leave the green portion, which still photosynthesizes. Removing a few affected leaves is fine, but fix the underlying cause or new leaves will spot too.

Are brown spots on pothos from overwatering or underwatering?

Overwatering is the most common cause. Soggy soil suffocates the roots and leads to root rot, which shows up as soft, dark brown spots, often with a yellow halo, sometimes spreading from the leaf base, along with wet soil and mushy stems. Underwatering causes brown, crispy, dry spots and edges with dry soil. Check the soil: constantly wet points to overwatering and root rot, the more serious of the two. Let the top inch or two dry between waterings.

Why does my pothos have brown crispy tips and edges?

Brown, dry, crispy tips and edges usually point to low humidity, inconsistent watering (letting it get too dry between drinks), or a buildup of salts from tap water or over-fertilizing. Pothos are fairly tolerant, but very dry indoor air, especially in winter with heating running, browns the tips. Water consistently, flush the soil occasionally to leach out salts, and if your tap water is heavily treated, try filtered or dechlorinated water.

Can too much sun cause brown spots on pothos?

Yes. Pothos want bright indirect light, and direct sun scorches the leaves, producing dry, bleached-to-brown patches on the leaves and areas most exposed to the window. The tell is that the browning is on the sun-facing side and is dry rather than soft. Move the plant back from the window to bright indirect light. Note that too little light does not cause brown spots but does cause leggy growth and faded variegation.

Brown Spots on Pothos Leaves: Causes and How to Fix Them

Q: How do I know if brown spots are root rot?

Root rot brown spots are soft and dark, often start near the leaf base or spread from the lower leaves, and come with telltale signs below the soil: wet, poorly draining soil, a sour or musty smell, and mushy, brown or black roots instead of firm white ones. If you suspect it, gently unpot the plant and inspect the roots. Healthy roots are firm and light-colored; rotted roots are soft and dark. Trim rotted roots and repot in fresh, well-draining mix.

Written & researched by Elena Marsh Gardening & Landscaping Editor

Updated February 2026

Golden-hour view of a person's hands wiping the leaves of a large indoor plant beside a bright window

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Brown spots on pothos leaves are most often caused by overwatering and root rot, which produce soft, dark spots, often with a yellow halo. The other common causes are sunburn (dry, bleached patches on sun-facing leaves), low humidity or inconsistent watering (crispy brown tips and edges), and, less often, fungal or bacterial leaf spot. Overwatering is the top cause and the most serious, because it damages the roots. Check the soil and the spot texture, soft versus dry, to tell them apart, then match the fix below.

This guidance draws on university extension resources and horticultural consensus rather than first-hand trials, in line with how we rank.

Identify the brown spot type on pothos first

What you see	Likely cause	Key tell
Soft dark brown spots, often with yellow halo, from base	Overwatering / root rot	Wet soil, mushy roots, sour smell
Dry, crispy brown tips and edges	Low humidity / inconsistent watering / salt buildup	Dry, papery, at margins
Dry bleached-brown patches on sun-facing leaves	Sunburn	Only on most exposed side
Small brown spots with yellow rings, may spread	Fungal leaf spot	Spots spread in humid, wet conditions
Water-soaked dark spots after wet leaves	Bacterial leaf spot	Follows overhead watering

The fastest diagnostic is texture plus soil: soft spots with soggy soil mean root rot; dry, crispy spots mean an air, water-consistency, or light issue.

Wide view of a person's hands wiping the leaves of a large indoor plant beside a bright window, in warm late-afternoon light

Overwatering and root rot, the top cause

Pothos are prized for being nearly unkillable, and the main way people manage to harm them is by overwatering. When soil stays wet, roots cannot get oxygen, they rot, and the failing roots can no longer supply the leaves, which develop soft dark brown spots, often ringed with yellow, sometimes spreading from the lower leaves. Below the soil you will find the giveaways: wet, poorly draining mix, a sour or musty smell, and mushy brown or black roots instead of firm white ones.

Fix it by letting the top inch or two of soil dry before watering, always emptying the saucer, and using a pot with drainage holes. If root rot has set in, unpot the plant, trim away all mushy dark roots with clean scissors, and repot in fresh, well-draining mix. For the recovery process, see how to save an overwatered plant, and for watering rhythm, how often to water pothos.

Low humidity, inconsistent watering and salts

Brown, dry, crispy tips and edges are a different story from soft root-rot spots. They usually mean the air is too dry, the plant is being allowed to get too dry between waterings, or salts from tap water and fertilizer have built up in the soil. Pothos tolerate average home humidity but suffer in very dry air, especially in winter when heating runs.

Water consistently so the plant does not swing between soggy and bone dry, flush the soil thoroughly every couple of months to leach out accumulated salts (water until it runs freely from the drainage holes), and if your tap water is heavily chlorinated or softened, switch to filtered or dechlorinated water. A pebble tray or grouping plants together raises local humidity modestly; see humidifier vs pebble tray.

Close-up detail of the material being worked in a houseplants & indoor greenery project, in soft overcast light

Sunburn from direct light

Pothos want bright indirect light. In direct sun, the leaves scorch, producing dry, bleached-to-brown patches concentrated on the side facing the window and the most exposed leaves. The tell is that the damage is dry rather than soft and is clearly tied to light exposure. Move the plant back from the window to bright indirect light. Too little light, by contrast, does not brown the leaves but causes leggy growth and fading of the variegation, so aim for bright but indirect. General placement is covered in how to care for pothos.

Fungal and bacterial brown spots on pothos

Less common indoors, fungal and bacterial leaf spots can appear if leaves stay wet and airflow is poor. Fungal spots are small, brown, often with a yellow ring, and can spread in humid conditions; bacterial spots look water-soaked and follow overhead watering. For both, remove affected leaves, stop misting or wetting the foliage, water only at the soil, and improve airflow. A copper-based houseplant fungicide can help with persistent fungal spread, but sanitation and dry foliage usually resolve it.

Three-quarter view of a person's hands wiping the leaves of a large indoor plant beside a bright window, in soft overcast light

Step-by-step fix

Check the soil and spot texture. Soft spots plus soggy soil mean root rot; dry spots mean air, water-consistency, or light.
If root rot, unpot and inspect. Trim mushy roots, repot in fresh well-draining mix, and water less.
If crispy tips, fix consistency and salts. Water steadily, flush the soil, and use filtered water if tap is heavily treated.
If sunburn, move out of direct sun to bright indirect light.
If fungal, remove affected leaves, keep foliage dry, and improve airflow.
Trim damaged leaves at the stem or along the natural edge; they will not recover.

Preventing brown spots on pothos leaves

Water only when the top inch or two is dry, and never let the pot sit in water.
Use a pot with drainage holes and a well-draining mix.
Give bright indirect light, away from direct sun.
Flush the soil periodically to prevent salt buildup, and feed lightly.
Keep foliage dry and provide decent airflow to prevent leaf-spot diseases.

Nearly all pothos brown spots trace back to watering, so get that right and the plant thrives. For the related symptom see why is my pothos turning yellow and the general guide yellow leaves on houseplants, or return to the Houseplants & Indoor Greenery hub.

Brown Spots on Pothos Leaves