Will curled pothos leaves recover?

Leaves that curled recently from thirst or heat usually flatten within a day or two of watering and moving the plant to better conditions, because the cells re-inflate. Leaves that have curled hard, creased, or browned tend to keep some curl for good. The clearest sign the problem is fixed is healthy new growth: pothos grows fast, so a corrected plant pushes out flat, firm new leaves within a couple of weeks. Do not wait for old curled leaves to straighten out, and trim any that have gone crispy or badly deformed to redirect energy into new vines.

Is my pothos curling from underwatering or overwatering?

Feel the soil to tell them apart, since both curl leaves. Underwatering shows dry, pulled-away soil, curling with limp or crispy edges, and it perks up within hours of a thorough soak. Overwatering shows constantly wet soil, curling with soft yellowing leaves, and mushy brown roots and sometimes a sour smell when you check. Pothos is more often harmed by overwatering than by drought, so if the soil is wet and the plant still looks poor, stop watering and inspect the roots rather than adding more water, which would worsen root rot.

Does low humidity cause pothos leaves to curl?

Pothos is fairly tolerant of average home humidity, so low humidity is a less common cause than watering or light, but very dry air, below about 30 percent in a heated winter home, can still cause curling and crispy edges. If watering and light are correct and the air is clearly dry, raise humidity with a small humidifier or by grouping plants. Do not overcorrect, because pothos does not need the high humidity a monstera or calathea wants, and soggy, stagnant conditions cause more problems for pothos than moderately dry air does.

Why is my pothos curling and turning brown at the edges?

Curling with brown, crispy edges points to moisture or heat stress: underwatering, low humidity, heat from a sunny window or vent, or a buildup of fertilizer salts in the soil. Check the soil moisture first and give a thorough watering if it is dry, then move the plant out of direct sun and away from heat sources. If you fertilize often, flush the soil with plain water to wash out accumulated salts, which scorch leaf edges. Trim badly browned edges with clean scissors, and let the fresh growth show you whether the fix worked.

Can too much light curl pothos leaves?

Yes. Pothos wants bright, indirect light, and direct sun, especially on a hot summer windowsill, causes leaves to curl, fade, or scorch as the plant tries to reduce water loss. Curling with pale or bleached patches on the sun-facing side is the giveaway. Move the plant a few feet back from bright glass or filter the light with a sheer curtain. Too little light causes different problems, such as leggy, sparse growth and loss of variegation, so aim for the bright-but-indirect middle ground that keeps leaves flat and richly colored.

Why Are My Pothos Leaves Curling? Causes and Fixes

Written & researched by Elena Marsh Gardening & Landscaping Editor

Updated March 2026

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Pothos leaves curl when the plant is under water stress, and the usual causes are underwatering (dry soil, limp or crispy curling), heat and direct sun (curl with bleached patches near hot glass), low humidity (crispy edges in very dry air), and root rot from overwatering (curling on soggy soil, with soft yellow leaves). Pests and fertilizer salt buildup can also curl foliage. Because underwatering and overwatering produce almost identical curling, feel the soil first — that single check tells you which way to correct, and pothos is more often harmed by too much water than too little.

We do not test or physically handle the plants and products we cover; our advice draws on horticultural extension research and the aggregated experience in thousands of owner reviews, as explained in how we rank. The prevention routine is in how to care for pothos.

Feel the Soil, Then Read the Curling Pothos Leaves

Push a finger into the top inch or two of soil and look at where the curling and any browning sit.

Soil	Leaves	Likely cause
Dry, pulling from the pot	Curling, limp or crispy edges	Underwatering
Dry, near hot glass or vent	Curl with bleached or scorched patches	Heat / direct sun
Normal, air very dry	Curl with crispy edges	Low humidity
Constantly wet	Curling with soft yellow leaves	Overwatering / root rot
Any	Fine stippling, webbing underneath	Spider mites

Note the pattern too: uniform curling across the plant points to watering or humidity, curling only on the window side points to light and heat, and curling with fine webbing points to pests.

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

Underwatering Curls Pothos Leaves

A thirsty pothos curls and droops, and the soil will be dry well below the surface. Pothos is dramatic but forgiving here — a thorough watering usually revives it within hours. Water until it runs from the drainage hole, drain completely, and going forward water when the top inch or two of soil is dry, typically every 7 to 10 days depending on light and pot size. If the soil has gone hydrophobic and water runs straight through, bottom-water by standing the pot in a tray for 20 to 30 minutes. See how often to water pothos for the full rhythm.

Heat and direct sun

Pothos wants bright, indirect light. Direct sun, especially through hot summer glass, curls leaves and bleaches or scorches the exposed patches as the plant tries to limit water loss. Move it a few feet back from bright windows or filter the light with a sheer curtain. Avoid the opposite extreme too — deep shade causes leggy growth and fades the variegation — so aim for bright indirect light, and keep the plant away from heating vents and radiators that dry and warm the leaves.

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

Low humidity

Pothos tolerates ordinary household humidity better than many tropicals, so dry air is a less common cause here. But in a heated winter home where humidity drops below 30 percent, leaves can curl and crisp at the edges. If watering and light are already right and the air is clearly dry, a small humidifier or grouping plants together will help. Do not overdo it — pothos dislikes soggy, stagnant conditions more than it dislikes slightly dry air, so good airflow matters as much as humidity.

Root rot from overwatering

Curling on constantly wet soil, with leaves also yellowing and going soft, points to root rot. Overwatered roots suffocate and rot, then cannot absorb water, so the plant wilts and curls despite the wet mix — the same trap that fools many owners into watering more. Slide the plant out: healthy roots are firm and white, rotted roots are brown, mushy, and sour-smelling. Trim the rot back to firm tissue, repot into fresh, well-draining mix in a pot with a drainage hole, and water sparingly until it recovers. Our guide to saving an overwatered plant covers the full recovery.

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

Pests and salt buildup

Spider mites cause fine stippling and faint webbing on leaf undersides and can distort and curl leaves; they thrive in dry air. Rinse the foliage and treat with insecticidal soap every 5 to 7 days for three cycles. Separately, frequent fertilizing without flushing lets mineral salts accumulate in the soil, which scorches leaf edges and can contribute to curling. If you feed often, flush the pot with plain water two or three times each season, and only fertilize during active growth in spring and summer at the label rate or weaker.

Preventing curled pothos leaves

Water when the top inch or two is dry, then soak and drain fully.
Bright, indirect light — never harsh direct sun, never deep shade.
Well-draining mix and a drainage hole to avoid soggy roots.
Keep the plant away from vents and radiators, and raise humidity only if the air is clearly dry.
Flush the soil occasionally and feed lightly in the growing season.

For related pothos issues, see why is my pothos wilting and why is my pothos turning yellow. The shared causes across your collection are in yellow leaves on houseplants, and everything else is at the houseplants and indoor greenery hub.

Why Are My Pothos Leaves Curling?