Pothos care

Why your pothos has brown tips or spots

Brown tips & spots on a Pothos

Good news — brown tips on a pothos are cosmetic more than catastrophic. They usually mean low humidity or salts built up in the soil from tap water. The plant's fine; it's telling you something in its environment is off.

Not sure? Ask Thumbs about your Pothos brown tips & spots

Thumbs talks you through it, one question at a time. Free during early access.

Open Thumbs

Why are the tips of my pothos turning brown?

Brown, crispy tips almost always come from low humidity or salts built up in the soil from tap water. The leaf edges are the first to show stress because they're the farthest from the roots.

Should I cut the brown tips off?

You can trim the brown parts off to tidy it up — follow the natural shape of the leaf so it doesn't look hacked. But fixing the cause matters more than the trim, or new tips will just brown again.

How do I stop my pothos getting brown tips?

Address low humidity or salts built up in the soil from tap water. Consistent watering, the right humidity, and flushing the soil occasionally to wash out built-up salts will keep the tips green.

Not sure? Ask Thumbs about your Pothos brown tips & spots

Thumbs talks you through it, one question at a time. Free during early access.

Open Thumbs

Other pothos problems

AskThumbs provides general educational hobby information, not guarantees. Plant and pet outcomes depend on factors we can't see. Use at your own risk. For a sick pet, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately.

Was this helpful? Ask Thumbs about your specific plant — just ask Thumbs.