Why Does A Marble Queen Pothos Get Brown Spots?

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Is your Marble Queen Pothos starting to get brown spots on its leaves? If you are noticing brown spots on your plant the first thing you need to do is determine the exact issue that can be causing them so you can stop any further damage to your Pothos plant. Find out what can be causing brown spots on your Marble Queen Pothos and what you can do to fix the issue.

Why Does A Marble Queen Pothos Get Brown Spots

Find out more about how to care for a Marble Queen Pothos here.

Why A Marble Queen Pothos Could Get Brown Spots On Its Leaves

Overwatering or Underwatering
Environment Changes
Leaf Burn from Sunlight
Low Humidity
Pests

Brown spots on the leaves of a Marble Queen Pothos are usually one of the first signs that something is happening to the plant that it doesn’t like. But exactly what is causing the brown spots to appear can be due to a number of issues that require a bit of investigation. If your Marble Queen is new, the spots could just be from stress from the environmental changes it is going through. Spending too long of a time in direct sunlight can cause burn on the leaves. The plant could be getting too much water or not enough. Humidity levels could be too low in the area you have the plant. Or it could also be bugs causing issues on your Marble Queen.

Below we go over what these issues are and what signs to look for to determine if it is what is causing the brown spots to show up on your Marble Queen Pothos.

Brown Spots from Overwatering Your Marble Queen Pothos

Overwatering is usually the number one reason that Marble Queen Pothos get brown spots on their leaves. This type of Pothos is one of the easier cultivars to care for but can still be susceptible to getting watered too often and too much.

When a Pothos is left with its roots in soggy soil the roots get starved of oxygen leading to root rot.

One of the early signs that the roots are not getting the oxygen they need is brown spots start to develop on the leaves. If you catch this in the early stages then there is a chance your plant will be ok and pull through. In later stages, you will start to also get yellowing leaves on your Marble Queen and a constant droopy appearance.

To determine if overwatering is the cause see if the soil is staying moist and not drying out. If the soil is not drying out over time and keeps staying moist or soggy then overwatering could be the issue.

When it comes to watering your Pothos you need to allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

If your Marble Queen is starting to show brown spots and you believe the roots are affected by the soggy soil then it is best to repot your plant. Take the plant out of its current pot, and remove as much soil as you can from around the root ball. Inspect the roots to see if any look brown and have a mushy texture. Remove any damaged roots with sterilized sharp scissors or shears.

When you are ready to put your plant back in the pot, make sure that your pot has drainage. Use soil that allows for drainage as well. You can add additional perlite to potting soil to help with soil drainage.

Brown Spots on a Marble Queen Due to Underwatering

If the brown spots appearing on your Marble Queen Pothos are from underwatering they are usually accompanied by browsing and dry edges on some of the leaves too.

If you allow the plant to go too long between watering the leaves can start to show damage and wilting. The brown areas will be crispy and dry to the touch.

Paying attention to your Marble Queens indications that it needs water is important to avoid this type of damage to the leaves. If you start to see the leaves drooping then you need to water the plant. Allowing it to continue to go without water will cause foliage to die off. Try to decrease the amount of time between waterings for your plant to avoid more damage.

Environmental Changes

Whenever you move a plant, whether that is from one room to another, or bringing it into your home from the nursery or store it will experience stress.

If you just got your Marble Queen Pothos, then this could be the cause of brown spots.

The only way to fix brown spots on the leaves from the changes in the environment is to allow time to pass so the plant can adapt to its new surroundings and make sure that you give it the proper care that it needs.

If you have just moved your plant to another room and brown spots start to appear do a check around the area. Make sure that the plant hasn’t mistakenly been put into direct sunlight or is in a draft from a door, window, or air vent. If you find out that the new area has any of these issues then find a way to either block the draft, filter the light or move the plant out of harm’s way.

Leaf Burn from Sunlight

Pothos plants are not made to be in direct sunlight for long. The Marble Queen can be particularly susceptible to sunburn due to variegation on its leaves. The lighter the leaf the more sensitive it is to the sun.

To fix brown spots due to sunlight, move your plant to a place where it won’t get long periods of direct sun or filter the light coming through the window. Sheer curtains are often popular for this.

Low Humidity

Pothos plants are from the tropics and like to have humidity levels above 40%. The Marble Queen is a type of Pothos that will adapt easier to lower humidity levels, but still will start to show brown spots and wilting if the humidity drops way too low.

I start to notice issues when our humidity levels get to around 20% in the middle of winter. Large dry brown spots will start to appear on the leaves of my Marble Queen.

The best way to fix low humidity is to use a humidifier in the area where you have your Pothos. If you have other tropical plants they will benefit from having one in the room too.

Brown Spots from Pest Damage

Pests, such as spider mites or thrips are the most common ones that can cause brown spots to appear on a Pothos plant.

Inspect your plant closely, especially on the undersides of the leaves. If you see webs or small bugs you need to treat the plant with an insecticidal soap or neem oil to get rid of them so they don’t cause further damage.