BloomprintWhy are my Monstera leaves turning yellow?
Plant problems · Updated August 5, 2026 · 4 min read
Short answer
The most common cause is overwatering: when the soil never dries, roots run out of oxygen and the plant sheds leaves from the bottom up. But there are six separate causes, and you tell them apart by which leaves are yellowing and how wet the soil is.
On this page
A healthy Monstera deliciosa still drops the occasional yellow leaf. The task is telling routine renewal apart from a warning. That is easier than it sounds: which leaves yellow, the pattern of the yellowing and how wet the soil is usually narrow it down to one cause.
Check three things first
Every distinction below rests on these.
- Soil at 5 cm depth. Push a finger in. Wet, damp, or dust-dry?
- Pot weight. Lift it. Compared with the weight right after watering, how much water has gone?
- Which leaves. The single oldest bottom leaf, or several at once from different points on the stem?
1. Overwatering — the usual answer
Constantly wet soil leaves no air around the roots. Starved of oxygen, roots stop taking up water and the plant behaves exactly as if it were thirsty. This is why an overwatered plant yellows and droops at the same time — and why its owner usually waters it again.
Signs: several leaves yellowing together, the yellow leaf soft and limp, soil wet for days, a heavy pot, sometimes a musty smell.
Fix: stop watering until the top 5 cm dries. If the pot has no drainage hole, or a decorative outer pot is holding water, the problem is not frequency — it is drainage.
2. Root rot — where overwatering ends up
If wet soil persists, roots die and cutting back on water is no longer enough. With root rot the yellowing accelerates, the stem softens where it meets the soil, and the pot smells sour.
The only way to be sure is to lift the plant out and look. Healthy roots are firm and cream-white; rotten roots are brown-black, mushy, and their outer layer slides off leaving a thread.
3. Not enough light
Monstera survives low light but does not work in it. A plant that cannot feed its lowest leaves drops them. This yellowing is slow and arrives with company: stems stretch and thin, new leaves come in smaller than the old ones, and new leaves have no splits.
Fix: move it closer to a window that sees sky but not direct midday sun.
4. Nutrient deficiency
In a plant that has not been fed, or has sat in the same soil for years, the pattern is diagnostic:
- Even pale yellow on older leaves plus slow growth → likely nitrogen.
- Yellow between the veins while the veins stay green → magnesium or iron.
Fix: a balanced houseplant feed at half the labelled dose, once a month through spring and summer. Do not feed in winter. If the plant has been in the same soil more than two years, repotting fixes more than feeding does.
5. Natural ageing
As new leaves open, the oldest bottom leaf is eventually abandoned. If it is one leaf, the lowest one, and the rest of the plant looks well, nothing is wrong. Less than once a month is normal turnover.
6. Pests
Spider mites bleach Monstera leaves in fine stipples that read as yellowing from a distance. Look on the underside for fine webbing and dust-like specks. They multiply fast in dry air.
Fix: isolate the plant, rinse every leaf including undersides, then apply insecticidal soap or neem every 5–7 days, three to four times. A single treatment never works, because it does not kill eggs.
Matching the pattern
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Several soft yellow leaves, wet soil | Overwatering |
| Fast yellowing, soft stem base, sour smell | Root rot |
| Dry crisp edges, dust-dry soil, light pot | Underwatering |
| Pale yellow, stretched stems, no splits in new leaves | Low light |
| Even yellow on old leaves, growth stalled | Nitrogen deficiency |
| Green veins, yellow between them | Magnesium or iron |
| One bottom leaf, plant otherwise healthy | Natural ageing |
| Fine webbing underneath, stippled fading | Spider mites |
Will a yellow leaf turn green again?
No. Chlorophyll loss is not reversible. The goal is not to rescue that leaf but to stop the next one. Once the cause is fixed you will see the result in new growth, usually within three to six weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Should I cut off the yellow leaf?
If more than half of it has yellowed, yes — the plant is no longer investing in it. If it is still mostly green, leave it; the plant is pulling nutrients back out. Cut close to the stem with clean scissors.
How often should a Monstera be watered?
By the soil, not the calendar. Water when the top 5 cm is dry — often every 7–10 days in summer and every 2–3 weeks in winter. Pot size, light and room temperature all shift that.
There are brown tips as well as yellowing. What does that mean?
Two signals overlapping, which is common. Yellowing usually points to water or light; dry brown tips point to low humidity, irregular watering, or mineral build-up from tap water.
Should I repot straight away?
Not unless there is root rot. Repotting a struggling plant adds stress. Repot if roots are rotting, the soil is compacted, or the plant has been in the same mix for over two years.