Pothos Light Requirements
Pothos needs 100–500 fc, classified as medium light. Best window direction: Any direction; east or north is ideal.
How low can it go?
Survives at 50–100 fc (dim office lighting), but variegated cultivars (Marble Queen, Manjula, N'Joy) lose variegation in low light and revert to all-green growth.
Variegation fades, leaves get smaller and more sparse, vines stretch with long internodes (leggy growth).
How much is too much?
Tolerates bright indirect light beside a south window. Direct afternoon sun bleaches the leaves to pale yellow.
Leaves wash out to pale yellow-green; crispy brown edges on the leaves closest to the window.
The most common Pothos light mistake
Putting a variegated pothos (Marble Queen, Manjula) in low light because all pothos are "low light tolerant." Solid green forms tolerate low light; variegated forms don't.
Grow light substitute
A 10–20W full-spectrum LED is plenty. Pothos respond fast to extra light — expect new growth within 2 weeks of adding supplemental light.
See our best grow lights guide for tested picks.
How to measure light at home
Download a free smartphone app like Light Meter or use a $20 digital light meter. Measure at the leaf surface, not the ceiling. As reference points: 50–100 fc is dim corner light; 100–400 fc is medium indirect; 400–1000 fc is bright indirect; 1000+ fc is direct sun.
Botanical reference: NC State Extension — Epipremnum aureum
For full Pothos care — watering, humidity, soil, pests — see the Pothos care guide. Or learn where to place a Pothos in your home.