If your Money Tree has started to develop yellow leaves, or even small yellow spots and patches, then this is a sign that your plant is unhappy. Diagnosing yellow leaves isn’t always the easiest thing as there are quite a few different factors that can lead to the same problem. To help you figure out what is causing the yellow leaves on your Money Tree we have put together this guide. Below we will go through each of the causes of yellow leaves, spots, tips and patches so that you can not only determine what is affecting your plant, but you can treat the issue properly and stop it from coming back again in future.

Yellow leaves are often caused by too much water

Let’s start with the most common cause of yellow leaves on Money Trees – too much water (often over a longer period of time). Your Money Tree will often forgive you for the odd overwatering, but if things continue for weeks and weeks, then the roots might start to rot in the waterlogged soil. This means that your Money Tree is unable to take up water and nutrients from the soil and photosynthesise properly, causing the leaves to go mushy, droopy and yellow.

The best way to know if the yellow leaves are caused by overwatering is by taking your plant out of its pot and inspecting the soil and roots. If the potting mix is very moist and clumpy, and the roots feels quite soft to touch then overwatering is most probably the cause of the yellow leaves on your Money Tree.

To treat the issue and prevent more yellow leaves from developing, trim away the rotten roots and worst affected yellow leaves. This will allow your Money Tree to focus on new growth rather than wasting energy trying to keep dying leaves and stems alive.

Moving forward, we recommend that you invest in a moisture meter to determine when it is time to water your Money Tree. These will really help ensure that you aren’t watering too frequently and you’re giving enough time for the potting mix to dry out.

Drainage Issues could also be causing yellow leaves

Sometimes it may not be how much you are watering your plant that is causing your Money Tree’s leaves to turn yellow, but the poor draining of the soil and pot. The first thing to look out for when you suspect issues with the drainage is that your Money Tree’s pot has enough drainage holes and that they aren’t clogged up with anything that is preventing excess water from flowing through.

You can also very easily increase the amount of drainage in the pot of your Money Tree by adding in some perlite. This helps with both water flowing through the potting mix but also with aeration

We also recommend that you buy some terracotta pots and replace any of your plastic pots. These are great for avoiding yellow leaves caused by overwatering as some of that excess water can evaporate out of the sides of the pot. So sometimes it is worth investing a little more to make sure that the roots of your Money Tree are not sitting in too much moisture. We love these terracotta pots from Amazon.

Intense direct sunlight can scorch the leaves

The correct light level is a really important element to monitor when taking care of your Money Tree, and all houseplants for that matter! If your Money Tree is getting a lot of direct sunlight each day you may start to notice yellow patches forming on the leaves. This is where the leaves are becoming sunburnt, something which is unfortunately irreversible. It tends to happen more in summer as the sun is a lot stronger and the days are longer too!

Although you can’t reverse the yellow leaves, solving the issue is super simple. If your Money Tree is receiving too much light then make sure to move it to a slightly shadier spot in your home immediately.

Pests

Whilst rarer than some of the other factors, your Money Tree’s leaves may also be turning yellow due to a pest infestation. Although this isn’t very common for plants that don’t spend any time outdoors, it is still possible on your houseplants.

Insects like spider mites damage your plants by sucking on their leaves which causes yellow spots and patches and even little holes. Get up close to your plants using a magnifying glass and inspect the tops and undersides of the leaves to see if you can spot any insects.

There are a few ways to get rid of spider mites and other pests, including showering, neem oil and insecticide sprays.

It could simply be natural ageing

There’s one more cause of yellow leaves on Money Tree plants that we want to go over and that is natural shedding. As your Money Tree grows and matures, it will want to spend a lot of energy on the new growth which can sometimes mean it drops a couple of its oldest and lowest and often smallest leaves. Before these leaves fall from the plant they usually turn yellow. This process is nothing to worry about and as long as the rate of yellowing stays very slow (a couple of leaves every year) then there shouldn’t be an issue.

Should I trim away the yellow leaves on my Money Tree?

More often than not we recommend getting rid of the yellow leaves on your Money Tree. Unfortunately, once they have turned yellow there is no going back to their usual green colour. So it’s best to trim away these yellow leaves so that your Money Tree can put all of its energy into new growth.

When removing the yellow leaves, make sure that you cut them off with sharp scissors rather than tearing the leaves off. This can damage the stems and plant further.

Those are the most common factors that lead to yellow leaves in Money Trees. There are quite a few possible factors so we recommend going through each one whilst looking over your plant and its environment to give you the best chance at finding the right issue. Once you have made a change, keep a very close eye on your plant to see if you can see any more yellow leaves appearing or if any other issues such as brown leaves or leaf drop occur.

To learn more about what your plant needs, check out our Money Tree care guide.

There is something really special about the Mini Monstera as they allow anyone, no matter how small their space is, to own their own Monstera. Luckily for us, they aren’t the most sensitive or difficult plant out there but this doesn’t mean that you won’t come across any issues with them as they are still very susceptible to the common problems, most notably brown leaves. If you do find that your Mini Monstera is suffering from brown leaves, whether that is brown spots, brown tips, brown patches or entire leaves turning brown, this is an indication that your plant is suffering and something needs to change.

There are a few factors that can lead to brown leaves developing on Mini Monstera plants, some are to do with the environment in which your plant is living and some are a consequence of incorrect care. Below we will be going through each of the causes of brown leaves to help you establish what is wrong with your plant. We will also be going through how to treat the issue and prevent it from causing any more brown leaves on your Mini Monstera in future.

Not enough sunlight

Although Mini Monstera can adjust to some lower light levels, if your plant isn’t getting enough then this can begin to cause brown leaves. Ideally, you need to find a spot in your home that gets ample bright but indirect sunlight. You might be tempted to place your Mini Monstera somewhere with direct sunlight to compensate for the lack of it but this can actually just cause more problems.

Low humidity levels

Humidity is often forgotten when it comes to caring for your plants as it’s not as obvious as a lack of water or sunlight. However, it can be a common reason why Mini Monstera plants develop brown leaves. This problem can get worse in autumn and winter as the heating and lack of ventilation really dries out the air. Luckily, there are loads of really simple methods you can do to increase the humidity in your home and avoid more brown leaves:

1. Mist the leaves of your Mini Monstera

   One of the easiest methods for increasing humidity and avoiding more brown leaves is misting with a spray bottle. We recommend you do this a couple of times a week. Misting also gets rid of any dust on the leaves which is an added bonus.

   Our top tip when it comes to misting is to never do it in the evenings. This doesn’t leave enough time for the water to evaporate before it gets dark. The cooler temperatures at night leave wet leaves susceptible to rotting which will only worsen the problem of brown leaves.

2. Give your Mini Monstera a shower

   Another super-easy way to instantly raise the humidity for your Mini Monstera is to give it a wash down. Just pop your plant in the sink (or shower if it’s too big) and give the leaves a good soaking. You want to keep the water lukewarm so you don’t shock or damage the leaves of your Mini Monstera. We also recommend keeping the water pressure fairly low so you don’t accidentally damage the plant.

   Showering your plant is also a great way to get rid of any pests that might be secretly living on your Mini Monstera. So it’s a great thing to do every once in a while, brown leaves or not.

3. Buy a humidifier

   These are a real game-changer when it comes to increasing the humidity for your plants and avoiding brown leaves as well as other common problems. They are portable and affordable devices that keep a consistent humidity level in your home.

   We recommend this humidifier from Amazon. We’ve been using it for several years and our plants love it!.

Underwatering

A consistent lack of water is another common cause of brown leaves on a Mini Monstera plant. Whilst they will forgive you if you forget to water them every once in a while, Mini Monstera plants don’t like to have super dry soil for weeks and weeks so consistent underwatering will harm your plant.

When underwatered, the leaves on your Mini Monstera will not only turn brown but will be dry to touch and will droop down. To check whether underwatering is the cause of the brown leaves on your Mini Monstera, take the plant out of its pot and inspect the soil. If the potting mix is very dry (and almost like powder) then this is definitely the problem.

Your initial thought might be to drown the plant in water immediately to compensate for the lack of it. However, this can cause quite a bit of stress for your plant which can actually make the problem worse, rather than fixing it. Instead, you want to slowly reintroduce regular watering by giving your Mini Monstera some water once or twice a day for a week. This will slowly add moisture to the soil to stop any more brown leaves from developing but avoid any shock or root rot.

Overwatering

If you notice that the patches on your Mini Monstera are quite dark brown in colour, rather than light brown then it may be caused by too much water. Mini Monstera plants hate being sat in waterlogged soil so you need to ensure that there is good drainage in the pot (ensure there are drainage holes and that they are not clogged and adding in some perlite can help with drainage too). You also want to make sure that you aren’t giving your Mini Monstera too much water each time as you do want the potting mix to dry out between waterings.

Overwatering can very quickly lead to root rot which is not only very harmful to your plant but it also will only cause damage to the leaves once the issue has gone on for a while. This makes it every plant parents nightmare. Alongside browning leaves, it can also cause your Mini Monstera to become unstable which means it’ll droop down and the stems won’t be able to support themselves well. If you think you might have overwatered your Mini Monstera it’s important to check the soil right away and change it out completely if necessary.

If you aren’t really sure about how to know if your Mini Monstera needs watering, we recommend picking up a moisture meter. They are super affordable and tell you how much moisture is in the soil.

Those are the main causes of brown leaves on Mini Monstera plants. It’s important that you act quickly once you have determined the reason behind the brown foliage as things like low light levels and particularly overwatering can very quickly harm your plant. The sooner you spot the problem and take the right steps to fix it, the easier it will be to bring your plant back to full health. We get a lot of questions about whether or not it is a good idea to trim away the brown leaves on your Mini Monstera. We always recommend carefully removing the worst affected areas as this will mean your plant can focus all its energy on growing new leaves, rather than wasting energy trying to revive dying sections.

Take a look through our Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma) care guide for more information on how to best care for your beloved plant!

Loved for its striking veined leaves, the Jewel Orchid has only recently become a little easier to find in plant shops and we’re here for it! But if you have started to notice that the leaves on your Jewel Orchid have started to turn brown, then there is definitely something wrong with either the care that your plant is receiving or its environment.

To figure out what is causing the leaves on your Jewel Orchid to turn brown, we have put together this post with all the common causes. We guide you through each of the causes and ensure that you are able to not only spot the problem but deal with it and prevent it from causing any more brown leaves in future.

Too much sunlight causes brown spots

One common cause of brown leaves on a Jewel Orchid is too much direct sunlight. Jewel Orchids don’t like direct sunshine so if they are placed near a window during summer, the intense light can burn and scorch the leaves, causing them to turn brown in patches. These are called sunspots which are brown spots that start to show up across each leaf. Unfortunately, once the leaves have been burnt by the sun, there is no going back.

You need to also watch out a little more in summer when the sun is a lot stronger for more of the day. It is best to move your Jewel Orchid a little further away from the window in warmer months to avoid any leaf burn.

Overwatering can also cause brown leaves

If you notice that your Jewel Orchid is developing large dark brown patches on its leaves, it may be due to overwatering. We tend to recommend a little and often approach towards watering and this is especially the case with Jewel Orchid. They don’t really like being sat in puddles of water as their roots are fairly delicate so you need to ensure you have good drainage and do not give them too much water at once.

Overwatering can quickly lead to root rot which is very harmful to your Jewel Orchid. You will notice that the leaves closest to the root of your plant are the first to turn brown and drop off as it takes hold of the plant from the root system upwards. Alongside browning leaves, too much water can also cause the plant to become unstable and not pick up any nutrients.

If not caught quickly, overwatering can actually kill your plant as it can’t survive for long without a functioning root system. If you think you might have overwatered your Jewel Orchid and this is the cause of the brown leaves, it’s important to check the soil right away and change it out completely if necessary.

Make sure to check the moisture in the soil each time before watering your Jewel Orchid. The easiest way to check this is by digging your finger into the top two centimetres of the soil to see how moist it is. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty you can do the same with a chopstick (if it comes out clean, your plant needs more water). If you want to make it super easy consider investing in a moisture monitor, these super affordable devices will literally tell you how much moisture is in the soil so you can say goodbye to any more brown leaves on your Jewel Orchid.

Natural ageing can be a harmless cause of brown leaves

If your Jewel Orchid isn’t getting too many brown leaves, maybe 1 every few months then this may just be down to natural ageing. As your Jewel Orchid matures, it will prioritise growing new healthy (and bigger) leaves which means it will need to drop some of its oldest, smallest growth. These leaves will turn brown before falling off the plant.

This is a totally natural process and doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. The best thing to do in this case is to keep an eye on how many leaves are turning brown and falling off your Jewel Orchid. If the rate stays very low then it probably isn’t anything to worry about.

Those are the 3 most common causes of brown leaves on Jewel Orchid plants. It’s important to determine whether it’s natural ageing that is causing the brown foliage or issues with sunlight or watering.

The quicker you figure out the cause, the better chance you have at solving the problem and bringing your Jewel Orchid back to full health. After making a change to either your watering routine or how much light your Jewel Orchid is getting, be sure to keep a very close eye on it over the next few weeks to make sure that there are no more brown leaves or other warning signs that might suggest something is wrong.

Check out our Jewel Orchid care guide to learn more about how to best care for your plant.

If you’re after a low-maintenance houseplant that won’t overtake your home in a few years, then the Jade Plant is a great choice. They’ve grown in popularity over the years as their plump succulent leaves have become a lot more common in plant stores and nurseries across the world.

However, just because they are a low-maintenance plant, doesn’t mean you won’t run into a few issues along the way. White spots on Jade Plants can be quite a common issue and though it’s concerning, before you throw away your plant and start again, know that it’s very treatable if caught early enough.

In this article, we will go through the different causes of white spots on a Jade Plant as well as how to treat it and prevent the issue from returning again in future.

Causes of white spots on a Jade Plant

A pest infestation

One of the most likely causes of white spots on your Jade Plant is unfortunately a pest infestation. It can happen that scale insects, spider mites or mealybugs make your plant their home. These can appear as white spots across your plant.

To determine whether your plant is infested with pests, use a magnifying glass to get a closer look. You want to make sure to catch this issue as early as possible because the pests will slowly suck more energy out of your plant, potentially causing irreversible issues.

A fungal or bacterial infection

Another common cause of white spots on a Jade Plant is a fungal disease known as powdery mildew. This is a form of white mold that can affect a lot of houseplant types. The fungus will start to show up as small white round spots on the leaves but can develop into fungal strings that cover the whole plant.

Powdery mildew thrives in areas that don’t receive much sunlight as well as areas with low temperatures and high humidity. This isn’t to say that it’s not possible for it to exist in brighter, warmer areas but the likelihood is lower.

Mineral buildup can also cause white spots

If you are watering your Jade Plant with water high in salt content, then this can also be a cause of white spots developing across your plant.

Jade Plants store a lot of their water in their leaves (hence why they are so plump). So when the water has quite a high salt content, this can mean your plant tries to get rid of some of that salt through its pores. Any water that is transpired with the salt evaporates quite quickly off the leaf, leaving the salt residue. This will appear as small white spots across the leaves.

How to diagnose what’s causing the white spots

Use a magnifying glass to spot pests

The first thing we recommend doing is closely inspecting the leaves with a magnifying glass. This should hopefully allow you to see if the white spots are in fact pests on the leaves. Using a magnifying glass will also help you see if the white spots look quite fluffy, as that is a sign of fungal disease.

Wipe off the white spots

To determine if it is fungal growth or salt residue on the leaves, wipe the white spots off with a cloth. If they reappear within a day or so, then it’s likely to be powdery mildew. However, if they reappear a lot slower, then it’s more likely to be due to a high salt content in the water.

How to treat the white spots on your Jade Plant

Fight the pest infestation

There are a number of things you can do to fight off the pest infestation on your Jade Plant. The first thing is to remove the leaves that are the worst affected. This will simply cut down the size of the infestation, making it a little easier to tackle.

The next step is to wipe down all of the leaves and replace the potting mix. This will further cut down the number of pests on your plant. It’s then time to use a natural insecticide and neem oil to treat the remaining pests.

As soon as you spot pests on any of your plants, make sure to isolate them from all other houseplants. Pests can easily jump or move between leaves that are closeby so you want to avoid the infestation harming more of your plants. Alongside this, make sure to closely inspect all other houseplants for pests (or signs of them).

Use a home remedy to fight powdery mildew

Treating powdery mildew is actually easier than it might seem as there are a number of easy remedies to help fight it. Our personal favourite is spraying your plant down with a recipe of baking soda, washing-up liquid (dish soap) and water. This should be done once a day and can have quite a fast impact.

Alongside this, it’s also important to look into your plant’s environment to ensure that the conditions aren’t favouring the growth of powdery mildew or other fungal diseases. You want to make sure your Jade Plant is somewhere that gets plenty of natural sunlight, warmth and isn’t super high in humidity.

How to prevent white spots on a Jade Plant

1. Inspect your plants regularly for pests

   Catching the issue early is crucial to having any success in tackling pests. This is why we strongly recommend giving your plants monthly thorough checkups to spot any early warning signs.

   It’s also super important to check over any plants that are moving from the outside to the inside. The best thing is to isolate them for at least a week to ensure there aren’t any pests hiding on your plant or in its soil.

2. Ensure your Jade Plant gets enough light

   Enough light and warmth are key to preventing fungal growth on your plant and soil. Whilst this isn’t a guaranteed way of stopping issues such as powdery mildew, it can go a long way to reducing the risk and slowing the speed of the growth.

   Make sure your plant gets several hours of bright but mostly indirect light each day. You also want to watch out for any drafts that might be coming through cracks in windows and external doors near your Jade Plant. These can wreak havoc on your plant’s health but also contribute to fungal growth.

3. Use purified water instead of tap water

   If your Jade Plant is suffering from a mineral build up, then there is likely too much salt in your tap water. Using rainwater can really help avoid some of the additional chemicals that are added into our tap water.

   But if you don’t have easy access to rainwater, then we recommend leaving the tap water to sit overnight in your watering can before using it. Over the course of the night, the minerals will sink to the bottom of the can. This means all you need to do is water your Jade Plant normally but just remember to pour out the last bit of water instead of giving it to your plants.

Those are the most common reasons why Jade Plants can develop white spots. It can be tricky to make the right diagnosis because some of the issues do appear in the same way at first. However, make sure to look closely and use the cloth method that we described above to help figure out the correct cause.

Once you know what is harming your plant and causing the white spots, it’s important you act quickly to treat the issue, particularly if it is pests or powdery mildew. Whilst a build-up of salts won’t tend to kill your plant, it’s still important that the issue is addressed. Overtime, the minerals can build up around the roots, suffocating your plant! So whatever the cause of the white spots is, finding and implementing the right treatment quickly is crucial.

To learn more about how to care for your plant, as well as how to diagnose and treat other common problems that might crop up, check out our Jade Plant care guide.

Also known as Lucky Plants (you’ve guessed it, they’re thought to bring luck to their owners), Jade Plants are great little succulents that are perfect for small spaces or for inexperienced plant parents. They need a lot less tending to than more other houseplants but this doesn’t mean that they are immune to any issues. Jade Plants can develop brown leaves, or brown patches/spots if things aren’t right.

If you have noticed brown leaves on your Jade Plant, then it’s a sign that your plant is struggling and it’s important that you diagnose and treat the issue as soon as possible. We will go through each of the causes of brown Jade Plant leaves below to help you figure out what’s wrong.

Too much sunlight can cause brown leaves

Jade Plants need a lot of sunlight to really thrive but there is still such thing as too much light. If your Jade Plant lives right next to a window, then it may be experiencing sunburn during summer. Direct light during the hottest months of the year can be very intense and is harmful to the leaves on your Jade Plant, often causing them to develop brown scorched patches.

If direct sunshine is causing the brown leaves on your Jade Plant, try to move your plant a little bit further away from the window so that it doesn’t receive any direct sun. You want to make sure that your plant is still receiving plenty of light but not intense summer sunlight.

Too much water can also cause brown leaves

Overwatering is probably the most damaging of houseplant issues as the problem can progress quite far before you notice anything on the leaves. This is because the issue starts with the root system and is, unfortunately, quite a common reason why Jade Plants develop brown leaves. As a succulent type, Jade Plants don’t like sitting in puddles of water for long periods of time. This will cause damage to the root system and mean your plant will often develop brown leaves as well as droop down and turn soft.

To figure out if overwatering is the reason your Jade Plant is turning brown, you want to check how much moisture is in the potting mix and whether or not the roots have started to rot. If the soil is waterlogged and clumpy then replace it with fresh dry mix that will allow the plant to start to recover.

To prevent more brown leaves from developing on your Jade Plant, you either want to cut down how often you water your plant, or how much water you give it each time to allow the potting mix to dry out fully before watering again.

High humidity levels can cause brown spots

If your Jade Plant is in a room that has above average humidity, this might be the cause of the brown leaves. Jade Plants prefer slightly drier conditions as they are succulent plants and if the leaves start to get even a little bit moist, it can cause them to rot. This will appear as soft brown patches on the leaves.

The only way to know if high humidity levels are the cause of the brown leaves on your Jade Plant is to buy a humidity monitor and rule out all other issues. It’s a rarer cause of brown leaves but is one that often goes unnoticed and undiagnosed.

Use a dehumidifier to remove some of that excess humidity from the room, but just make sure you aren’t keeping any humidity-loving houseplants in the same room as this might cause issues for them.

Brown leaves could be a result of pests

A more worrying but luckily rarer cause of brown leaves on Jade Plants is a pest infestation. It doesn’t happen very often on plants that don’t spend any time outdoors but we don’t want to fully rule it out as it does happen.

A lot of pests are visible to the human eye but we recommend using a magnifying glass to give you the best chance at spotting any unwanted visitors. If you do find pests then it’s important to take immediate steps to stop the infestation from spreading.

First, isolate your Jade Plant and check over all other plants that are near for brown leaves and other signs of pests. Then wash down your plant and treat with neem oil/ an organic insecticide to fight the infestation. If you have caught the problem early, you should be able to fight the pests but if things are too far gone, you might have to say goodbye to your Jade Plant.

Those are the most common reasons behind brown leaves on Jade Plants. If the problem is relatively recent and hasn’t affected much of the plant then you should have a good chance at bringing it back to full health relatively quickly.

Keep a close eye on your plant over the next few weeks to see if the changes are having a positive impact, or if brown leaves or other signs of unhappiness are still developing.

To learn more about how to best take care of your plant and avoid other problems popping up in future, take a look at our Jade Plant care guide.

Loved for their unique zig-zag leaves, the Fishbone Cactus is a great low maintenance plant that can adapt quite well to a range of environments. However, just because they are a little hardier than some other houseplants, doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter the odd issue such as yellow leaves. Luckily you’ll find that yellowing of the foliage isn’t super common but that doesn’t make it any less worrying.

There are two main causes of yellow leaves on a Fishbone Cactus, overwatering and over-fertilisation. We will go through each of these reasons in more detail below so you can determine which is causing the yellowing, as well as how to fix the issue and stop it from happening again.

Overwatering is a common cause of yellowing for Fishbone Cacti

More often than not, overwatering will be the cause of your Fishbone Cactus’ yellow leaves. Although they have Cactus in the name the Fishbone Cactus is actually a succulent meaning they really don’t need that much water to thrive which can mean the soil can become waterlogged quite quickly. This soggy soil will mean the roots will rot and your plant won’t be able to take in the nutrients it needs. The first sign of this is yellow leaves so thankfully you should have caught the problem quite early on.

If you think that your Fishbone Cactus has been overwatered then you must check the moisture levels immediately. Take your plant out of its pot, or use a moisture meter or finger method to check if the soil is too soggy.

If there is too much moisture in the soil then there are a few things you must do straight away to fix the problem and avoid any more yellow leaves from developing. Trim away the dead mushy roots and replace the entire potting mix so your Fishbone Cactus can begin to recover. One added tip is to put in some small pebbles at the bottom of the pot as this will stop the drainage holes from getting blocked by clumps of soil and means excess water can run out of the pot.

Overfertilisation could also be the issue for your Fishbone Cactus

Another potential cause of yellow leaves in Fishbone Cacti is too much fertiliser. This can be either fertilising your plant too often or using too much each time you do it.

At most, you want to be fertilising a couple of times throughout the growth period of spring and summer and not at all during winter. If you are fertilising more than this then it could be the cause of the yellow leaves on your Fishbone Cactus. Another issue is the concentration of the feed. Make sure you are fertilising less than the recommended amount on the bottle. Each plant is different and factors like maturity, size and environment all impact how much you need to fertilise so make sure to err on the side of caution.

Those are the two main reasons why Fishbone Cacti develop yellow leaves. Luckily, as these two are very different causes it makes it a lot easier to diagnose than some other issues. First, rule out watering issues as these are more dangerous to the health of your Fishbone Cactus and if the overwatering has been going on for a while, bringing your plant back to full health can be a challenge. But don’t give up on your plant until you really have to as they can bounce back from a lot!

If you do find that you can’t save your plant, then you might look to propagate your Fishbone Cactus so that you can grow some of the healthy parts.

To learn more about how to best take care of your plant, take a look through our Fishbone Cactus care guide.

It’s not always easy to grow tropical plants indoors so it can be quite common for your Mediterranean Fan Palm to develop yellow leaves. It might not always be something to be concerned about, however, as natural ageing processes can mean your Fan Palm will develop some yellow leaves as it matures. There are some other more harmful causes of yellow leaves though and we will go through each of them below.

As well as helping you to diagnose the issue we will also be going through how to treat the problems, as well as how to prevent them from causing any more yellow leaves on your Fan Palm in future.

It could just be natural ageing

If it’s only the oldest (and therefore often smallest) leaves on your Fan Palm that are turning yellow then you might actually have nothing to worry about at all! It’s perfectly normal for all houseplants to lose a few of their oldest leaves as they mature as it just means they are focusing more of their energy on new growth. Before these leaves fall off, they will nearly always turn yellow first.

It’s important to monitor the speed at which the yellow leaves are developing as if it is slower than the rate of new growth, then you will usually have nothing to worry about. We are only really concerned if more than 1 or 2 leaves are turning yellow every few months. Monitor the rate of yellowing to see if it is speeding up or well above this rate as there might be another cause you need to look out for.

Lack of nutrients

Another reason your Fan Palm may be developing yellow leaves is a lack of nutrients. This can happen if you haven’t switched out the potting soil in over a year or you don’t fertilise during the growth period. Whilst you can still get plenty of new healthy growth without fertilising, it can be an added boost so we recommend this for any plants that are struggling.

We recommend using a diluted water-soluble fertiliser during spring and summer to make sure your plant is getting all the nutrients it needs. It’s also always a good idea to switch out the potting mix every once in a while to give your plants some more nutrients.

Pests are a worrying cause of yellow leaves

If the yellowing is not so consistent on the leaves and is showing up as small spots or patches across parts of your Fan Palm, then pests might be the cause.

Inspect your Fan Palm, especially looking at the undersides of the leaves to see if you can spot any insects. The most common pests we tend to find on Fan Palms are spider mites which can be a bit of a pain to treat unless the problem is caught early. The best technique for removing them that we’ve found is taking your plant for regular showers, rinsing the leaves and stems with water before treating with an insecticide.

Overwatering

Another common cause of yellow leaves on a Fan Palm is too much water. If the yellow leaves are falling off the plant, and are quite droopy and almost soft to touch, then it’s likely you are overwatering or there is poor drainage.

Fan Palms don’t like it when their potting mix doesn’t get the chance to dry out between waterings and it can cause their roots to rot. This will mean the plant is unable to get what it needs to survive from the potting mix which can cause leaves to turn yellow. The yellowing most often happens from the base upwards when your plant is overwatered.

If you think your Fan Palm is suffering from too much water then check the moisture of the soil immediately and cut back on either how often you water your Fan Palm, or how much water you give it each time. We also recommend replacing the potting soil straight away if it’s waterlogged so that the roots can begin to recover.

Should I trim away the yellow leaves on my Fan Palm?

We do tend to recommend trimming off the yellow leaves on your Fan Palm. Unfortunately, once the leaf has turned yellow, there is no going back to its usual green colour. So removing the yellow leaves means your Fan Palm can begin to focus all its energy on growing new healthy leaves.

When trimming the leaves off, always cut them with a sharp pair of scissors rather than ripping them off as this risks damaging the plant.

Check out our Fan Palm care guide for more information on how to best care for your plant and prevent any more common problems from developing in future.

Often the perfect beginner houseplant, the Fan Palm is pretty low maintenance and adaptable. However, this doesn’t mean they are immune to the common issues you might have with any other plant type. If things aren’t right for your Fan Palm and the issue is either quite extreme or has been going on for a long time, then your Palm will start to develop brown leaves. This can come in the form of dry leaf tips, or droopy dark brown leaves throughout the plant. Different issues can cause your Fan Palm to turn brown so it’s important that you diagnose the issue properly so you can get right to treating it.

Below we will be going through each of the four main reasons why Fan Palms develop brown leaves and brown leaf tips. We’ll go over how to spot the issue, treat it as well as prevent it from happening again in future.

Low Humidity

Although Fan Palms are quite tolerant of dry air, over time they can develop brown leaf tips if there isn’t any humidity in the air. This won’t kill your plant and it usually won’t even turn an entire leaf brown as they are quite adaptable plants, but it can be why your Fan Palm has developed dry brown leaf tips.

Although the current brown tips are irreversible, there are quite a few simple ways to up the humidity to stop any more from occurring.

Misting the leaves once a week

This is our top method to increase the humidity for your Fan Palm and doesn’t actually have to be done as frequently as with lots of other plant types. Mist the leaves using a spray bottle to help prevent more dry brown leaf tips from occurring. Not only will this increase the humidity but it will also get rid of any dust that has formed on the leaves – so it’s a win-win. We recommend misting your Fan Palm in the mornings as it leaves enough time for the water droplets to evaporate before it gets cold during the night. Cold damp leaves are more susceptible to root rot so you want to be careful here.

Put your plant in the shower

By rinsing down your plant you can instantly increase the humidity. Put your plant in the bath or sink and wash down the leaves. Use lukewarm water at low pressure so you don’t damage, shock or burn the plant.

Invest in a humidifier

These portable and affordable gadgets are a real game-changer when it comes to increasing the humidity for your plants and your Fan Palm will love you for it.

We recommend this humidifier from Amazon. We’ve been using it for years and our plants and palms really love it!

Dry soil can cause brown leaves

If your Fan Palm’s leaves have become quite brown, dry and crispy (starting from the tips and moving throughout the leaf) it may be because you have underwatered your plant. They are relatively drought-tolerant so won’t die on your immediately if you forget to water every so often, but consistent overwatering will start to cause issues for your Fan Palm.

Make sure to regularly water your Fan Palm, a little and often to make sure that the soil is always slightly damp. Fan Palms don’t like to be swimming in water, but they don’t like to have dry soil for too long either.

Check the moisture levels in the soil to make sure that you are underwatering (using a moisture meter is a good idea here too) and adjust your watering schedule to make sure that your plant doesn’t develop any more brown leaves. It’s best to trim away the brown parts so your Fan Palm doesn’t waste any energy trying to revive these.

Overwatering can also cause brown leaves

As with underwatering, overwatering can also cause a whole range of issues for your Fan Palm, including brown leaves. However, the appearance and feel of the leaf will be different from an underwatered Fan Palm. The leaves will turn darker brown and look and feel a little softer and droopier, rather than dry and crispy.

Again, before adjusting your watering, you want to inspect the soil first to check if it’s waterlogged. Over time, this can cause the roots to rot and your Fan Palm will be unable to take up the water and nutrients it needs to thrive.

We always recommend replacing the soil as soon as you notice you’ve overwatered your Fan Palm to prevent any further damage to the root system. After a few weeks, you should start to see your Fan Palm looking a little healthier. It can take a bit longer for your plant to recover from being overwatered but with a little bit of patience and TLC, your plant should bounce back in a few weeks.

Make sure to adjust your care in the long term to avoid the problem happening again. Regularly check the moisture in the soil before watering as the amount and frequency you’ll need to water your Fan Palm will change throughout the year.

Too much fertiliser can cause brown leaf tips

Most generic plant foods and fertilisers will recommend a dosage for your plants, but it’s often far too much for a Fan Palm and can result in brown leaves, in particular brown leaf tips and edges. Look at it this way; size, maturity, environment and plant type all impact how much fertiliser your plant needs, so there can never be a one-fits-all amount.

We always recommend feeding at half the recommended dosage for Fan Palms and if you want to, you can leave it out completely and see still luscious growth. Our plants have always liked the liquid fertiliser from Miracle Gro which is available on Amazon here.

Those are the 4 most common reasons why Fan Palms develop brown leaves. Brown leaf tips are pretty common and sometimes hard to avoid in all Palm types but if the problem is getting quite severe, then it’s definitely worth investigating. Watering issues can be the most deadly to your Fan Palm and can cause much more than a few brown leaves if left untreated so that would always be the first place we looked.

To learn more about how to best care for your plant, as well as how to diagnose, treat and prevent other common issues, check out our Fan Palm care guide.

Loved for their large thick leaves, the Elephant Ear plant definitely makes a statement in every room. But because they have fewer but larger leaves, as soon as one starts to turn yellow it can be pretty worrying. There are a few reasons why Elephant Ear plants develop yellow leaves or even just a few yellow patches or spots on the leaves and it’s crucial that you diagnose the problem as early as possible. The quicker you figure out what is causing the yellow leaves on your Elephant Ear plant, the better chance you will have at successfully solving the problem and bringing your plant back to its normal self.

Overwatering is the most common cause of yellow leaves

Elephant Ear plants love moisture and need their potting mix to be somewhat moist at all times. However, there is such thing as too moist and this is where the issues begin, most commonly yellow leaves. If the soil becomes soggy and waterlogged for a long period of time, it will cause the roots to rot. This stops your Elephant Ear plant from being able to take up any water or nutrients from the soil and will turn the leaves yellow. Your plant will also start to droop down and fall off if the plant is being overwatered so watch out for those signs alongside the yellowing foilage.

You want to check the level of moisture in the soil before you make any changes to how you water your Elephant Ear plant. Carefully lift the plant out of the pot and check if there is any damage to the root system. If your Elephant Ear plant is quite mature, and you can’t or don’t want to lift it, then we recommend using a moisture meter to get an accurate moisture reading. If the soil is waterlogged then we recommend replacing it immediately. You don’t want to wait for it to dry out naturally as you risk damaging the roots and Elephant Ear even more than just the yellow leaves.

Trim away the dead roots and leaves so your Elephant Ear can begin the recovery process. It may take a few weeks before you see any sign of new growth as your Elephant Ear has gone through a lot and will be quite stressed. But give it a bit of time and with the right amount of sunlight and warmth, your Elephant Ear plant should recover fine and there shouldn’t be any more yellow leaves in sight!

Underwatering can also cause yellowing leaves – they are heavy drinkers

Although underwatering most commonly causes dry brown leaves, it can occur that it turns the leaves yellow so don’t rule it out as a possible cause. Elephant Ear plants are heavy drinkers and need some moisture level in their soil to maintain healthy growth. They won’t like it if their potting mix is bone dry for long periods of time and the leaves will start to turn brown, yellow and even fall off the plat completely.

The easiest way to tell if the yellow leaves on your Elephant Ear are caused by underwatering is to again check the soil using a moisture meter. If the soil is very dry then slowly reintroduce watering over the next few days. You don’t want to immediately drown your Elephant Ear plant as this can cause shock (which then causes more issues than only the yellow leaves) so you want to gradually water it a small amount twice a day for a few days.

Not enough sunlight

As with a lot of things in the houseplant world, too much and too little sunlight can really impact the health of your plants. Elephant Ear plants don’t grow very well in low light areas and will start to produce yellow leaves if they aren’t getting enough light.

If this is causing your Elephant Ear plant to develop yellow leaves then the fix is super easy. All you need to do is find a good spot with ample indirect sunlight and your Elephant Ear plant will get back to tip-top shape. One thing to avoid here is direct light, however. Any intense light during summer can be quite harmful to the leaves on your Elephant Ear plant and can scorch their beautiful foliage.

Your Elephant Ear Plant might be stressed or potbound

This is something that isn’t really talked about much but plants get stressed just like humans, and Elephant Ears can be especially sensitive to this sometimes. Environmental stress is caused when there is a sudden change in the environment, usually going from bone dry soil to really soggy. But this can also be the case when light levels dramatically change or when temperatures soar or drop.

It’s important to bring in any changes gradually to avoid this stress. Whilst environmental shock won’t often kill your Elephant Ear, it will result in a few yellow leaves that will eventually also fall off your plant. Using a digital thermometer, light meter and moisture meter can help you keep track of your Elephant Ear’s environment so you can respond to any major changes.

Your Elephant Ear plant might also be producing yellow leaves because it is potbound. This means that the root system has nowhere to expand to and cannot maintain the amount of healthy growth that it has. It will then shed some of the leaves, turning them yellow before they drop off the plant completely. We recommend repotting your Elephant Ear plant every couple of years so if you haven’t done this in a while, and your plant has grown a lot recently, then this might be the cause of the yellow leaves.

Those are the most common causes of yellow leaves on Elephant Ear plants. It’s important that you establish what the cause is immediately to stop the problem from progressing any further. Once you have made some changes to either the care or environment of your Elephant Ear plant, check in on it at least once a day to see if there is any more yellow foliage developing on your plant, or any other signs of distress.

To learn more about how to care for your plant, check out our Elephant Ear plant care guide.

These incredible houseplants are somewhat low maintenance if in the exact right environment that never changes. However, that’s not super realistic as it’s normal for environmental factors to fluctuate throughout the year. This can result in your Elephant Ear Plant starting to curl its leaves as a result of something being off. This is often one of the earlier signs of trouble so hopefully, if there are no other signs of unhappiness, you should have caught the problem fairly early.

In this article, we will go through each of the main causes of curling leaves on an Elephant Ear Plant as well as going through how to treat the issue and prevent it from cropping up again. The best thing to do to find the right diagnosis is to go through the list below and eliminate the causes one by one until you find which best fits your plant.

Overwatering is a common cause of curling leaves

Whilst overwatering can have some severe effects on Elephant Ear Plants if not caught for a while, curling leaves are often an early warning sign that the roots are starting to suffer in waterlogged soil.

Although they don’t like to have super dry soil for really long periods of time, they hate soggy soil even more!

It’s crucial that you diagnose the issue of overwatering early as it is a very fast-progressing problem. To confirm that is what is causing the curling leaves on your Elephant Ear Plant, you need to check the soil moisture.

Carefully unpot your plant and check for rot and waterlogged soil. If the roots have started to rot they will be mushy and dark in colour. If you find that your plant’s roots have begun to rot, then remove them from the root system using clean and sharp scissors. Never tear the roots off as this risks damaging a healthy part of the root system.

Remove any waterlogged soil to get your plant back on the road to recovery. Some plant parents choose to just wait until the soil dries out but this only risks more damage to an already distressed plant.

Now you’ve done what you can to solve the issue in the short term, it’s important to prevent the issue from happening again. This is why you need to adjust how you are watering your Elephant Ear Plant. You also want to make sure you cut back watering over winter.

Underwatering can also cause curling leaves

On the other end of the soil moisture spectrum, too little water can also cause your Elephant Ear Plant’s leaves to start curling. This isn’t as fast developing compared to overwatering but over time can cause some serious issues beyond curling leaves. So it’s really important to solve this one before it causes irreversible damage.

If you find that your Elephant Ear Plant’s soil is bone dry and the roots have started to crisp up, then underwatering is probably what is causing the curling leaves. You may also spot dry brown leaf tips or edges if the problem has gone on for a while.

To fix the issue, soak your Elephant Ear Plant for about 15 to 20 minutes so that the plant can take in as much water as it wants without the risk of waterlogged soil. Then let it drip dry before returning it to its pot. If you have a really large plant that you can’t carry so well then we recommend slowly watering your plant a little once a day to soak the potting mix.

Low humidity levels can also be to blame

Elephant Ear Plants like humid environments as they are native to tropical environments. This means they can really struggle in homes with dry air.

The reason that your plant will curl its leaves as a result of low humidity is that curling the leaves is a mechanism plants use to retain as much water as possible.

The best way to confirm that dry air is causing the curling leaves is by using a humidity monitor. Often you can get a combination humidity and temperature monitor which is a great investment for all of your plants.

To treat the issue, there are many ways you can very easily and cheaply increase the humidity. Start by misting your Elephant Ear Plant every few days with a spray bottle. You might also want to use a pebble tray for a nice boost to the humidity or shower your plant for a short-term lift.

If you want an even easier solution to humidity issues, consider investing in a humidifier. These affordable little devices make it super easy to keep a more consistent increased humidity level.

Curling leaves can indicate temperature issues

Elephant Ear Plant plants like to grow in temperatures that mimic their native environment which means they love warmth and struggle when exposed to cold temperatures. They can also start to struggle in unusual hotspots so you’ll need to watch for fluctuations on both extremes.

The best temperature for your Elephant Ear Plant plant is between 60-85°F (16-29°C). Using a digital thermometer can help keep track of any large fluctuations that might be causing the curling leaves.

When it comes to finding the right spot for your plant, you need to watch out for things that can cause these extremes. For example, heating vents, radiators, air conditioning units and cookers. If your Elephant Ear Plant is exposed to extremely hot or cold air it can shock your plant and damage the leaves.

The best way to diagnose the issue and find the best spot for your Elephant Ear Plant is to use a digital thermometer.

Pests can also cause your Elephant Ear Plant to start curling

Whilst pests are a rarer issue compared to the factors listed above, they can be a very worrying problem so it’s important you rule them out straight away. Even if you think you’ve figured out what’s causing the curling leaves, we still recommend you inspect your plants for pests just to be sure as catching the issue early is crucial here.

The first thing to do is inspect your Elephant Ear Plant fully by looking at the undersides of the leaves, the stems and also in the potting mix. You want to look out for any of the following signs that pests have made your plant their home: holes in the leaves, brown or yellow spots, white webbing, white powder and of course visible pests on the plant or in the potting mix.

We recommend giving your infected plants a shower. Luckily as Elephant Ear Plants have more sturdy leaves and stems compared to a lot of other houseplant types, you can get away with having the water pressure a little higher than other plants. Then you need to use neem oil and an insecticide to fight the issue.

Watch out for overfertilization

Elephant Ear Plants aren’t heavy feeders and only need fertilizer about once a month during the growth season. Having said that, you can totally get away with not feeding your plant at all and you’ll still see plenty of new growth if the environment and the rest of the care routine is right.

Although it can cause a wide range of symptoms, one of the consequences of too much fertiliser is curling leaves. This is because the residual nutrient salts can toxify the soil and damage the roots. This can result in Elephant Ear Plant leaves curling and turning yellow or brown as the roots become unable to deliver what the plant needs.

Remove any fertiliser spikes or replace the soil if you are using pellets or water-soluble fertiliser and hold off feeding for at least a year to let your Elephant Ear Plant recover.

Those are the most common factors that can cause an Elephant Ear Plant to develop curling leaves. As soon as you spot the issue, try to diagnose it and make changes as soon as possible. Catching and treating the issue early will make reviving your plant so much easier and quicker.

Check out our Elephant Ear Plant care guide for more information on how to keep your plant thriving.