Brown, crispy tips: causes & fixes
Seeing brown, crispy tips on your houseplant? It is one of the most common indoor-plant complaints. Here is what usually causes it and how to put it right.
Most likely cause
Dry air, or salts and fluoride from tap water.
How to fix it
Raise humidity and water with filtered or rested water.
🪴Plants prone to this
Swiss Cheese Plant
Monstera deliciosa
Golden Pothos
Epipremnum aureum
Peace Lily
Spathiphyllum wallisii
Areca Palm
Dypsis lutescens
Calathea (Prayer Plant)
Goeppertia orbifolia
Air Plant
Tillandsia
Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
English Ivy
Hedera helix
Lucky Bamboo
Dracaena sanderiana
Chinese Evergreen
Aglaonema commutatum
Dragon Tree
Dracaena marginata
Ponytail Palm
Beaucarnea recurvata
Parlor Palm
Chamaedorea elegans
Kentia Palm
Howea forsteriana
Bird of Paradise
Strelitzia reginae
Bird's Nest Fern
Asplenium nidus
Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum raddianum
Staghorn Fern
Platycerium bifurcatum
Prayer Plant
Maranta leuconeura
Rex Begonia
Begonia rex
Guzmania Bromeliad
Guzmania lingulata
Cast Iron Plant
Aspidistra elatior
Grape Ivy
Cissus rhombifolia
African Mask Plant
Alocasia × amazonica 'Polly'
Dragon Scale Alocasia
Alocasia baginda 'Dragon Scale'
Taro (Elephant Ear)
Colocasia esculenta
Alocasia Stingray
Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Stingray'
Green Velvet Alocasia
Alocasia micholitziana 'Frydek'
Kris Plant
Alocasia sanderiana
Purple Sword
Alocasia lauterbachiana
Flamingo Flower
Anthurium andraeanum
Velvet Cardboard Anthurium
Anthurium clarinervium
Crystal Anthurium
Anthurium crystallinum
Pigtail Anthurium
Anthurium scherzerianum
King Anthurium
Anthurium veitchii
Magnificent Anthurium
Anthurium magnificum
Tree Philodendron
Philodendron bipinnatifidum
Ecuador Philodendron
Philodendron verrucosum
Satin Pothos
Scindapsus pictus
Dragon Tail Plant
Rhaphidophora decursiva
Cebu Blue Pothos
Epipremnum pinnatum 'Cebu Blue'
Marble Queen Pothos
Epipremnum aureum 'Marble Queen'
Manjula Pothos
Epipremnum aureum 'Manjula'
N'Joy Pothos
Epipremnum aureum 'N'Joy'
Shingle Plant
Monstera dubia
Hoya linearis
Hoya linearis
Fung Wax Flower
Hoya curtisii
Miniature Wax Plant
Hoya lanceolata subsp. bella
Grass-leaved Hoya
Hoya retusa
String of Nickels
Dischidia nummularia
Calathea Medallion
Goeppertia roseopicta 'Medallion'
Rattlesnake Plant
Goeppertia insignis
Zebra Plant
Goeppertia zebrina
Peacock Plant
Goeppertia makoyana
Pinstripe Calathea
Goeppertia ornata
Calathea White Fusion
Goeppertia lietzei 'White Fusion'
Network Calathea
Goeppertia kegeljanii 'Network'
Eternal Flame
Goeppertia crocata
Calathea Freddie
Goeppertia concinna 'Freddie'
Red Prayer Plant
Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura
Green Prayer Plant
Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana
Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
Maranta leuconeura 'Lemon Lime'
Stromanthe Triostar
Stromanthe thalia 'Triostar'
Fishbone Prayer Plant
Ctenanthe burle-marxii
Never-Never Plant
Ctenanthe oppenheimiana 'Tricolor'
Escargot Begonia
Begonia rex 'Escargot'
Fireworks Rex Begonia
Begonia rex 'Fireworks'
Blue Star Fern
Phlebodium aureum
Rabbit's Foot Fern
Davallia fejeensis
Asparagus Fern
Asparagus setaceus
Button Fern
Pellaea rotundifolia
Kangaroo Paw Fern
Microsorum diversifolium
Crocodile Fern
Microsorum musifolium
Autumn Fern
Dryopteris erythrosora
Lemon Button Fern
Nephrolepis cordifolia 'Duffii'
Silver Brake Fern
Pteris cretica 'Albolineata'
Heart Fern
Hemionitis arifolia
Kimberly Queen Fern
Nephrolepis obliterata
Foxtail Fern
Asparagus densiflorus 'Myersii'
Japanese Painted Fern
Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
Holly Fern
Cyrtomium falcatum
Majesty Palm
Ravenea rivularis
Chinese Fan Palm
Livistona chinensis
Lady Palm
Rhapis excelsa
Bamboo Palm
Chamaedorea seifrizii
Fishtail Palm
Caryota mitis
European Fan Palm
Chamaerops humilis
Pygmy Date Palm
Phoenix roebelenii
Corn Plant
Dracaena fragrans
Dracaena Lemon Lime
Dracaena fragrans 'Lemon Lime'
Spineless Yucca
Yucca gigantea
Cat Palm
Chamaedorea cataractarum
Song of India
Dracaena reflexa
Blue Vanda
Vanda coerulea
Pansy Orchid
Miltonia spectabilis
Venus Flytrap
Dionaea muscipula
Tropical Pitcher Plant
Nepenthes ventricosa
Purple Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia purpurea
Yellow Trumpet Pitcher
Sarracenia flava
Round-leaved Sundew
Drosera rotundifolia
Cape Sundew
Drosera capensis
Mexican Butterwort
Pinguicula moranensis
Cobra Lily
Darlingtonia californica
Spoonleaf Sundew
Drosera spatulata
Dwarf Hairgrass
Eleocharis parvula
Water Lettuce
Pistia stratiotes
Papyrus
Cyperus papyrus
Rough Horsetail
Equisetum hyemale
Taro
Colocasia esculenta
Broadleaf Cattail
Typha latifolia
Blushing Bromeliad
Neoregelia carolinae
Neoregelia Fireball
Neoregelia 'Fireball'
Urn Plant
Aechmea fasciata
Amazonian Zebra Plant
Aechmea chantinii
Flaming Sword
Vriesea splendens
King of Bromeliads
Vriesea hieroglyphica
Earth Star
Cryptanthus bivittatus
Queen's Tears
Billbergia nutans
Summer Torch
Billbergia pyramidalis
Xerographica Air Plant
Tillandsia xerographica
Sky Plant
Tillandsia ionantha
Bulbous Air Plant
Tillandsia bulbosa
Medusa's Head Air Plant
Tillandsia caput-medusae
Shirley Temple Air Plant
Tillandsia streptophylla
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus
Bay Laurel
Laurus nobilis
Moon Valley Friendship Plant
Pilea involucrata 'Moon Valley'
Baby Tears Pilea
Pilea depressa
Aluminum Plant
Pilea cadierei
Tradescantia Nanouk
Tradescantia 'Nanouk'
Small-leaf Spiderwort
Tradescantia fluminensis
Moses-in-the-Cradle
Tradescantia spathacea
Red Aglaonema
Aglaonema 'Siam Aurora'
Dieffenbachia Camille
Dieffenbachia 'Camille'
Lipstick Plant
Aeschynanthus radicans
Clivia
Clivia miniata