3 likely causes
Brown Leaf Tips
Crispy brown tips or edges usually point to a moisture or mineral imbalance rather than a disease.
Troubleshooting — 20 guides
Plant problems & fixes
Something looking off? Find the likely cause and how to put it right.
4 likely causes
Common Pests
Most indoor infestations are one of a handful of sap-sucking pests. Catching them early makes them far easier to clear.
4 likely causes
Curling Leaves
Leaves curl inward, downward, crinkle, or crisp at the edges as a defensive response to stress — the direction and texture of the …
3 likely causes
Drooping & Wilting
Wilting means a plant’s stems and leaves have lost turgor pressure — the internal water pressure that keeps them upright — so they…
3 likely causes
Edema (Leaf Blisters)
Edema (also spelled oedema) means small, wart-like bumps or water-soaked blisters on a leaf, usually on the undersides of older le…
4 likely causes
Failure to Flower
A healthy-looking plant that is not flowering, or has stopped flowering, is almost always missing one specific trigger — usually l…
3 likely causes
Fungal & Bacterial Leaf Spot
Dark, water-soaked, or ring-patterned spots on the leaves point to a fungal or bacterial infection rather than a watering or light…
3 likely causes
Leggy, Stretched Growth
Long gaps between leaves and weak, reaching stems (etiolation) are a plant’s response to insufficient light, not a growth spurt to…
3 likely causes
Mushy or Blackened Stem Base
A soft, discoloured, or collapsing stem at soil level is a more urgent version of root rot and often needs faster action to save t…
3 likely causes
Overwatering & Root Rot
Overwatering is the leading cause of houseplant death. Left unchecked it leads to root rot, which is harder to reverse.
3 likely causes
Powdery Mildew
A dusty white or grey coating across the leaf surface is a common fungal disease that thrives in still, humid air with poor circul…
4 likely causes
Root-Bound Plant
A plant that has outgrown its pot — its roots crowding the container with nowhere left to spread — shows a specific set of signs b…
3 likely causes
Sticky Leaves & Sooty Mould
A tacky residue on leaves, sometimes followed by a black, sooty coating, is a two-stage problem that starts with sap-sucking pests…
4 likely causes
Stunted or Slow Growth
A stunted plant has stopped growing, or is growing far more slowly than expected, well outside its normal dormant season — usually…
3 likely causes
Sudden Leaf Drop
A plant dropping several leaves at once is almost always reacting to a change in its environment.
3 likely causes
Sunburn & Leaf Scorch
Bleached, papery patches or dark, crisp burns usually appear on leaves suddenly exposed to more direct sun than they’re adapted to…
3 likely causes
Transplant Shock
Transplant shock shows up as wilting, leaf drop, or stalled growth — the main symptoms to watch for — in the days or weeks after r…
3 likely causes
Variegation Fading or Reverting to Green
A variegated plant producing plainer, greener leaves over time is losing its patterned tissue — a genetic and light-driven process…
3 likely causes
White Crust on Soil or Pot
A chalky white crust on the soil surface or creeping up a terracotta pot is mineral salt build-up, not mould, and is a sign of wat…
4 likely causes
Yellow Leaves
Yellowing leaves (chlorosis) are the most common houseplant distress signal. The pattern and location of the yellowing point to th…