Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Check the air humidity levels in your room.
- Look for white mineral deposits on the soil surface.
- Test if your tap water is high in chlorine or minerals.
Likely causes
Low humidity
Most likelyHow to tell: The tips of the grass blades turn crisp and brown while the rest of the plant looks fine.
What to do: Mist the plant daily with a spray bottle. You can also place the pot on a tray filled with pebbles and water to increase the local humidity.
Mineral buildup
PossibleHow to tell: A white crust appears on the soil surface or the rim of the pot.
What to do: Flush the soil with distilled or rainwater to wash away accumulated salts. Switch to using filtered water for future waterings.
Find out what's wrong with your marsh foxtail
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
A few brown tips are normal in dry indoor environments. Worry if the brown color travels down more than halfway through the leaf blades.
Stopping it coming back
Use distilled water and keep the plant in a humid environment like a bathroom or near other plants.
Marsh foxtail: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your marsh foxtail and Pocket Botanist tells you which cause is most likely, how serious it is, and what to try first. A few checks a day are free. Save the plant and you get care reminders timed for it.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
Get the app · Or check it from a photo now, free
Questions people ask
- Can I trim the brown tips?
- You can snip the brown tips off with sharp scissors. Try to follow the natural shape of the grass blade for a clean look.
- Is my plant dying if it has brown tips?
- Not at all, it is just reacting to its environment. It will continue to grow well once you adjust the humidity or water quality.
Guides to these causes
More problems with marsh foxtail
Back to the marsh foxtail guide
This article was generated with AI on from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.