Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Check the soil moisture two inches down.
- Test your tap water for high salt or mineral content.
- Inspect the drainage holes to ensure they are not blocked.
Likely causes
Salt accumulation
PossibleHow to tell: The tips turn brown and brittle while the rest of the leaf looks healthy. This often happens if you use softened water or if the soil has high mineral content.
What to do: Flush the soil thoroughly with distilled or rainwater to wash out excess salts. Ensure your pot has excellent drainage so the water can flow completely through the bottom.
Underwatering
PossibleHow to tell: The leaves feel dry and crispy, and the tips start browning during a long dry spell. This is common if the tree is still young and hasn't established deep roots.
What to do: Increase your watering frequency slightly for young trees. Ensure you soak the root zone deeply every 7 to 14 days rather than giving light sprinkles.
Find out what's wrong with your coast banksia
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.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
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When to worry
Worry if the browning spreads rapidly toward the leaf base or affects new growth. Minor tip burn on older leaves is often just a sign of environmental stress.
Stopping it coming back
Use rainwater whenever possible and ensure the soil drains freely to prevent mineral buildup.
Coast Banksia: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your coast banksia 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
- Should I trim off the brown tips?
- You can trim them for aesthetics, but be careful not to cut into the green tissue. Use clean, sharp scissors to make a clean cut.
- Does fertilizer cause brown tips?
- Yes, using too much fertilizer can burn the roots and show up as brown tips. Banksias prefer low phosphorus fertilizers specifically formulated for native plants.
Guides to these causes
More problems with Coast Banksia
Back to the Coast Banksia 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.