Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Check the top two inches of soil for dryness.
- Inspect the leaves for signs of pests like aphids.
- Move the plant to a location with more consistent moisture.
Likely causes
Underwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The soil feels dry to the touch and the leaves may look slightly wilted or brittle.
What to do: Water your Cleome deeply until water runs out the bottom of the pot. Aim to keep the soil consistently moist by watering every 3 to 7 days depending on the heat.
Low Humidity
PossibleHow to tell: The tips turn brown and crispy while the rest of the leaf remains green and healthy.
What to do: Move your plant to a spot with better airflow or group it with other plants to create a microclimate. Avoid placing it directly in front of a hot air vent or heater.
Find out what's wrong with your spider flower
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
Worry if the browning spreads rapidly toward the center of the leaves. Minor tip burn on older leaves is normal as the plant matures.
Stopping it coming back
Maintain a consistent watering schedule and ensure the soil stays damp but not waterlogged.
Keep your spider flower healthy from here
Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.
Questions people ask
- Should I trim the brown tips off?
- Yes, you can trim them with clean scissors to keep the plant looking tidy. Just avoid cutting into the healthy green tissue.
- Does fertilizer cause brown tips?
- Over-fertilizing can cause salt buildup that leads to tip burn. Flush the soil with plenty of water to wash away excess salts.
More problems with Spider flower
- Why are there bugs on my spider flower?
- Why does my spider flower have white spots on its leaves?
- Why is my cleome drooping?
- Why is my cleome growing so leggy?
- Why is my spider flower not blooming?
- Why are my cleome's leaves turning yellow?
- Why is my Cleome losing its leaves?
- How do I fix root rot on my Cleome?
- Why are my cleome leaves curling?
Back to the Spider flower guide
This article was generated with AI from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.