Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Feel the soil to ensure it is not bone dry.
- Check the air humidity level in the room.
- Inspect the water source for high mineral content.
Likely causes
Low Humidity
Most likelyHow to tell: The leaf tips become crispy and brown while the rest of the leaf remains green. This happens frequently in homes with central heating or air conditioning.
What to do: Place your plant on a pebble tray filled with water or use a humidifier nearby. Mist the leaves lightly every few days to increase the ambient moisture.
Mineral Buildup
PossibleHow to tell: Tips turn brown even when the soil feels moist. This is often caused by salts or chlorine in tap water.
What to do: Switch to using filtered, distilled, or rainwater for your coffee plant. Flush the soil with clean water once a month to wash away accumulated salts.
Find out what's wrong with your coffee plant
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
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
When to worry
A few brown tips are normal in winter, but if the browning spreads to the center of the leaf, you need to adjust your care.
Stopping it coming back
Keep your coffee plant away from heating vents and drafts to maintain consistent humidity.
Coffee plant: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your coffee plant 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 the brown tips off?
- Yes, you can trim them with clean scissors for aesthetic reasons. Just be careful not to cut into the healthy green tissue.
- Does misting really help?
- Misting provides a temporary boost in humidity. It is helpful, but a humidifier or pebble tray is more effective long term.
Guides to these causes
More problems with Coffee plant
- What are these bumps on my coffee plant?
- Why does my coffee plant have brown spots?
- Why are my coffee plant's leaves turning yellow?
- Why is my coffee plant drooping?
- How do I fix root rot on my coffee plant?
- Why is my coffee plant losing leaves?
- Why won't my coffee plant bloom?
- Why is my coffee plant growing so tall and thin?
- Why are my coffee plant's leaves curling?
Back to the Coffee plant 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.