Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Touch the soil to see if it is dry.
- Check the location for proximity to heaters or vents.
- Feel the texture of the brown tips.
Likely causes
Underwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The soil feels dry and crumbly to the touch. The brown tips are crisp and brittle.
What to do: Water the plant thoroughly until water runs out of the drainage holes. Maintain a schedule of watering every 3 to 7 days to keep the soil consistently damp.
Low humidity
PossibleHow to tell: The air in your home is very dry, especially near heaters. The brown tips appear slowly over several weeks.
What to do: Place the pot on a tray filled with pebbles and a little water to increase local humidity. Keep the plant away from direct drafts from air vents.
Find out what's wrong with your cross-leaved heath
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
Brown tips are rarely fatal but indicate the plant is stressed. If the browning moves down the entire stem, the plant is in serious trouble.
Stopping it coming back
Keep the soil consistently damp and mist the foliage occasionally if your indoor air is very dry.
Cross-leaved heath: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your cross-leaved heath 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 off?
- You can trim the brown tips for aesthetic reasons, but be careful not to cut into the green tissue. Use clean, sharp scissors.
- Does this plant need high humidity?
- It prefers moderate to high humidity. If your home is very dry, a pebble tray is an easy way to help it thrive.
Guides to these causes
More problems with cross-leaved heath
Back to the cross-leaved heath 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.