Should I cut off the yellow leaves?

Yes, you can snip them off with clean scissors to help the plant focus its energy on healthy growth. Be careful, as the milky sap can irritate your skin.

Can low light cause yellow leaves?

Yes, Sun spurge needs full sun. If it is in a dark corner, the leaves will lose their color and eventually turn yellow.

Sun spurge: yellow leaves, causes and fixes

Check these first

Feel the soil moisture with your finger.
Check the pot for drainage holes.
Inspect the base of the stem for mushiness.

Likely causes

Overwatering
Most likely
How to tell: The lower leaves turn yellow and feel soft or mushy to the touch. The soil stays wet for more than a few days.
What to do: Stop watering immediately and let the top 2 inches of soil dry out. Ensure your pot has drainage holes so excess water can escape.
Nutrient deficiency
Possible
How to tell: Older leaves turn pale yellow while the veins remain green. This often happens if the plant has been in the same soil for a long time.
What to do: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength once a month during the growing season. If the soil is very old, consider repotting into fresh, well draining potting mix.

Yellow leaves on other plants

Find out what's wrong with your sun spurge

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.

When to worry

If the yellowing spreads rapidly across the whole plant, it is a sign of root rot. A single yellow leaf at the very bottom is usually just the plant aging.

Stopping it coming back

Only water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Always use a pot with good drainage to prevent water from pooling.

Sun spurge: yellow leaves? Check yours with a photo

Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your sun spurge 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.

Get the app · Or check it from a photo now, free

Questions people ask

Should I cut off the yellow leaves?: Yes, you can snip them off with clean scissors to help the plant focus its energy on healthy growth. Be careful, as the milky sap can irritate your skin.
Can low light cause yellow leaves?: Yes, Sun spurge needs full sun. If it is in a dark corner, the leaves will lose their color and eventually turn yellow.

Why are my Sun spurge leaves turning yellow?

Check these first

Not sure what's wrong with your sun spurge?

Likely causes

Overwatering

Nutrient deficiency

Find out what's wrong with your sun spurge

When to worry

Stopping it coming back

Sun spurge: yellow leaves? Check yours with a photo

Questions people ask

More problems with Sun spurge