Pocket Botanist
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Check these first
- Check the soil moisture with your finger.
- Inspect the pot for proper drainage.
- Assess the light levels in your room.
Likely causes
Overwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The leaves turn yellow and feel soft or mushy to the touch. You may notice the soil stays wet for more than a week.
What to do: Let the top inch of soil dry out before watering again. Ensure your pot has drainage holes so extra water can escape.
Low Light
Most likelyHow to tell: The plant looks pale and yellow, especially on the side facing away from the light. Growth becomes thin and stretched.
What to do: Move your plant to a spot with brighter, indirect light. Avoid direct sun, which can scorch the leaves.
Find out what's wrong with your ground ivy
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
When to worry
It is normal for the oldest leaves at the base to yellow and drop as the plant grows. Worry if the yellowing spreads rapidly across the newer growth.
Stopping it coming back
Maintain a consistent watering schedule and keep the plant in a bright, indirect location.
Keep your ground ivy 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 cut off the yellow leaves?
- Yes, you can snip them off with clean scissors to help the plant look better. This also helps the plant focus energy on healthy growth.
- Can yellow leaves turn green again?
- No, once a leaf has turned yellow, it will not return to green. It is best to remove it.
More problems with Ground Ivy
- Why does my ground ivy have spots on its leaves?
- Why is my ground ivy looking so leggy?
- Why is my ground ivy drooping?
- How do I fix root rot in my Ground Ivy?
- Why are my Ground Ivy leaf tips turning brown?
- Why is my ground ivy losing its leaves?
- What are these bugs on my ground ivy?
- Why are my ground ivy leaves curling up?
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.