Should I trim off the brown tips?

Yes, you can trim them with clean scissors. Just be careful to cut only the brown part and leave a tiny sliver of brown behind to avoid cutting into the healthy green tissue.

Will the brown tips turn green again?

No, once a leaf tip has turned brown and crispy, it will not turn green again. Focus on preventing new growth from developing the same issue.

Prayer plant: brown tips, causes and fixes

Check these first

Check the humidity level in your room with a hygrometer.
Feel the soil to see if it has been drying out too much between waterings.
Switch to distilled water for your next few waterings.

Likely causes

Low Humidity
Most likely
How to tell: The edges of the leaves become dry, crispy, and brown while the rest of the leaf looks healthy.
What to do: Place your plant on a pebble tray filled with water or run a humidifier nearby to keep humidity above 50 percent. Grouping plants together also helps them create a more humid microclimate.
Mineral Buildup
Most likely
How to tell: Brown tips appear even when the soil is consistently moist and the air is humid.
What to do: Switch to using distilled water, rainwater, or filtered water instead of tap water. Tap water often contains salts and chlorine that build up in the soil and burn the delicate leaf tips.

Brown tips on other plants

Find out what's wrong with your prayer 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.

When to worry

A few crispy tips are normal as leaves age, but if the browning is spreading rapidly across the foliage, you need to adjust your care immediately.

Stopping it coming back

Keep your prayer plant away from heating vents and use distilled water consistently to prevent mineral accumulation.

Prayer plant: brown tips? Check yours with a photo

Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your prayer 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.

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

Questions people ask

Should I trim off the brown tips?: Yes, you can trim them with clean scissors. Just be careful to cut only the brown part and leave a tiny sliver of brown behind to avoid cutting into the healthy green tissue.
Will the brown tips turn green again?: No, once a leaf tip has turned brown and crispy, it will not turn green again. Focus on preventing new growth from developing the same issue.

Guides to these causes

Salt Stress

Why are my prayer plant's leaf tips turning brown?