Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Touch the top inch of soil to see if it is dry.
- Check the air humidity levels in your room.
- Look for signs of drafty windows or heating vents nearby.
Likely causes
Low Humidity
Most likelyHow to tell: The tips turn brown and crispy while the rest of the frond remains green. This happens often in homes with central heating or air conditioning.
What to do: Place your fern on a pebble tray filled with water to increase local humidity. You can also mist the fronds lightly every morning to keep them happy.
Inconsistent Watering
Most likelyHow to tell: The soil feels bone dry to the touch and the plant looks slightly wilted. Leatherleaf ferns hate drying out completely.
What to do: Water your fern every 3 to 7 days, ensuring the soil stays evenly moist. Never let the top inch of soil dry out entirely.
Find out what's wrong with your leatherleaf fern
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
It is normal to see an occasional brown tip on older fronds. Worry only if the browning is spreading rapidly across new growth.
Stopping it coming back
Keep the soil consistently moist and maintain a humid environment by grouping plants together.
Leatherleaf Fern: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your leatherleaf fern 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 cut off the brown tips?
- Yes, you can trim the brown tips with clean scissors for aesthetic reasons. Just be careful not to cut into the healthy green tissue.
- Will the brown tips turn green again?
- No, once a leaf tip turns brown and crispy, it will not recover its green color. Focus on preventing new growth from developing the same issue.
More problems with Leatherleaf Fern
- Why is my Leatherleaf Fern wilting and smelling bad?
- What are these brown bumps on my Leatherleaf Fern?
- Why are my Leatherleaf Fern's leaves turning yellow?
- Why is my Leatherleaf Fern drooping?
- Why is my Leatherleaf Fern dropping its leaves?
- Why does my Leatherleaf Fern have spots on its fronds?
- Why is my Leatherleaf Fern looking thin and leggy?
- Why are the fronds on my Leatherleaf Fern curling?
Back to the Leatherleaf Fern 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.