Spider Plant Brown Tips?
The common causes — and how to tell them apart.
Brown tips are the spider plant's most common complaint, and they're usually a water-quality or humidity issue, not a disease. Spider plants are unusually sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water, which browns the very tips; dry air and inconsistent watering do the same. Snap a photo below for an instant diagnosis and the exact fix.
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The 3 causes, compared
| Cause | How to spot it | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fluoride / chlorine in water | Whole-tip browning; worse with hard or fluoridated tap water | Switch to filtered, distilled, or rainwater; spider plants are especially fluoride-sensitive |
| Low humidity / dry air | Uniform dry brown edges and tips | Raise humidity a little and group plants together |
| Underwatering / inconsistent water | Brown tips with some wilting and dry soil | Water thoroughly when the top inch dries and keep to a steady schedule |
FAQ
- Why does my spider plant get brown tips so easily?
- Spider plants are unusually sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water, so brown tips often come down to water quality — filtered, distilled or rainwater usually helps.
- Should I cut the brown tips off?
- You can trim them for looks (cut to a natural point), but the tip won't regrow; fix the water quality or humidity so new growth stays clean.