# Brown tips vs brown edges vs brown spots

By the GO AI Team · August 21, 2026

> **TL;DR:** Browning isn't one problem. **Crispy tips** — water stress, dry air, salt build-up. **Edges moving inward** — drought, scorch, fertiliser burn. **Discrete spots** with a defined border or yellow halo — infection. **Soft dark patches** — too much water. Read the *texture* and the *border*, not the colour.

## The patterns

| Pattern | Texture | Likely cause | First move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tips only | Crispy, dry | Low humidity, inconsistent watering, salt build-up | Water more evenly; flush the pot |
| Edges inward | Crispy, sometimes a yellow band | Drought, sun scorch, over-fertilising | Check soil and recent feeding |
| Discrete spots | Defined border, yellow halo | Fungal or bacterial infection | Isolate; remove affected leaves |
| Soft dark patches | Mushy, spreading | Overwatering, or disease on wet leaves | Check the roots immediately |
| Pale dry patches, one side | Bleached, papery | Sunburn on the window side | Move back from the glass |

## Crispy tips — most common, least serious

Tips are furthest from the roots, so they lose out first. Three causes:

- **Dry air** — especially winter heating. Calatheas, ferns and marantas most.
- **Inconsistent watering** — the *swing* between bone dry and soaked, not underwatering as such.
- **Salt build-up** — flush the pot thoroughly every few months and let it drain away.

Spider plants, dracaenas and calatheas are notably sensitive to fluoride and chlorine. Persistent crispy tips on those? Try filtered or rainwater.

## Spots — the one to act on

Defined spots ringed in yellow usually mean infection, and unlike the others this *spreads*. Move it away from neighbours, remove bad leaves, stop misting, improve airflow, water the soil not the foliage. Wet leaves are how these travel.

Soft dark spreading patches are different — check the roots first.

## Cutting the brown off

For appearance, yes: trim just inside the brown following the leaf's shape, leaving a thin margin. Cutting into green tissue creates a fresh wound that browns again.

It's cosmetic. The brown is dead and won't spread. Trimming changes nothing about the cause.

## Knowing it's fixed

Existing brown never greens. The only evidence is **new growth coming in clean**. Change one thing, photograph it, set a recheck date a fortnight out, judge then.

Yellowing instead? [Different tree](https://goaichat.app/blog/yellow-leaves). Unsure about water? Start here.

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