⚠ Minor🩺
Leaves
Fiddle Leaf Fig Dry Brown Leaf Tips — Fluoride & Salt Accumulation
Commonly affects: Ficus lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig)
The tips of large Ficus lyrata leaves turn papery brown and dry, progressing inward along the leaf margins in a clean, defined line. The rest of the leaf remains healthy green and firm. This tip necrosis follows the classic pattern of fluoride toxicity or fertiliser salt accumulation — minerals concentrate at the leaf tips as water evaporates through the stomata, reaching toxic concentrations that kill the cells at these extremities.
Potential Causes
- 1Fluoride in tap water accumulating in leaf margins over repeated watering cycles
- 2Fertiliser salt buildup from regular fertilisation without periodic leaching
- 3Low humidity causing excessive transpiration that concentrates minerals at leaf edges faster
Solution Steps
- 1Switch to filtered, distilled, or rainwater for irrigation.
- 2Flush the substrate with large volumes of water every 4-6 weeks to leach accumulated salts.
- 3Trim brown tips to maintain appearance — the brown will not spread if the cause is addressed.
- 4Reduce fertiliser concentration to 25% of the recommended dose.
- 5Increase ambient humidity to reduce transpiration rate.
Prevention Tip
Rainwater or filtered water used consistently from the start prevents fluoride accumulation in Ficus lyrata. Once established, the damage is cosmetic but persistent in older leaves.
