brown tips on Airplant
Quick answer
If your Airplant has brown tips, the most likely cause is: Airplants (Tillandsia) absorb moisture and nutrients through their leaves rather than through roots in soil, so when they go too long between soakings the thinner-leaved types dry out first and the tips of the leaves go brown or curl, which the BBC Gardeners' World Houseplants A-Z explicitly flags as a sign of dehydration in this genus.
Start here:
- 1. Soak the airplant in water for a short period once a week from spring to autumn, then mist every few days between soakings and let it dry off thoroughly afterwards so the leaves never stay wet.
- 2. Move thinner-leaved, faster-drying airplants to a brighter, more humid spot such as a bathroom or kitchen that gets bright, indirect light and good ventilation, and watch the leaf tips as the recovery signal.
Why Airplant gets brown tips
airplant
Airplants (Tillandsia) absorb moisture and nutrients through their leaves rather than through roots in soil, so when they go too long between soakings the thinner-leaved types dry out first and the tips of the leaves go brown or curl, which the BBC Gardeners' World Houseplants A-Z explicitly flags as a sign of dehydration in this genus.
How to reverse brown tips on Airplant
- 1
Soak the airplant in water for a short period once a week from spring to autumn, then mist every few days between soakings and let it dry off thoroughly afterwards so the leaves never stay wet.
- 2
Move thinner-leaved, faster-drying airplants to a brighter, more humid spot such as a bathroom or kitchen that gets bright, indirect light and good ventilation, and watch the leaf tips as the recovery signal.
Keep brown tips off this Airplant
Keep thinner-leaved airplants in bright, indirect light at 10-30°C with humidity and good air flow, maintain the once-weekly soak from spring to autumn with interim mistings, and never let the plant sit in pooled water so the leaves can dry upside down between waterings.