Dracaena fragrans
Quick answer
Brown, crispy tips on your corn plant have a few possible causes, and on this plant the likeliest is tap-water fluoride and accumulated salts.
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How to tell
Corn plant is one of the more sensitive houseplants to fluoride and salts in tap water, so tips brown slowly over months even with otherwise good care. Fluoride injury can appear without any visible crust. A white crust on the soil surface or the pot rim shows mineral or fertilizer salts, not fluoride specifically.
The fix
Switch to rainwater or distilled water and flush the pot occasionally to wash out built-up salts.
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How to tell
Tips brown mainly on the side facing a radiator or heater vent. Corn plant does well at 40–60% humidity, so ordinary room air is rarely the cause on its own.
The fix
Move it away from the heat source. It doesn’t need misting or a humidity tray.
How to tell
The soil dries out hard between waterings, so the tips (the last to get water) crisp first.
The fix
Water more evenly: check the soil regularly and don’t let it go completely bone dry, then soak thoroughly.
How to tell
Tips brown within a week or two of feeding, sometimes with a white crust on the soil surface or the pot rim. It follows feeding too often or too strong.
The fix
During active growth, feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer at the label rate. Reduce or stop feeding in winter.
How to tell
Dry brown patches or scorched edges show up where strong sun hits the leaf. Corn plant wants bright, indirect light.
The fix
Move it back from the glass, or filter the strongest sun with a sheer curtain.
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