Brown leaf tips on Prayer plant: causes and fixes

Brown, crispy tips on Prayer plant have a few possible causes, and on this plant the likeliest is dry air. The full list is below.

Prayer plant — Maranta leuconeura
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Most likely cause

Dry air (low humidity). Raise humidity: group plants together, sit the pot on a tray of damp pebbles, or run a humidifier. Misting helps only briefly.

What’s causing it

Tap-water salts (fluoride/chlorine)

How to tell

Prayer plant is one of the more sensitive houseplants to minerals in tap water, so tips brown even with otherwise good care.

The fix

Switch to filtered, distilled, or rainwater (it makes a real difference on this plant) and flush the pot occasionally to wash out built-up salts.

Inconsistent or under-watering

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.

Fertilizer burn

How to tell

Brown tips appear with a white crust on the surface, usually after feeding too often or too strong.

The fix

Flush thoroughly with plain water and feed less often, always diluted.

Too much direct sun

How to tell

Dry brown patches or scorched edges show up where strong sun hits the leaf. Prayer plant wants medium, indirect light.

The fix

Move it back from the glass, or filter the strongest sun with a sheer curtain.

Prevention

Keep humidity up, use filtered or rainwater since this plant is genuinely salt-sensitive, and never let the mix go bone dry for long.

More for your Prayer plant

All Prayer plant guides

Related plants

Same genus or the same care pattern.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-01