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Brown leaf tips on white bird of paradise (alba): causes and fixes

Strelitzia alba

Quick answer

Brown, crispy tips on your white bird of paradise (alba) have a few possible causes, and on this plant the likeliest is dry air. The full list is below.

White bird of paradise (alba) (Strelitzia alba)
White bird of paradise (alba) · Strelitzia alba
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Toxic to pets

Most likely cause

Dry air (low humidity)

Illustration of a leaf with a dry brown tip and a white salt crust on the pot rim

How to tell

  • Just the very tips and edges go brown and papery while the rest of the leaf is fine.

The fix

  1. 1
    Raise humidity: group plants together, sit the pot on a tray of damp pebbles, or run a humidifier.
  2. 2
    Misting helps only briefly.
More about this

This is most common in winter with the heating on, and white bird of paradise (alba) prefers 50–70% humidity.

Other possible causes

Not a match? Compare the signs below to find the one you have.

Inconsistent or under-watering

The soil dries out hard between waterings, so the tips (the last to get water) crisp first.

The fix

  1. 1
    Water more evenly: check the soil regularly and don’t let it go completely bone dry, then soak thoroughly.

Hard-water minerals and accumulated salts

Tips brown slowly over months despite even watering, and a white crust builds up on the soil surface or the pot rim.

How to tell

  • Hard water or fertilizer salts can leave this crust.

The fix

  1. 1
    Switch to rainwater or distilled water, and flush the pot occasionally to wash out built-up salts.
More about this

It does not identify fluoride injury.

Fertilizer burn

Tips brown within a week or two of feeding, sometimes with a white crust on the soil surface or the pot rim.

The fix

  1. 1
    Flush thoroughly with plain water and feed less often, always diluted.
More about this

It follows feeding too often or too strong.

Too much direct sun

Dry brown patches or scorched edges show up where strong sun hits the leaf.

How to tell

  • White bird of paradise (alba) wants bright light and some direct sun.

The fix

  1. 1
    Filter the harshest midday sun with a sheer curtain for a few weeks, then reintroduce the sunny spot gradually so the leaves can harden off.

All white bird of paradise (alba) guides

Keep reading

Related plants

Bamboo palm: brown leaf tipsChamaedorea seifriziiPet safety unknownBird of paradiseStrelitzia reginaeSame genus · StrelitziaToxic to petsGiant white bird of paradiseStrelitzia nicolaiSame genus · StrelitziaToxic to petsPeace lilySpathiphyllum wallisiiToxic to pets

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