Dracaena Brown Tips: Why It Happens (Usually Your Tap Water) and How to Fix It
Brown tips on a dracaena (corn plant, dragon tree, Janet Craig and friends) are so common that they're almost a feature of the plant. The most likely cause is fluoride in your tap water: dracaenas are unusually sensitive to it, and it collects at the leaf tips, where it kills the tissue. Dry air and uneven watering make it worse. The fix is simple, though the brown bits won't turn green again. Here's what to change.
Which dracaena?
The ones people usually have:
- Dracaena marginata (dragon tree): thin, spiky leaves, often with red edges. "Tricolor" has pink and cream stripes.
- Dracaena fragrans (corn plant, mass cane): wide, corn-like leaves, often with a yellow stripe, on thick canes.
- Dracaena deremensis (Janet Craig, Lemon Lime, Warneckii): glossy, upright leaves.
They all get brown tips for the same reasons.
1. Fluoride and chemicals in tap water
Dracaenas are among the houseplants most sensitive to fluoride. The plant moves it through the leaves to the tips and edges, where it builds up and kills the tissue. You get dry brown tips, sometimes with a yellow band behind them. Chlorine and the salts in hard water add to it.
Fix: - Water with rainwater, distilled water or filtered water that removes fluoride. Standard jug filters don't remove much fluoride; reverse-osmosis filters do. - Flush the soil every couple of months: run plenty of water through the pot and let it drain, to wash out built-up salts. - Avoid perlite in the potting mix if you can, as some perlite releases fluoride. - Don't overfeed. Fertiliser salts cause the same browning. Feed lightly in spring and summer only.
2. Dry air
Indoor heating dries the air, and the leaf tips dry out first. Group plants together or run a humidifier in winter. Keep the plant away from radiators and heat vents.
3. Uneven watering
Dracaenas like to dry out a little between waterings, but not completely.
- Too dry: tips brown and lower leaves drop.
- Too wet: leaves yellow, lower leaves drop fast, and the cane goes soft at the base. That's root rot, and it's more serious.
Water when the top inch or two of soil is dry, thoroughly, and let it drain. See overwatering vs underwatering if you're not sure which you're dealing with.
Normal ageing
Dracaenas naturally shed their lowest leaves as they grow taller, which is how they get their bare canes. A lower leaf turning yellow and brown now and then is normal. Brown tips on new, upper leaves are the ones to worry about.
Trimming the brown tips
Brown tips won't go green again, but you can trim them so the plant looks tidy:
- Use clean, sharp scissors.
- Cut along the natural shape of the leaf, angled to a point, rather than straight across.
- Leave a thin line of brown rather than cutting into green, which can start a new brown edge.
Is dracaena safe for pets?
No. The ASPCA lists dracaena as toxic to dogs and cats. It contains saponins, which can cause vomiting (sometimes with blood), drooling, loss of appetite and depression; cats may also get dilated pupils. It's rarely serious, but call your vet if your pet has eaten some. See our guide to houseplants toxic to cats and dogs.
Planted can identify which dracaena you have from a photo and show what's causing the damage.
Common questions
Why does my dracaena have brown tips?
Most often fluoride and chemicals in tap water, which dracaenas are especially sensitive to. Dry air, overfeeding and uneven watering also cause it.
Should I cut the brown tips off my dracaena?
You can. Trim along the leaf's shape with clean scissors, leaving a thin edge of brown. The tips won't turn green again.
What water is best for dracaena?
Rainwater, distilled water or reverse-osmosis water. Ordinary jug filters remove chlorine but not much fluoride.
Is dracaena toxic to cats?
Yes. It can cause vomiting, drooling and dilated pupils in cats. It's rarely life-threatening, but call your vet if your cat has chewed it.