With nearly 200 tropical species of dracaena, there’s a wide variety of colors, foliage patterns, and growth habits to choose from. But most dracaena plants have one thing in common: improper care or less-than-ideal conditions can cause that beautiful foliage to turn brown and unattractive.

Here’s what to do about brown dracaena leaves—plus why they happen, how to cut them off, and how to keep them from coming back.

7 Reasons Why Your Dracaena Leaves Are Brown + How to Fix

Low Humidity

If only the tips of your dracaena’s leaves are brown, there’s a good chance your plant is suffering due to lack of humidity. Dracaenas prefer humidity levels between 50% and 60%, which is considerably less dry than most indoor air.

You can address the issue by grouping your dracaena plant together with other humidity-loving houseplants to create a more humid microclimate or by running a small humidifier near your plant.

Too Much Sunlight

Dracaenas grow best with bright, indirect light. If the light source is too strong or direct sunlight is hitting your plant’s leaves, the foliage may become sunburned. This looks like dry, brown patches on leaves, especially if there was a sudden shift to harsh, sunny conditions.

You can’t reverse sunburned leaves, but you can move your plant to a place out of direct sunlight and remove the damaged areas. Consider using a sheer curtain to filter sunlight in very bright, sunny rooms.

Cold Temperatures

Sudden cold drafts or exposure to temperatures below 50°F or so can damage the leaves of your dracaena plant. Keep plants away from cold, drafty windows and doors or air conditioning vents. Foliage that’s been damaged due to cold can’t be saved, so your best bet is removing the brown leaves and protecting your plant from sudden environmental shifts going forward.

Underwatering

Drought conditions can cause dracaena leaves to turn brown, wilted, and crispy. Dracaena plants require consistently moist soil, so a long period of neglect can result in leaf damage or even leaf loss.

To rescue an underwatered dracaena plant, give it a deep bottom watering to restore soil moisture and trim away any brown leaves. Going forward, check the soil moisture weekly and water when the soil surface has just begun to dry out.

Buildup of Salts

Dracaena plants can be sensitive to tap water additives like fluoride. Salts can also build up in the soil over time as you fertilize your plant. These issues can cause brown tips, margins, or spots on dracaena plant leaves.

You can use a reverse osmosis water filter to remove fluoride from your water supply, or water your houseplants with rainwater. Flush plants with water each month with three times the volume of the plant’s container to help remove salts built up in the soil.

Leaf Spot Disease

Overly wet conditions, especially in the center of a dracaena’s foliage, can cause a plant disease called fusarium leaf spot. Symptoms include dry, brown or tan patches surrounded by yellow areas. In severe cases, the issue can progress into stem rot. To prevent this, water the soil directly rather than getting your dracaena’s foliage wet. Treat infections with an organic fungicide.

Natural Leaf Aging

Keep in mind that all of your dracaena’s leaves will naturally turn brown as they age before dropping off the plant. One or two brown leaves on an otherwise healthy plant is nothing to worry about. If you’d like, you can snip them off with sterilized pruners to keep your plant looking its best.

Should You Cut Off Brown Dracaena Leaves?

Regardless of the cause, it’s a good idea to trim away dracaena leaves that have turned brown. Doing this allows your plant to devote its energy to healthy foliage and helps to promote regrowth. Your plant will also look healthier and more attractive after you’ve removed damaged, brown leaves.

If only your dracaena’s leaf tips are brown, however, there’s no need to remove the entire leaf. Instead, you can simply snip away the brown portion, positioning your cuts so that the end of the leaf has a natural V shape. However, if you don’t address the reason behind the brown tips, they will keep coming back.

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Dracaena Care Tips

• In cold, dry climates, your dracaena plant will benefit from a humidifier running nearby, particularly in winter.
• Save major pruning for spring or summer, when the plant is actively growing and will be able to regrow more quickly.
• If your plant has become very leggy or spindly, you can cut off the stem tip, dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder, and plant it in a small container to propagate a new, healthy plant.