Chinese Evergreen Brown Tips — Three Causes, One Symptom
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum (and related cultivars))
Symptoms
- dry, brown, papery tips on otherwise green or variegated leaves
- the browning may follow the leaf margin in more severe cases
- brown tips on multiple leaves simultaneously
- no other obvious symptoms (plant not yellow or wilting)
Causes
Low humidity — the most frequent cause in Chinese Evergreen specifically
Aglaonema evolved in humid Southeast Asian forests and is more humidity-sensitive than many of the other aroids commonly marketed alongside it. At humidity below 40% — common in centrally-heated winter interiors — the leaf tips, which are the furthest from the water supply and have the highest surface-to-volume ratio, desiccate first. The resulting brown tips are dry and papery, progressing from the very tip inward. They are not recoverable but stop progressing when humidity is increased.
Cold damage mimicking brown tips
Cold exposure (below 60°F) produces brown patches that can first appear at the leaf tip before spreading. The key distinction: cold damage patches are often irregular in shape and may be slightly water-soaked when fresh, versus the sharp, defined tip browning of humidity damage. Cold damage also typically shows as patches rather than symmetrical tip browning.
Fluoride accumulation from tap water
Aglaonema is moderately sensitive to fluoride — not as sensitive as Dracaena, but more so than most aroids. Long-term tap watering accumulates fluoride in the soil, which is transported to leaf tips. The fluoride tip burn in Chinese Evergreen presents as well-defined dry browning at the very tip, often accompanied by some margin browning on older leaves. Switching to filtered water stops the progression.
How to Fix It
- 1
Increase humidity: a pebble tray with water, clustering plants together, or a small humidifier near the plant all provide meaningful improvement. Target 50%+ humidity.
- 2
Assess cold exposure: is the plant near a window, vent, or exterior wall? If so, move it to a consistently warm interior spot at least a few feet from any glass or draft, keeping it above 60°F going forward. Trim off any leaf sections with irregular, water-soaked-looking patches, since that damaged tissue won't recover, but new leaves grown in the corrected spot should emerge undamaged.
- 3
Switch to filtered or collected rainwater if you have been using tap water. Flush the soil with filtered water to leach accumulated fluoride.
- 4
Trim existing brown tips with clean scissors at an angle to match the leaf tip's natural shape. Trimming does not harm the plant and improves appearance.
Prevention
- Maintain 50%+ humidity around the plant year-round
- Keep above 65°F and away from cold drafts
- Use filtered or rainwater for irrigation
Quick Summary
| Plant | Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum (and related cultivars)) |
|---|---|
| Category | Environment |
| Likely causes | Low humidity — the most frequent cause in Chinese Evergreen specifically, Cold damage mimicking brown tips, Fluoride accumulation from tap water |
| Fix steps | 4 steps — see above |