Plant care guide
Why Are My Philodendron Leaves Curling? Water, Salts or Thrips
Updated
Why are my Philodendron leaves curling?
Philodendron leaves curl most often because the root ball has dried out, or because heavy feeding has built up salts, which Clemson Extension says makes leaf tips curl and brown. Thrips feeding on unfurling leaves can leave them permanently crinkled or curled. Twisted new leaves on hybrid philodendrons can also point to a calcium shortage.
What to do first
Feel the mix deep in the pot and look for white crust. Water a dry plant thoroughly, flush a crusty one, and pause feeding. Then check new and unfurling leaves with a hand lens for thrips before changing anything else.
A philodendron is usually forgiving, so curling leaves feel like a warning. They are. The good news is that the common causes are easy to check in a few minutes: the mix, the pot surface, and the newest leaves.
Sort the cause
| What you find | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Mix dry deep in the pot, pot light, leaves limp and curling | Too little water |
| Tips curling and browning, white crust on the mix or pot rim, regular feeding | Fertilizer salts |
| New leaves crinkled or curled, pale stippling, tiny black specks | Thrips |
| New leaves on a hybrid slightly twisted or distorted, roots and watering fine | Calcium deficiency |
| Dry patches on leaf margins in a bright, sunny spot | Water stress plus high light |
| Mix wet, lower leaves yellowing, growing tips dying | Overwatering or too little light |
Too little water
Virginia Cooperative Extension’s watering guide lists leaves that curl upward or downward among underwatering symptoms, with brown tips and mix shrinking from the pot edge. Clemson Extension’s houseplant disorders factsheet says chronic underwatering leads to wilting, leaf curling and death.
Clemson’s philodendron factsheet advises keeping the soil evenly moist, but not soggy. A philodendron allowed to dry out completely between waterings is a likely curler.
UF/IFAS Extension’s philodendron guidelines (EP150) add that water stress with high light kills irregular patches of the leaf margins. If curling comes with dry edges on the sunny side, light is part of the problem. Our philodendron lighting guide covers placement.
Fertilizer salts
Clemson says excess fertilizer causes the tips of philodendron leaves to curl and brown. University of Maryland Extension’s watering page adds that salt build-up causes reduced growth, brown tips, lower leaf drop and wilting. Look for white crust on the mix or the pot rim.
UF/IFAS also links scorched tips on older leaves to sodium toxicity. If your tips are browning more than curling, see our philodendron brown leaf tips guide.
Thrips on new growth
University of Maryland Extension’s thrips page names philodendron as a host. Young leaves that thrips feed on while still expanding can stay permanently stunted, crinkled or curled. Look also for pale stippling that turns silvery or bronze, and small tar-like specks. Clemson lists aphids, mealybugs, scales and spider mites as other philodendron pests. See our philodendron thrips guide for treatment.
Twisted new leaves
UF/IFAS describes slightly twisted or distorted new leaves on hybrid philodendrons as a sign of calcium deficiency. Purplish, twisted new leaves that look torn can mean manganese toxicity. Both are less likely than watering or salts, so rule those out first. Our philodendron nutrient deficiency guide explains the patterns.
What to do
- Check the mix about 5 cm (2 in) down, as UMD suggests.
- If it is dry, water slowly until it drains. VCE suggests bottom watering for 15–30 minutes to rewet a dry root ball, but never longer than 60 minutes in standing water.
- If there is crust, pour at least twice the pot’s volume of water through the mix, as UMD advises, and let it drain. Pause feeding for a few weeks.
- If it is wet, stop watering and see our philodendron yellow leaves guide for the root check.
- Inspect new leaves with a hand lens before spraying anything.
- Keep it warm. Clemson gives 18–21 °C (65–70 °F) at night and 24–29 °C (75–85 °F) by day.
Curled leaves may not flatten again. Judge the fix by the next few leaves as they unfurl.
References
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC 1509: Philodendron
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC 2251: Houseplant Diseases & Disorders
- UF/IFAS Extension: Cultural Guidelines for Commercial Production of Interiorscape Philodendron (EP150)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Properly Watering Container Houseplants (SPES-804)
- University of Maryland Extension: Thrips in Home Gardens
- University of Maryland Extension: Watering Indoor Plants
How this guide was put together: Clemson Cooperative Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension and University of Maryland Extension guidance.