Curling leaves on houseplants
Common causes of curling leaves and the first things to check, summarized from 30 PlantGrail care records across 21 plants (as of ).
What causes curling leaves on houseplants?
It depends on the plant and how it is kept, so check the plant pages below. For Indoor Citrus, the records explain it like this: The citrus leafminer moth lays eggs on tender new growth. The hatching larvae tunnel inside the leaf tissue, creating visible silvery, winding trails and causing the young leaves to curl, distort, and eventually drop.
Common first steps
- For underwatering: water thoroughly and increase humidity to 50-60%
- For transplant shock: keep soil consistently moist (not soggy) for 2-3 weeks
- For rootbound: repot into slightly larger container
Plants with records for curling leaves
Most records first. Open a plant for its own causes and fixes.
- calathea Goeppertia spp.Plant care guide
- pilea peperomioides Pilea peperomioidesPlant care guide
- pothos Epipremnum aureumPlant care guide
- bird of paradise Strelitzia reginaePlant care guide
- scindapsus pictus Scindapsus pictusPlant care guide
- prayer plant Maranta leuconeuraRead the guide
- rubber plant Ficus elasticaRead the guide
- alocasia Alocasia spp.Plant care guide
- fittonia Fittonia albivenisRead the guide
- fiddle leaf fig Plant care guide
- chinese evergreen Aglaonema spp.Plant care guide
- snake plant Dracaena trifasciataRead the guide
- begonia Begonia spp.Read the guide
- dieffenbachia Dieffenbachia spp.Read the guide
- hoya Hoya spp.Plant care guide
- philodendron Philodendron spp.Read the guide
- monstera deliciosa Monstera deliciosaPlant care guide
- scindapsus exotica scindapsus exotica
- peperomia Peperomia spp.Read the guide
- anthurium Anthurium spp.Read the guide
- alocasia frydek Alocasia micholitziana 'Frydek'Plant care guide
Questions about curling leaves
Which plants have the most records for curling leaves?
calathea, pilea peperomioides, pothos, bird of paradise, scindapsus pictus and 16 others.
Can curling leaves be prevented?
Apply dormant horticultural oil sprays before the spring flush of new growth. Avoid over-fertilizing with high nitrogen, as excessive succulent new growth attracts leafminers.
What are these records?
This page summarizes 30 PlantGrail care records on curling leaves. Records describe care topics; they are not counts of observed plants or treatment outcomes.