Root rot on houseplants
Common causes of root rot and the first things to check, summarized from 268 PlantGrail care records across 231 plants (as of ).
What causes root rot on houseplants?
It depends on the plant and how it is kept, so check the plant pages below. For Succulent, the records explain it like this: Waterlogged soil (often too organic) leading to oxygen deprivation and fungal decay of root tissue.
Common first steps
- Trim all black/mushy roots with sterilized scissors, cutting 1/4 inch into healthy tissue
- Repot in fresh well-draining mix: 50% potting soil, 30% perlite, 20% orchid bark
- Remove plant from pot and rinse roots thoroughly under lukewarm water
Plants with records for root rot
Most records first. Open a plant for its own causes and fixes.
- anthurium Anthurium spp.Plant care guide
- calathea Goeppertia spp.Plant care guide
- snake plant Dracaena trifasciataPlant care guide
- peperomia Peperomia spp.Plant care guide
- fiddle leaf fig Ficus lyrataPlant care guide
- zz plant Zamioculcas zamiifoliaPlant care guide
- monstera deliciosa Monstera deliciosaPlant care guide
- string of hearts Ceropegia woodiiPlant care guide
- philodendron Philodendron spp.Plant care guide
- alocasia Alocasia spp.Plant care guide
- string of pearls Curio rowleyanusPlant care guide
- hoya Hoya spp.Plant care guide
- begonia Begonia spp.Read the guide
- bird of paradise Strelitzia reginaeRead the guide
- orchid Phalaenopsis spp.Plant care guide
- money tree Pachira aquaticaPlant care guide
- african violet Plant care guide
- mini monstera
- dieffenbachia Dieffenbachia spp.Plant care guide
- cast iron plant Plant care guide
- dracaena Dracaena spp.Plant care guide
- rubber plant Ficus elasticaRead the guide
- jade plant Crassula ovataPlant care guide
- fittonia Fittonia albivenisPlant care guide
- syngonium podophyllum Plant care guide
- schefflera arboricola Plant care guide
- calathea orbifolia Goeppertia orbifoliaPlant care guide
- anthurium clarinervium Anthurium clarinervium
- alocasia dragon scale Alocasia baginda 'Dragon Scale'Plant care guide
- hoya compacta Hoya compacta
- hoya linearis
- hoya publicalyx Hoya pubicalyx
- croton Codiaeum variegatumPlant care guide
- cactaceae Plant care guide
- fiddle-leaf-fig Read the guide
- chamaedorea elegans Plant care guide
- chinese evergreen Aglaonema spp.Read the guide
- philodendron brasil Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil'Plant care guide
- monstera adansonii Monstera adansoniiRead the guide
- ficus Ficus spp.Plant care guide
- pilea peperomioides Pilea peperomioidesPlant care guide
- pachira aquatica Plant care guide
- maranta Maranta leuconeuraPlant care guide
- pothos Epipremnum aureumRead the guide
- spider plant Chlorophytum comosumPlant care guide
- dracaena marginata Plant care guide
- date palm Plant care guide
- bromeliad Bromeliaceae spp.Plant care guide
- air plant Tillandsia spp.Plant care guide
- snake plant moonshine Dracaena trifasciata 'Moonshine'Plant care guide
- echeveria Echeveria spp.Plant care guide
- asparagus fern Asparagus setaceusPlant care guide
- zz plant raven Zamioculcas zamiifolia RavenPlant care guide
- cordyline Cordyline
- euphorbia Euphorbia
- pitcher plant Pitcher PlantPlant care guide
- kalanchoe laxiflora Kalanchoe Laxiflora
- mammillaria MammillariaPlant care guide
- rabbits foot fern Rabbits Foot FernPlant care guide
- white wizard White Wizard
- echinopsis EchinopsisPlant care guide
- parodia warasii Parodia Warasii
- platycerium grande Platycerium GrandePlant care guide
- dizygotheca elegantissima Dizygotheca Elegantissima
- rebutia Rebutia
- corn plant Corn Plant
- cycas revoluta Cycas Revoluta
- gasteria Gasteria
- phoenix canariensis Phoenix Canariensis
- legumes Legumes
- escobaria vivipara Escobaria Vivipara
- mammillaria candida Mammillaria Candida
- mammillaria grahamii Mammillaria Grahamii
- mammillaria plumosa Mammillaria Plumosa
- astrophytum asterias Astrophytum Asterias
- astrophytum capricorne Astrophytum Capricorne
- astrophytum myriostigma Astrophytum Myriostigma
- escobaria sneedii leei Escobaria Sneedii Leei
- mammillaria elongata Mammillaria Elongata
- pachyphytum PachyphytumPlant care guide
- sempervivum Sempervivum
- senecio Senecio
- stapelia Stapelia
- aluminum plant Pilea cadierei
- baby tears Soleirolia soleirolii
- ctenanthe Ctenanthe oppenheimianaPlant care guide
- greenovia Greenovia
- haworthiopsis Haworthiopsis
- philodendron micans philodendron micansPlant care guide
- wandering jew wandering jew
- hoya kerrii variegata hoya kerrii variegata
- pothos manjula pothos manjulaPlant care guide
- ficus elastica ruby ficus elastica ruby
- philodendron birkin philodendron birkin
- ficus elastica tineke ficus elastica tineke
- pothos njoy pothos njoy
- philodendron gloriosum philodendron gloriosumPlant care guide
- cactus-and-succulent cactus-and-succulentPlant care guide
- pothos marble queen pothos marble queen
- begonia rex begonia rex
- variegated philodendron variegated philodendron
- airplant airplant
- bourbon vanilla bourbon vanilla
- philodendron white knight philodendron white knightPlant care guide
- fatsia japonica fatsia japonicaPlant care guide
- spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides
- pink princess philodendron pink princess philodendronPlant care guide
- philodendron sellum philodendron sellumPlant care guide
- alocasia polly alocasia pollyPlant care guide
- anthurium crystallinum anthurium crystallinumPlant care guide
- kentia palm Howea forsteriana
- basketplant Tradescantia spathacea
- dragontree dragontree
- neon pothos Epipremnum aureum 'Neon'
- global green pothos global green pothos
- begonia angel wing begonia angel wing
- alocasia baginda alocasia bagindaPlant care guide
- dracaena sanderiana dracaena sanderiana
- aglaonema pictum tricolor aglaonema pictum tricolor
- tradescantia nanouk tradescantia nanouk
- clivia miniata clivia miniata
- calathea medallion calathea medallion
- codiaeum variegatum codiaeum variegatum
- asplenium nidus asplenium nidus
- pilea cadierei pilea cadierei
- platycerium bifurcatum platycerium bifurcatum
- aechmea fasciata aechmea fasciata
- saintpaulia ionantha saintpaulia ionantha
- tillandsia ionantha tillandsia ionantha
- epipremnum aureum epipremnum aureum
- pothos pearls and jade pothos pearls and jade
- epiphyllum oxypetalum epiphyllum oxypetalum
- philodendron congo philodendron congoPlant care guide
- alocasia zebrina alocasia zebrina
- philodendron dark lord philodendron dark lordPlant care guide
- philodendron painted lady philodendron painted ladyPlant care guide
- philodendron florida beauty philodendron florida beauty
- philodendron xanadu philodendron xanaduPlant care guide
- philodendron cordatum philodendron cordatum
- alocasia micholitziana alocasia micholitziana
- alocasia portei alocasia portei
- anthurium sp delta force anthurium sp delta force
- anthurium portillae anthurium portillae
- calathea zebrina calathea zebrina
- monstera dubia monstera dubia
- philodendron squamiferum philodendron squamiferum
- calathea lancifolia calathea lancifolia
- philodendron red congo philodendron red congo
- alocasia stingray alocasia stingray
- alocasia lauterbachiana variegata alocasia lauterbachiana variegata
- alocasia yucatan princess alocasia yucatan princess
- alocasia psilocoma alocasia psilocoma
- begonia bowerae begonia bowerae
- begonia rex escargot begonia rex escargotPlant care guide
- begonia rex iron cross begonia rex iron cross
- begonia rex shadow king begonia rex shadow king
- peperomia obtusifolia golden peperomia obtusifolia golden
- peperomia tithymaloides peperomia tithymaloides
- peperomia columella peperomia columella
- peperomia perciliata peperomia perciliata
- peperomia capreata red luna peperomia capreata red luna
- monstera adansonii archipelago monstera adansonii archipelago
- pothos global green high pothos global green high
- pothos snow queen white pothos snow queen white
- pothos golden large leaf pothos golden large leaf
- pothos pictus exotica splash pothos pictus exotica splash
- aglaonema pictum tricolor mint aglaonema pictum tricolor mint
- aglaonema nitidum aglaonema nitidum
- syngonium chiapense syngonium chiapense
- dracaena fragrans massangeana dracaena fragrans massangeana
- sansevieria laurentii sansevieria laurentii
- sansevieria golden hahnii sansevieria golden hahnii
- sansevieria silver queen snake sansevieria silver queen snake
- alocasia frydek albo alocasia frydek albo
- hoya carnosa compacta variegata hoya carnosa compacta variegata
- alocasia black velvet variegated alocasia black velvet variegated
- calathea white fusion splash calathea white fusion splash
- tradescantia spathacea vittata tradescantia spathacea vittata
- codiaeum mammy codiaeum mammy
- zz zamioculcas zamiifolia zz zamioculcas zamiifoliaPlant care guide
- alocasia regal shields alocasia regal shields
- alocasia clypeolata alocasia clypeolata
- zamioculcas zamiifolia super nova zamioculcas zamiifolia super nova
- zz raven zz raven
- musa acuminata dwarf cavendish musa acuminata dwarf cavendish
- caladium red flash caladium red flash
- amaryllis picotee amaryllis picotee
- oncidium sharry baby oncidium sharry baby
- tillandsia xerographica tillandsia xerographica
- tillandsia streptophylla tillandsia streptophylla
- vriesea splendens vriesea splendensPlant care guide
- vriesea hieroglyphica vriesea hieroglyphica
- platycerium superbum platycerium superbum
- hoya kerrii reverse variegata hoya kerrii reverse variegata
- rhipsalis cereuscula rhipsalis cereuscula
- senecio rowleyanus variegated senecio rowleyanus variegated
- hatiora salicornioides hatiora salicornioides
- rhipsalis cassutha rhipsalis cassutha
- gasteria armstrongii gasteria armstrongii
- epiphyllum hookeri epiphyllum hookeri
- gasteria batesiana gasteria batesiana
- echeveria elegans indoor echeveria elegans indoor
- philodendron nangaritense philodendron nangaritense
- alocasia lowii alocasia lowii
- alocasia purple sword alocasia purple sword
- alocasia zebrina reticulata alocasia zebrina reticulata
- anthurium sp rvdf anthurium sp rvdf
- anthurium sp dark phoenix anthurium sp dark phoenix
- calathea annie calathea annie
- peperomia raindrop peperomia raindrop
- pothos pearls jade compact pothos pearls jade compact
- pothos cebu blue silver pothos cebu blue silverPlant care guide
- pothos pinnatum cebu pothos pinnatum cebu
- sansevieria moonshine sansevieria moonshine
- sansevieria whale fin sansevieria whale fin
- sansevieria fernwood sansevieria fernwood
- sansevieria black coral sansevieria black coral
- codiaeum petra codiaeum petra
- haworthia Haworthia spp.Read the guide
- scindapsus treubii Scindapsus treubiiPlant care guide
- monstera thai constellation Monstera deliciosa 'Thai Constellation'Plant care guide
- majesty palm Ravenea rivularisRead the guide
- indoor lemon Citrus limon
- parlor palm Chamaedorea elegansPlant care guide
- ficus elastica Ficus elasticaPlant care guide
- peace lily SpathiphyllumRead the guide
- prayer plant Maranta leuconeuraPlant care guide
- english ivy Hedera helixPlant care guide
- lucky bamboo Dracaena sanderianaRead the guide
- tradescantia Tradescantia spp.Plant care guide
- ponytail palm Beaucarnea recurvataRead the guide
Questions about root rot
Which plants have the most records for root rot?
anthurium, calathea, snake plant, peperomia, fiddle leaf fig and 226 others.
Can root rot be prevented?
Use fast-draining "gritty mix" and porous pots (terracotta). Only water when leaves show signs of thirst (slight wrinkling).
What are these records?
This page summarizes 268 PlantGrail care records on root rot. Records describe care topics; they are not counts of observed plants or treatment outcomes.