Sunburn on houseplants
Common causes of sunburn and the first things to check, summarized from 54 PlantGrail care records across 42 plants (as of ).
What causes sunburn on houseplants?
It depends on the plant and how it is kept, so check the plant pages below. For Cactus, the records explain it like this: Sudden exposure of a previously shaded or indoor side of a cactus to high-intensity UV. Manifests as soft, light green or white "bleached" patches. Cellular collapse occurs when the plant cannot produce protective pigments fast enough.
Common first steps
- Move plant immediately to bright indirect light away from direct sun
- Mildly affected leaves can remain as they still photosynthesize
- Immediately move the plant back to its original orientation or into a shaded area.
Plants with records for sunburn
Most records first. Open a plant for its own causes and fixes.
- peace lily Spathiphyllum wallisiiRead the guide
- string of pearls Curio rowleyanusPlant care guide
- calathea Goeppertia spp.Read the guide
- pothos Epipremnum aureumRead the guide
- bird of paradise Strelitzia reginaePlant care guide
- monstera deliciosa Monstera deliciosaPlant care guide
- boston fern Nephrolepis exaltataPlant care guide
- rubber plant Ficus elasticaRead the guide
- jade plant Crassula ovataRead the guide
- portulaca oleracea
- orchid Phalaenopsis spp.Plant care guide
- air plant Plant care guide
- echinocereus Plant care guide
- fiddle leaf fig Ficus lyrataPlant care guide
- chinese evergreen Aglaonema spp.Plant care guide
- san pedro cactus
- golden barrel cactus
- cereus cactus
- prickly pear cactus Read the guide
- ball cactus
- echeveria Echeveria spp.Read the guide
- sedum Sedum spp.Plant care guide
- crassula Plant care guide
- graptopetalum Plant care guide
- aeonium Plant care guide
- scindapsus pictus Scindapsus pictusPlant care guide
- bromeliad Vriesea/Guzmania spp.Plant care guide
- zz plant Zamioculcas zamiifoliaPlant care guide
- pachira aquatica Plant care guide
- aloe vera Aloe veraPlant care guide
- snake plant Dracaena trifasciataPlant care guide
- anthurium Anthurium spp.Plant care guide
- haworthia Haworthia spp.Plant care guide
- escobaria vivipara Escobaria Vivipara
- astrophytum ornatum Astrophytum Ornatum
- escobaria missouriensis Escobaria Missouriensis
- vriesea hieroglyphica vriesea hieroglyphica
- majesty palm Ravenea rivularisPlant care guide
- parlor palm Chamaedorea elegansPlant care guide
- ficus elastica Ficus elasticaPlant care guide
- hoya Hoya spp.Plant care guide
- spider plant Chlorophytum comosumRead the guide
Questions about sunburn
Which plants have the most records for sunburn?
peace lily, string of pearls, calathea, pothos, bird of paradise and 37 others.
Can sunburn be prevented?
Always mark the "South" side of the pot before moving or rotating. Acclimate to direct sun gradually over 10-14 days, increasing exposure by 1 hour each day.
What are these records?
This page summarizes 54 PlantGrail care records on sunburn. Records describe care topics; they are not counts of observed plants or treatment outcomes.