Philodendrons add a lush, tropical vibe to any space, but yellow leaves among all that beautiful greenery can cause concern.
Here’s what to do if you’re wondering why your philodendron’s leaves are turning yellow—plus how to fix it and get your plant looking healthy and beautiful.
Natural Yellowing
It’s important to remember that the occasional yellow leaf is totally normal. As your plant ages, its older foliage will eventually fade, turning yellow and then dropping off.
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How to Fix
There’s no need to do anything about one or two yellow leaves on an otherwise healthy, well-maintained philodendron. You can keep your plant looking sharp and help it put energy towards its healthy growth by removing yellow leaves with clean, sharp pruners.
Overwatering
One of the most common causes of yellow leaves on philodendron plants is too much water. Overly wet, soggy soil can prevent the roots from taking up nutrients. In severe cases, overwatering can lead to root rot, which can kill your plant.
How to Fix
Check the soil—if it’s very wet, overwatering is likely the cause. Stop watering and allow the soil to dry out fully. In severe cases, you may choose to repot the plant with fresh potting mix to help your philodendron recover.
Going forward, water your philodendron only when the top inch or two of soil has begun to dry out. Make sure the pot doesn’t sit in water in its drip tray or cache pot.
Underwatering
Too little moisture can also cause philodendron leaves to turn yellow. Your plant will likely look limp or wilted, and the oldest leaves will turn yellow first.
How to Fix
Give your plant a deep watering as soon as possible. The best way to rehydrate the root ball is by bottom watering. Place your plant in a sink or bucket and add water up to the plant’s soil line.
Allow it to soak for about an hour before removing the plant and allowing it to drain fully before returning it to its saucer or cache pot.
Low Humidity
In nature, philodendrons live in high-humidity forest environments in Central and South America. They adapt relatively well to drier indoor climates in temperate regions.
However, too little humidity can cause problems, especially when combined with dry, neglected soil. Your plant’s leaves will develop brown edges and begin to droop or wilt, then turn yellow before eventually dropping off.
How to Fix
You can remedy the overly dry conditions that cause yellow leaves by adding moisture to the air. There are a couple of different ways to do this: One is to group your philodendron closely together with other moisture-loving tropical plants.
As their leaves release moisture through transpiration, they create a more humid microclimate. The other method is to run a small humidifier near your plant.
Pest Issues
Sap-sucking houseplant pests like scale, aphids, and mealybugs can damage your philodendron, leaving spotty yellow foliage in their wake. Inspect plants with yellow leaves carefully, checking the undersides of leaves for signs of pests, such as thin webbing, eggs, insect bodies, or the sticky honeydew these pesky bugs leave behind to diagnose the issue.
How to Fix
Treat a pest infestation quickly to minimize the damage. Quarantine the plant from the rest of your collection and treat it with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
You can also choose to dab away pests with a cotton ball or swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then wipe down leaves with a damp cloth to remove honeydew.
Lack of Nutrients
Philodendrons are pretty low-maintenance, but they do require occasional fertilizing to thrive and stay healthy.
If a plant with yellow leaves is potted in poor-quality soil, hasn’t been repotted in a few years, or hasn’t been fertilized in a while, a nutrient deficiency may be to blame. Calcium-rich hard water can also prevent your plant’s roots from taking up nutrients properly.
How to Fix
If you know your home has hard water, switch your water source to filtered, bottled, or rainwater. If the plant hasn’t had fresh soil for a few years, repot the plant. If you’ve simply neglected to fertilize, apply a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength.
Too Much Light
Philodendrons are understory plants, thriving with dappled light that penetrates through the tree canopy. Too much light or harsh direct sunlight can cause these plants to turn pale or develop yellowish spots and stop growing as vigorously.
How to Fix
Move the plant further away from the light source. A philodendron should be fine in a north-facing window, which doesn’t get direct sun, or an east-facing window, which only gets a few hours of weaker morning light.
But the plant should be several feet from a sunnier south- or west-facing window. You may also want to put up a sheer curtain to help filter and weaken the light.
FAQ
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Rather than watering on a set schedule, it’s best to check your philodendron’s soil moisture frequently to know when it needs a drink. Water when the top inch or two of soil has dried out.
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No. Once plant leaves turn yellow, they’ll continue to fade, eventually dying and dropping off. You can clean up your plant’s appearance by trimming away yellow leaves as they appear. However, don’t remove more than 30 percent of the plant’s foliage at once.
