Parlor Palm Brown Tips

If you've begun seeing brown tips on your parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans), your plant does have a problem. Your parlor palm dry brown leaves at the frond tips should be given attention. Because dying, necrotic areas will typically spread.

Brown on leaves isn't a normal part of the life cycle. It's good to be concerned.

Here's a safety precaution, if you're not yet aware of this.

• All Chamaedorea species have calcium oxylate crystals in fruit & sap. Be Cautious of Your Pets getting into it.
• It's recommended using Rubber Gloves if your investigation of parlor palm brown tips leads you to handle the Parlor Palm. Do NOT use latex gloves, oxalate can penetrate them.
• C.elegans has moderate concentrations of oxylate, which may cause skin irritation for many. Use Cortisone Lotion to help the burning if you get any on you.

Those with allergen sensitivities react easily & more strongly to Parlor Palm fruit.

Exposure to direct sunlight can cause your parlor palm's leaf browning. Their native outdoor environment is in rain forests of Central America & Southern Mexico. Growing beneath much taller plants that shade them.

Chamaedorea elegans native areas: Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala

Probably the most common reason for parlor palm brown tips is overwatering. They like regular moisture, but not so much they're waterlogged.

Overwatering can cause roots to rot, leading to browning frond tips. If your watering schedule isn't just right, these may attack:

• Nalanthamala vermoesenii, known as Pink Rot. Beginning with pink fungal spores. If ignored it can spread to the heart, leading to plant death.

1. Avoid placement near cold air coming from air-conditioning outlets.
2. If it's just started, remove those few affected fronds. If more than a few, (Emergency!) then rotate treatment with Interiorscape Broad-Spectrum Fungicides.

Low humidity isn't a common cause of parlor palm brown tips. Even though they're native to tropical rain forests, where it's highly humid. Parlor Palms are easygoing in regular home conditions.

The main problem is low humidity attracts spider mites to indoor palms.

Spider Mites common during winter, when indoor air tends is drier. They love your Parlor Palm!

Due to Nutrient Deficiency? Although generally a rare problem, it's more common than diseases. If your Parlor Palm isn't getting enough nutrients, leaflet tips can turn brown.

FERTILIZING

Does your palm get appropriate dosing of Palm Fertilizer?

MINERAL MACRONUTRIENTS & MICRONUTRIENTS

Iron Deficiency is the most common nutritional problem. Root area distresses are usually the problem source for potted palms. Older Parlor Palm leaves get those brown tips first.

• Root stress by overwatering. Less often, drought condition (because Parlor Palms tolerate it for awhile).
• Or from overfertilization.
• Have cleaning solutions been sprayed nearby? That's toxic to plants. May cause iron loss & frond tips turning brown.

Inadequate Magnesium causes palm stress. Dolomitic limestone should be incorporated into potting soil. Use Micronutrient Blends Like This With Mg, Fe & P.

Inadequate Phosphorus can affect Parlor Palms. Leaves turn dark olive green, or yellowish green. Then leaflet tips die, turning brown. Oldest fronds often develop scattered purplish brown spots. Use Micronutrient Blends or palm fertilizers with 0.15-0.30% P.

Inadequate Potassium causes brown frond tips on the oldest leaves. Common for landscape palms, but not much for container palms. If happening, though, it will begin with old fronds. Find Palm Fertilizers with the proper percentage of potassium: 1.6-2.75%.

Example of palm fronds suffering from lack of enough potassium. Perhaps Nitrogen, too.

Air Pollution when bringing your potted parlor palm outdoors in warm weather. Airborne hydrogen fluoride & acid rain can have detrimental affects. Causing dead brown leaflet tips, among other symptoms.

Boron & Fluoride Toxicity happens from using your water tap. Your water's safe fluoride level for palms is under 11ppm. Boron toxicity can happen with levels above 4ppm.

Palm fronds suffering from Boron Deficiency. Note the other symptom: twisted & bent leaflets.

Now that we know what causes brown tips on parlor palms, how can we solve it?

Overwatering the Issue? 

Easy solution. Change your watering schedule. Monitor your Parlor Palm's soil moisture. When the top two inches/51mm dry out, it's time to water. After an hour, remove the saucer's drainage.

Not a Good Potting Container for Your Parlor Palm. There's no drain openings & saucer.

You think it's low humidity?

Remember, medium, average humidity is fine. You might Add a Room Humidifier nearby if you're concerned. Or place a tray of water nearby.

Humidifier for Your Parlor Palm near a North-Facing Window.
Protective drapes adjusted when necessary.

Excess direct sunlight a problem?

Move your parlor palm where it receives indirect light. Near north and/or east-facing windows are a good choice.

One of These Parlor Palms Has Very Bad Placement! Can you tell which one?

There are solutions to help your parlor palm thrive. Prevention is always better than fixing a problem. Overall, these potted palms are Quite Easily Maintained. They don't often have problems. Even not needing pruning, as lower fronds fall off.

Parlor Palm Has Naturally Lost the Lowest Fronds

Placement Not Good? Move your palm away from direct sunlight.

Double-Check Your Watering Schedule. Keeping soil uniformly moist, until the surface dries out.

• Water when the top 2"/5cm is fully dry.
• Confirm your Pot Has Drain Holes & the saucer isn't kept filled with water. Reduce watering & stop fertilization in winter. 

Remember Fertilizing! Add Palm Time-Release Fertilizer. Then fertilize twice during the growing season.

Suffering From Bad Placement by a Sunny Window?
Suffering From Soggy "Feet"? 😮