In general, the yucca or palm lily, which comes from the dry areas of the USA and Mexico, is considered undemanding and easy to care for. However, there are a few care mistakes that the popular indoor tree quickly takes offense at - and reacts immediately with dry, brown-colored leaves.
Why does my yucca palm have dry leaves?
Dry leaves on a yucca palm can be caused by overwatering, waterlogging, heat damage, sunburn or frost damage. To solve the problem, control watering, improve drainage, slowly accustom the plant to sunlight or avoid drafts and frost.
Why the yucca has dry leaves and what you can do about it
These dry leaves can have various, even contradictory, causes. Don't make the mistake of watering the yucca that is supposedly too dry - the brown leaves are very rarely due to a lack of water. Instead, take the time to give the plant a thorough history. This is the only way you can make the correct diagnosis and take appropriate measures. To help you achieve this, we have put together the most common causes of dry leaves for you.
Overwatering / waterlogging
Overwatering is probably by far the most common reason for dry and browning leaves. The yucca comes from very water-poor regions - and should therefore be kept short in terms of water. Good pot drainage is also very important so that excess water can drain away quickly. Never leave the yucca standing in water, but remove it from the planter or saucer immediately! How to recognize waterlogging:
- Despite moist soil, the leaves appear dried out
- they turn brown and hang limply
- the plant shows stunted growth
- often the substrate smells musty
You can remedy this by potting up the plants and cutting away any mushy, brownish roots. Place the yucca or its still he althy sections in fresh, dry substrate.
Heat damage / sunburn
Especially during the winter months, the yucca can suffer heat damage - provided it is kept warm over the winter and is possibly close to the heating. Either due to accumulated heat and too little fresh air, but also due to abruptly moving a yucca from a darker place to full sun, the following symptoms can occur:
- drying leaf tips and edges
- Leaves dry up and turn brown
- Plant loses dry leaves
- Yucca generally appears limp
As a countermeasure, take a relocated yucca out of the sun and instead slowly acclimate it to the new location. Overheated plants, on the other hand, need more air - ventilate regularly or place the yucca outdoors.
Frost Damage
Unfortunately, the Yucca elephantipes, which is often cultivated as a houseplant, is not winter hardy and should therefore not be exposed to temperatures below freezing - not even for a short time, such as during winter ventilation. Subzero temperatures can cause cold damage, which manifests itself as brown and dry leaves. Cut away the affected parts and avoid drafts.
Tip
The indoor yucca also needs a break in winter and is therefore best overwintered in a bright room at around 10 °C.