Flamingo flower brown leaf tips and edges: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with brown tips and edges, 3 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Flamingo flower (Anthurium andraeanum), using what its sources say about humidity, soil moisture, cold tolerance, watering and feeding and one problem recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Anthurium andraeanum, also known as Édouard François André's Tailflower, is a flowering plant species in the family Araceae that is native to Colombia and Ecuador. It is a winner of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Colombia to Ecuador (wet tropical). Also sold as Anthurium, Flamingo Lily, Laceleaf, Painter's Palette and tail flower.
What Flamingo flower’s sources say that bears on this
- Humidity
- ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Cold tolerance
- H1A — warmer than 15°CRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Watering
- Water once the top inch of soil is dry to the touch.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026From spring to autumn, water generously and feed every 2 weeks with an orchid fertiliser. In winter, give little water and hold the temperature above 18°C.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- In the growing season, weekly liquid feeding is advised.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026From spring to autumn, water generously and feed every 2 weeks with an orchid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Flamingo flower
Brown brittle margins with a green centre
On a flamingo flower the browning starts furthest from the midrib and works inward, and it crumbles rather than smears. The centre of each leaf is untouched.
Leaf margins are the end of the water supply, so they are the first tissue to run short when the air takes more than the roots can send. Penn State Extension cites 30% to 60% as the recommended indoor range, and a heated room in winter sits below it.
Telling it apart: Whether the damage advances. Dry air marks a leaf and stops; rot keeps going.
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Flamingo flower
Most likely cold
Ranked higher because Flamingo flower's recorded problems point this way.
Its RHS hardiness rating puts this plant's cold floor at 15°C or above, so a cold windowsill at night is a strong explanation.
- H1A — warmer than 15°C RHS · read 13 September 2026
Why: Soft, dark patches rather than crisp ones are damaged tissue rather than dried tissue.
What to try:
- Move it away from the glass at night, or keep the curtain on the room side of the flamingo flower.
- Leave damaged leaves until new growth appears, then remove the worst of them.
What would settle it: Where the flamingo flower sits at night, and what the glass feels like at that hour. Damage that appeared after one cold night, on the side facing the window, is the pattern.
Most likely a build-up of salts in the soil
- Loam; pH Acid or Neutral RHS · read 13 September 2026
Why: Minerals from tap water and fertiliser are left behind as water evaporates, and a white crust on the compost or the pot rim is where they show.
What to try:
- Water slowly and heavily until several times the pot's volume has run through the drainage hole, to wash the salts out.Useful: pot with drainage holes
- Scrape off the top layer of crusted compost and replace it.
What would settle it: Scrape the crust. If it is gritty and dissolves in water it is mineral; if it is fluffy it is mould, which is a different problem.
Most likely too little water
- Moist but well-drained RHS · read 13 September 2026
Why: Soil dry two inches down leaves the roots nothing to send up, and the leaf edges are the last tissue in line.
What to try:
- Water thoroughly, until it runs from the drainage hole.Useful: pot with drainage holes
- Check the soil with a finger every few days rather than watering on a fixed day.Useful: moisture meter
What would settle it: Water it thoroughly and watch the next new leaves. If they come in with clean edges under steadier watering, the edges were thirst.
Less likely for a Flamingo flower, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes brown tips and edges on a Flamingo flower?
- For Flamingo flower: most likely cold, most likely a build-up of salts in the soil and most likely too little water. Its RHS hardiness rating puts this plant's cold floor at 15°C or above, so a cold windowsill at night is a strong explanation.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Flamingo flower?
- Is the browning crisp and dry, or soft and dark? Crisp and dry; Soft and dark.
- What do Flamingo flower's sources say about its soil moisture?
- RHS: Moist but well-drained.
- What does this look like on a Flamingo flower?
- On a flamingo flower the browning starts furthest from the midrib and works inward, and it crumbles rather than smears. The centre of each leaf is untouched. Telling it apart: Whether the damage advances. Dry air marks a leaf and stops; rot keeps going.
- Is Flamingo flower safe to handle while I check it?
- Its sources list it as toxic to people. Wash your hands after handling the roots or sap, and keep trimmings away from pets.
Other plants that show brown tips and edges
Calla lilyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
African violetBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Barberton daisyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Bearded irisLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Bigleaf hydrangeaDry, bruised edges after a cold, windy spell
Bird of paradiseCrisp margins that appear in winter
Something else wrong with the Flamingo flower?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.