There can be a few causes of browning and drying leaf edges in houseplants - root stress, water contaminants, and low humidity. In this case, the first approaches to try are repotting the plants in question and perhaps using a humidifier. Damaged leaves do not heal, but can be left on the plant to continue to provide food for growth. If enough foliage is present and these older leaves are an eyesore, they can be clipped off.

Many are tropical plants accustomed to high humidity, something uncommon inside our homes. A room humidifier can help; growing the plants outdoors in summer can also allow them to bask in the often-high humidity. (Ideal light levels while outdoors depend on the plant, but acclimate them gradually, and for most foliage houseplants like this one, outdoor shade is sufficiently bright.)

Plant roots benefit from repotting periodically - on average, every year or so - as it tends to compress over time and not drain as well. Mineral buildup over time from tap water and fertilizers can also reach levels damaging to plant roots, because they are not all leached out by waterings. In repotting, remove as much old soil as possible and use fresh new soil; this helps to eliminate the buildup and restore the fluffier oxygen-holding capacity of the soil for healthy root growth.

Plants that are over- or under-watered can also develop root damage, and such root impairment means that not enough moisture can be absorbed to keep the leaves fully hydrated, even if the soil is adequately damp. Leaf edges and tips fall victim to desiccation issues first, and thus start to die back. Most houseplants do well with thorough waterings that soak all parts of the root ball and which are allowed to get somewhat dry in until the next soaking. Pots should have drainage holes and can be drip-dried over a sink before placing back on top of a saucer or inside of a decorative cache pot. Saucers and cache pots should never hold drained water, as this can re-absorb into the soil and suffocate the roots. A watering schedule is useful if you can determine about how often a given plant reaches the point of dryness needed before soaking, but with changing conditions, the plant will need closer monitoring in case the schedule needs adjusting. Forced-air heat and air conditioning dry our indoor air out, which speeds the drying of the leaves and soil. Sunnier and longer days in spring trigger growth in houseplants, which also uses up water more quickly. Plants in low-light areas do not need watering as often as those in moderate light.

Depending on the treatment facility and water source, tap water can contain chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, and minerals such as calcium. People using bottled water on their houseplants also need to be cautious about added minerals and even salt, both of which can be added back into purified water for human taste. Some tropical plants have known sensitivities to these additives and can develop browned leaf tips. While causing unsightly symptoms, these exposures are typically not a serious detriment to the plant's overall health. You can try to leave water used in houseplant watering sitting out for about 24 hours to evaporate any chlorine, though it will not impact any other of the above contaminants. Filtering water pitchers may help, depending on what the filters remove. Some bottled chemicals used in treating tap water for safe use in aquariums and vivariums may help, though the contaminants they remove vary from product to product. If tried, they should only remove contaminants and not add anything else for fish health, as these ingredients will not benefit the plants.

Miri