Spider Plant Brown Tips: Causes and Fixes for Tip Burn

Sudden brown tips with yellow halos on a 15-year-old spider plant indicate a single watering error (under or over) or mineral buildup from hard tap water. Check for pot-bound roots escaping drainage holes—exposed roots dry out and cause tip burn.

Solutions

• Switch to filtered/distilled water if tap is hard.
• Repot if root-bound; trim circling roots.
• Trim damaged tips with scissors at an angle.
• Water consistently: evenly moist, not soggy.

One-off stress causes lasting cosmetic damage, but new growth will be clean.