Natural change

Old leaves yellowing

A few of the oldest leaves yellow and fall as the plant grows. That's normal.

What you'll see

• One or a few of the oldest, lowest leaves turn yellow, then brown, and fall.
• New leaves at the tips stay green and healthy, and the plant keeps growing.
• On evergreens, older leaves may yellow and drop in a seasonal flush.

Why it happens

Leaves have a natural lifespan. As a plant grows, it lets its oldest leaves go and replaces them with new ones.

What to do

1. Nothing to treat: snip off old yellow leaves with clean scissors to keep it tidy.
2. Keep your normal care; don't change watering or feeding because of one old leaf.
3. Look closer only if many leaves yellow at once, young leaves yellow, or the plant wilts.

Keep it from coming back

• Know the normal pattern: oldest leaves first, a few at a time, while new growth stays healthy.

Read more

• How to prune houseplants
• Dormant or dead? Plant dormancy

Sources

• RHS: Leaf damage on houseplants
• University of Maryland Extension: Evergreen foliage yellowing

General guidance, not a diagnosis. For valuable, edible or outdoor crops, check with a local extension service or plant expert. Use any product exactly as its label says, and keep children and pets away while it dries.