Plant diagnosis
Diagnose your plant
— pick a plant, pick a symptom.
Yellow leaves, drooping, brown spots, mushy stem, curling leaves, or stalled growth — the cause and the fix depend on the species. Pick your plant below for a guide written for that exact combination.
Common symptoms
Each symptom links to the full umbrella guide. Pick a plant card further down for species-specific advice.
Yellow leaves
Yellowing foliage (chlorosis) is the single most common houseplant complaint. It almost always points back to water, light, or nutrient balance.
Curling leaves
Curling leaves are a plant's way of reducing surface area to conserve water or shield itself. The direction of the curl tells you what's wrong.
Drooping
A drooping or wilting plant is losing turgor pressure in its stems. The cause is either too much water (rotting roots can't pull) or not enough.
Brown spots
Brown spots can mean fungal disease, sunburn, mineral burn from tap water, or localised rot. The pattern and texture tell you which one.
Mushy stem
A soft, mushy or blackened stem is advanced rot. Caught early it can sometimes be salvaged via propagation; left alone it collapses the plant.
No new growth
A plant that has stalled for weeks during its normal growing season is either dormant, root-bound, light-starved, or quietly failing at the roots.
Brown leaf tips
Crispy brown leaf tips are a moisture-delivery problem: dry air, mineral-heavy tap water, salt buildup, or roots that can't keep up. The rest of the leaf usually stays healthy.
Dropping leaves
Sudden leaf drop is a stress response — a change in light, temperature, or watering rhythm. Gradual lower-leaf drop is often just ageing. The pattern and speed tell you which.
Leggy, stretched growth
Long bare stems with sparse, small leaves mean the plant is stretching toward light it isn't getting (etiolation) — or it has simply never been pinched back.
Root rot
Root rot is the end-stage of overwatering or poor drainage: roots suffocate, turn brown and mushy, and the plant wilts even in wet soil. Caught early, most plants can be saved.
Houseplants
Monstera
10 guidesMonstera deliciosa
Climbing aroid from Central America — wants bright indirect light, chunky aroid soil, and a moss pole to fenestrate.
Snake plant
10 guidesDracaena trifasciata
Drought-tolerant succulent that stores water in its rhizomes — almost impossible to underwater, easy to drown.
Pothos
10 guidesEpipremnum aureum
Trailing aroid native to the Solomon Islands — the most forgiving vine in the houseplant world.
Fiddle leaf fig
9 guidesFicus lyrata
Statement tree from West African rainforests — dramatic, fussy, and famously allergic to being moved.
Peace lily
10 guidesSpathiphyllum wallisii
Shade-loving aroid that wilts theatrically the moment it gets thirsty — also the clearest "water me" signaler in the houseplant world.
Philodendron
10 guidesPhilodendron hederaceum
Vining and self-heading aroid family — most varieties are nearly as forgiving as pothos.
Dracaena
9 guidesDracaena fragrans / marginata
Cane-stemmed tropical that grows like a slow palm tree — sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water.
Peperomia
10 guidesPeperomia obtusifolia
Compact semi-succulent with thick leaves that store water — a desk-friendly plant that loathes a wet pot.
Prayer plant
10 guidesMaranta leuconeura
Rainforest-floor plant that folds its leaves up at night — desperately needs humidity and clean water.
Calathea
10 guidesCalathea (Goeppertia) spp.
Drama queen of the Marantaceae — patterned leaves, paranoid about tap water, hard fan of 60%+ humidity.
ZZ plant
10 guidesZamioculcas zamiifolia
Rhizomatous African native that stores water in potato-like tubers — the office-cubicle survivor.
Spider plant
10 guidesChlorophytum comosum
Arching grassy leaves and dangling pups — beloved by beginners, infamously fussy about fluoride in tap water.
Jade plant
9 guidesCrassula ovata
Tree-like South African succulent — slow, stoic, and easy to rot if treated like a tropical.
Aloe vera
10 guidesAloe barbadensis
Arabian-peninsula succulent that stores water in plump gel-filled leaves — sun-hungry, drought-adapted.
Cast iron plant
10 guidesAspidistra elatior
Victorian-era parlor plant from East Asia — earned its name by surviving gas lamps, draughts, and neglect.
Chinese evergreen
10 guidesAglaonema commutatum
Patterned-leaf aroid from Southeast Asia — handles low light better than almost any other variegated plant.
- Chinese evergreen yellow leaves
- Chinese evergreen curling leaves
- Chinese evergreen drooping
- Chinese evergreen brown spots
- Chinese evergreen mushy stem
- Chinese evergreen no new growth
- Chinese evergreen brown leaf tips
- Chinese evergreen dropping leaves
- Chinese evergreen leggy, stretched growth
- Chinese evergreen root rot
Parlor palm
10 guidesChamaedorea elegans
Compact understorey palm from Mexican rainforests — happy in lower light than most palms but quick to brown in dry air.
Rubber plant
9 guidesFicus elastica
Glossy-leaved tropical tree — easier than its fiddle-leaf cousin but every bit as dramatic about being moved.
Schefflera
9 guidesSchefflera arboricola
Umbrella-leaved tropical tree — fast-growing, light-hungry, and a magnet for spider mites in dry rooms.
English ivy
10 guidesHedera helix
Hardy trailing vine grown indoors and out — fast and forgiving, but a notorious magnet for spider mites in warm, dry rooms.
Boston fern
9 guidesNephrolepis exaltata
Lush tropical fern that lives and dies by humidity — the first plant to crisp up in dry indoor air or after a missed watering.
Croton
9 guidesCodiaeum variegatum
Tropical shrub grown for its electric foliage — drops leaves at the slightest chill, draft, or move.
Anthurium
10 guidesAnthurium andraeanum
Glossy-leaved tropical aroid with lacquered red spathes — loves warmth, humidity, and a chunky, fast-draining mix.
Dieffenbachia
10 guidesDieffenbachia seguine
Bold dumb cane with paddle leaves — fast and forgiving in medium light, but its juicy cane rots if overwatered.
Alocasia
10 guidesAlocasia amazonica
Dramatic tropical aroid with arrow-shaped leaves — thirsty, humidity-hungry, and quick to drop into a dormancy sulk.
Hoya
10 guidesHoya carnosa
Waxy-leaved trailing epiphyte that stores water in its leaves — thrives on bright light and benign neglect.
Echeveria
10 guidesEcheveria elegans
Rosette succulent from Mexico — built for bright sun and dry soil, quick to rot or stretch in low light.
String of pearls
10 guidesSenecio rowleyanus
Trailing succulent of pea-like beads — stores water in each pearl, so it rots fast if watered like a normal houseplant.
- String of pearls yellow leaves
- String of pearls curling leaves
- String of pearls drooping
- String of pearls brown spots
- String of pearls mushy stem
- String of pearls no new growth
- String of pearls brown leaf tips
- String of pearls dropping leaves
- String of pearls leggy, stretched growth
- String of pearls root rot
Bird of paradise
10 guidesStrelitzia reginae
Architectural tropical with paddle leaves — wants strong light and steady water to size up and eventually flower.
- Bird of paradise yellow leaves
- Bird of paradise curling leaves
- Bird of paradise drooping
- Bird of paradise brown spots
- Bird of paradise mushy stem
- Bird of paradise no new growth
- Bird of paradise brown leaf tips
- Bird of paradise dropping leaves
- Bird of paradise leggy, stretched growth
- Bird of paradise root rot
Arrowhead plant
10 guidesSyngonium podophyllum
Fast-growing aroid with arrowhead leaves — nearly as easygoing as pothos and happy in modest light.
Nerve plant
10 guidesFittonia albivenis
Mosaic-veined tropical groundcover — faints dramatically when dry and sulks in low humidity, but bounces back fast.
Money tree
9 guidesPachira aquatica
Braided-trunk tropical tree — tougher than it looks, but its trunk softens and rots fast if the soil stays wet.
Ponytail palm
9 guidesBeaucarnea recurvata
Not a palm at all but a succulent that stores water in its swollen base — thrives on bright light and long droughts.
Yucca
9 guidesYucca elephantipes
Sculptural drought-tolerant cane — wants strong light and dry soil, and sulks or rots in damp, dim corners.
Polka dot plant
10 guidesHypoestes phyllostachya
Freckle-leaved tropical that wilts the moment it dries out and stretches leggy in low light — pinch it to stay bushy.
African violet
10 guidesSaintpaulia ionantha
Compact flowering favourite — blooms reliably in modest light, but cold water on its fuzzy leaves leaves permanent spots.
Christmas cactus
10 guidesSchlumbergera bridgesii
Tropical jungle cactus, not a desert one — stores water in its segments but still wants more moisture and humidity than a true cactus.
- Christmas cactus yellow leaves
- Christmas cactus curling leaves
- Christmas cactus drooping
- Christmas cactus brown spots
- Christmas cactus mushy stem
- Christmas cactus no new growth
- Christmas cactus brown leaf tips
- Christmas cactus dropping leaves
- Christmas cactus leggy, stretched growth
- Christmas cactus root rot
Begonia
10 guidesBegonia rex
Grown for its painterly leaves — loves warmth and humidity but resents soggy soil and is prone to powdery mildew in stagnant air.
Maidenhair fern
9 guidesAdiantum raddianum
Delicate, fan-leaved fern famous for crisping the instant it dries out or meets dry air — the diva of the fern world.
Chinese money plant
10 guidesPilea peperomioides
Coin-leaved Pilea that pups freely — easygoing in bright light, but droops and yellows if over- or underwatered.
- Chinese money plant yellow leaves
- Chinese money plant curling leaves
- Chinese money plant drooping
- Chinese money plant brown spots
- Chinese money plant mushy stem
- Chinese money plant no new growth
- Chinese money plant brown leaf tips
- Chinese money plant dropping leaves
- Chinese money plant leggy, stretched growth
- Chinese money plant root rot
Areca palm
9 guidesDypsis lutescens
Feathery indoor palm — wants steady moisture, humidity, and filtered water; its fronds brown at the tips in dry or hard-water conditions.
Orchid
9 guidesPhalaenopsis amabilis
Epiphytic moth orchid — grows in bark, not soil, and rots fast if its crown or roots are left sitting wet.
Cactus
10 guidesCactaceae
Desert succulent built for drought and blazing light — almost always killed by overwatering, not by neglect.
Haworthia
10 guidesHaworthia
Small, hardy rosette succulent — happier than most succulents in moderate light, but just as quick to rot if overwatered.
Tradescantia
10 guidesTradescantia zebrina
Fast-trailing inch plant — vivid in bright light, leggy in shade, and a quick target for spider mites in dry air.
Bromeliad
10 guidesBromeliaceae
Tropical rosette that holds water in a central cup — wants warmth, humidity, and bright light, and resents soggy roots.
Weeping fig
9 guidesFicus benjamina
Classic indoor ficus tree — notorious for dropping leaves at the slightest change in light, water, or position.
Majesty palm
10 guidesRavenea rivularis
A river-bank palm sold as a living-room plant — it wants far more water, light, and humidity than most homes give it, and brown tips are its trademark complaint.
Kentia palm
10 guidesHowea forsteriana
The most forgiving indoor palm — tolerates lower light and drier air than any other palm, and most problems trace back to overwatering it out of kindness.
Cat palm
10 guidesChamaedorea cataractarum
A bushy clumping palm that drinks fast and browns at the tips the moment air or soil runs dry — spider mites love it in winter-heated rooms.
Sago palm
9 guidesCycas revoluta
Not a palm at all but an ancient cycad — it grows one flush of fronds a year, so every yellowing frond matters and patience is part of the care plan.
Norfolk Island pine
9 guidesAraucaria heterophylla
A subtropical conifer, not a true pine — dry indoor air browns its lower branches, and a branch once dropped never grows back, so prevention beats cure.
- Norfolk Island pine yellow leaves
- Norfolk Island pine curling leaves
- Norfolk Island pine drooping
- Norfolk Island pine brown spots
- Norfolk Island pine no new growth
- Norfolk Island pine brown leaf tips
- Norfolk Island pine dropping leaves
- Norfolk Island pine leggy, stretched growth
- Norfolk Island pine root rot
Asparagus fern
10 guidesAsparagus setaceus
A feathery lily relative (not a true fern) that yellows and sheds needles fast when it dries out — but regrows just as fast from its tuberous roots.
Staghorn fern
10 guidesPlatycerium bifurcatum
An epiphyte that grows on trees, not in pots — the flat brown shield fronds are meant to be there, and most losses come from watering the crown into rot.
Bird's nest fern
10 guidesAsplenium nidus
A glossy rosette fern whose new fronds unfurl from a central nest — water around the edge, never into the nest, and keep the air humid to stop crispy edges.
- Bird's nest fern yellow leaves
- Bird's nest fern curling leaves
- Bird's nest fern drooping
- Bird's nest fern brown spots
- Bird's nest fern mushy stem
- Bird's nest fern no new growth
- Bird's nest fern brown leaf tips
- Bird's nest fern dropping leaves
- Bird's nest fern leggy, stretched growth
- Bird's nest fern root rot
Monstera adansonii
10 guidesMonstera adansonii
The swiss-cheese vine — faster-growing and thirstier than its big deliciosa cousin, quick to yellow its oldest leaves when the watering rhythm stutters.
- Monstera adansonii yellow leaves
- Monstera adansonii curling leaves
- Monstera adansonii drooping
- Monstera adansonii brown spots
- Monstera adansonii mushy stem
- Monstera adansonii no new growth
- Monstera adansonii brown leaf tips
- Monstera adansonii dropping leaves
- Monstera adansonii leggy, stretched growth
- Monstera adansonii root rot
String of hearts
10 guidesCeropegia woodii
A trailing semi-succulent with heart-shaped leaves on threadlike vines — it wants more light than most trailing plants and less water than it is usually given.
- String of hearts yellow leaves
- String of hearts curling leaves
- String of hearts drooping
- String of hearts brown spots
- String of hearts mushy stem
- String of hearts no new growth
- String of hearts brown leaf tips
- String of hearts dropping leaves
- String of hearts leggy, stretched growth
- String of hearts root rot
Burro's tail
10 guidesSedum morganianum
A trailing sedum whose plump leaves drop at the lightest touch — leaf shed near the soil usually means water trouble, while shed from handling is just its nature.
Kalanchoe
10 guidesKalanchoe blossfeldiana
A flowering succulent that blooms on short winter days — yellowing and mush almost always mean too much water, and no rebloom means too much evening light.
Poinsettia
10 guidesEuphorbia pulcherrima
The Christmas euphorbia — it drops leaves at cold draughts, soggy soil, and the shock of coming home from the shop, usually in that order.
Cyclamen
10 guidesCyclamen persicum
A cool-room winter bloomer that grows from a tuber — it wilts fast when thirsty, rots fast when the tuber is watered directly, and sleeps through summer on purpose.
Gardenia
9 guidesGardenia jasminoides
Famously fussy — gardenias yellow at hard water and alkaline soil, drop buds at every temperature swing, and reward exactly-right care with unmatched fragrance.
Jasmine
9 guidesJasminum polyanthum
A vigorous twining climber that flowers on cool, bright winter windowsills — yellowing usually means wet feet, and no flowers usually means a too-warm autumn.
Hibiscus
9 guidesHibiscus rosa-sinensis
A tropical shrub that flowers on new growth — it yellows and drops leaves at drought, draughts, and moves, and aphids adore its soft flower buds.
Oxalis
10 guidesOxalis triangularis
The purple shamrock grows from tiny bulbs and folds its leaves nightly — total collapse is often just its natural dormancy, cured by a rest, not more water.
Lucky bamboo
10 guidesDracaena sanderiana
Not bamboo but a water-grown dracaena — chlorinated tap water is the number-one cause of its yellow stalks and leaf tips.
Air plant
8 guidesTillandsia (various)
Soil-free bromeliads that drink through their leaves — under-soaking browns the tips, and water trapped in the rosette after soaking rots the base.
Venus flytrap
10 guidesDionaea muscipula
A carnivorous bog plant — tap water minerals poison it within weeks, full sun is non-negotiable, and its winter blackening is dormancy, not death.
Geranium
10 guidesPelargonium × hortorum
Window-box pelargoniums are sun-and-air plants — yellow lower leaves mean wet soil, leggy growth means a dim corner, and blackened stem bases mean rot has won.
African milk tree
10 guidesEuphorbia trigona
A columnar euphorbia that grows a metre in a few years given sun — corky brown patches are usually age, but soft dark patches are rot moving fast.
- African milk tree yellow leaves
- African milk tree curling leaves
- African milk tree drooping
- African milk tree brown spots
- African milk tree mushy stem
- African milk tree no new growth
- African milk tree brown leaf tips
- African milk tree dropping leaves
- African milk tree leggy, stretched growth
- African milk tree root rot
Crown of thorns
10 guidesEuphorbia milii
A thorny euphorbia that flowers nearly year-round in enough sun — it drops leaves in drought or darkness but regrows them as soon as conditions improve.
Zebra plant
10 guidesAphelandra squarrosa
Striking white-veined foliage with diva demands — one missed watering and it drops its lower leaves; dry air crisps the edges of the rest.
Satin pothos
10 guidesScindapsus pictus
A silvery-spotted trailing aroid — curling leaves are its thirst signal, and it tells you a day or two before any damage is done.
Amaryllis
10 guidesHippeastrum hybrids
A giant flowering bulb on an annual cycle — bloom, leafy recharge, then a dry dormant rest. Most "problems" are just a stage of the cycle misread.
Bonsai (indoor)
9 guidesFicus retusa and other species
Tiny pots dry out in hours, not days — most indoor bonsai losses are drought in miniature, and most leaf drop is the tree objecting to a new location.
Desert rose
10 guidesAdenium obesum
A swollen-trunked flowering succulent — the caudex should always be firm; any softness at the base is rot, and winter leaf drop in a cool room is normal.
Rattlesnake plant
10 guidesGoeppertia insignis
A wavy-leaved prayer plant — crispy edges track tap-water minerals and dry air with painful precision, but it forgives once both are fixed.
- Rattlesnake plant yellow leaves
- Rattlesnake plant curling leaves
- Rattlesnake plant drooping
- Rattlesnake plant brown spots
- Rattlesnake plant mushy stem
- Rattlesnake plant no new growth
- Rattlesnake plant brown leaf tips
- Rattlesnake plant dropping leaves
- Rattlesnake plant leggy, stretched growth
- Rattlesnake plant root rot
Baby's tears
10 guidesSoleirolia soleirolii
A moss-like carpet of tiny leaves that wilts within hours of drying — dramatic collapses usually revive after a soak, but brown patches don't regrow.
Ming aralia
9 guidesPolyscias fruticosa
An elegant, ferny indoor tree that hates change — moves, draughts, and repots all trigger leaf shed, but it re-leafs reliably once left in peace.
Corn plant
10 guidesDracaena fragrans
The classic office dracaena — brown leaf tips from fluoridated tap water are so common they're practically part of the plant's description. Filtered water fixes it.
Dragon tree
10 guidesDracaena marginata
A spiky, near-indestructible dracaena — it sheds old lower leaves naturally as it grows its cane, but brown tips point at tap-water fluoride.
Hens and chicks
10 guidesSempervivum tectorum
Hardy rosette succulents that multiply by offsets — a rosette that flowers then dies is completing its natural cycle; the chicks around it carry on.
Aeonium
10 guidesAeonium arboreum
A winter-growing succulent that does everything backwards — it drops leaves and closes its rosettes in summer heat on purpose, then grows through the cool months.
Lithops
6 guidesLithops (living stones)
Living stones follow a strict annual rhythm — they must consume their old leaf pair while splitting, and a single wrong-season watering can burst them.
Caladium
10 guidesCaladium bicolor
Paper-thin painted leaves from a tuber that sleeps half the year — autumn dieback is the plan, not a problem; store the tuber dry and warm until spring.
Coleus
10 guidesColeus scutellarioides
Grown for wildly painted leaves and famous for stretching — without regular pinching and real light, coleus turns into bare stems with a topknot in weeks.
Vegetables & fruit
Tomato
10 guidesSolanum lycopersicum
Warm-season fruiting crop from the Andes — needs 6-8 hours of direct sun, consistent water, and steady feeding.
Pepper
10 guidesCapsicum annuum
Warm-season fruiting crop from Central America — slower and more heat-loving than tomatoes, but tolerant of brief drought.
Cucumber
9 guidesCucumis sativus
Warm-season vine fruit — thirsty, hungry, and prone to bitter fruit if stressed.
Lettuce
7 guidesLactuca sativa
Cool-season leafy crop — bolts in heat, rots in waterlogged soil, but otherwise nearly fool-proof.
Bean
9 guidesPhaseolus vulgaris
Warm-season legume — nitrogen-fixing, fast to set pods, sensitive to cold wet soil at planting.
Garlic
8 guidesAllium sativum
Long-season bulb crop — planted in autumn, harvested in summer, hates wet feet.
Pea
9 guidesPisum sativum
Cool-season climbing legume — sweet, fast, and inevitably done by midsummer in most US climates.
Squash
9 guidesCucurbita pepo
Sprawling warm-season fruit — massive leaves, massive water demand, and a target for squash bugs and vine borers.
Carrot
8 guidesDaucus carota
Cool-season taproot — needs loose, stone-free soil and steady moisture to size up sweet roots.
Strawberry
9 guidesFragaria ananassa
Low-growing perennial fruit — productive in full sun, but prone to slugs, crown rot in wet soil, and birds at fruiting time.
Eggplant
9 guidesSolanum melongena
Heat-loving fruiting nightshade — slower than tomatoes and a magnet for flea beetles and spider mites.
Kale
8 guidesBrassica oleracea
Hardy cool-season brassica — sweetens after frost, but cabbage worms and aphids love it.
Spinach
7 guidesSpinacia oleracea
Cool-season leafy green — fast and easy in spring and autumn, but bolts to seed the moment it gets hot.
Broccoli
8 guidesBrassica oleracea
Cool-season brassica grown for its flower head — bolts in heat and feeds cabbage worms if left unprotected.
Potato
7 guidesSolanum tuberosum
Cool-to-warm season tuber — hilled as it grows, and vulnerable to blight and Colorado potato beetle.
Onion
8 guidesAllium cepa
Long-season bulb — sizes up with steady moisture and plenty of sun, then cures for months of storage.
Cabbage
8 guidesBrassica oleracea
Cool-season brassica grown for its dense head — splits with irregular watering and feeds cabbage worms and aphids.
Cauliflower
8 guidesBrassica oleracea
Fussiest of the brassicas — needs steady cool weather and consistent water, or the head buttons or turns ricey.
Blueberry
9 guidesVaccinium corymbosum
Acid-loving fruiting shrub — yellows fast (chlorosis) when the soil pH is too high, and wants consistent moisture.
Corn
7 guidesZea mays
Tall warm-season grass crop — a heavy feeder and drinker that needs block planting for good pollination.
Lemon tree
9 guidesCitrus × limon
Potted citrus drop leaves at cold draughts, waterlogged roots, and winter moves indoors — yellowing between green veins is their classic hunger sign.
Avocado
9 guidesPersea americana
The pit-grown houseplant classic — its big thin leaves brown at the tips from accumulated salts and dry air long before anything is seriously wrong.
Olive tree
9 guidesOlea europaea
A Mediterranean tree living indoors on sufferance — it needs maximum sun and minimum water, and sheds leaves steadily in dim, warm winter rooms.
Banana plant
10 guidesMusa (dwarf cultivars)
A giant herb that grows a leaf a week in summer given heat, light, and lots of water — ragged leaf edges are normal; yellowing whole leaves are not.
Fig tree
9 guidesFicus carica
The edible fig is deciduous — dropping every leaf in autumn is its job description. Off-season drop tracks drought, waterlogging, or a light change.
Zucchini
10 guidesCucurbita pepo
A sprinter that goes from seed to harvest in two months — yellowing leaves mid-season usually mean hunger or mildew, and fruit that rots at the tip means uneven watering.
Herbs
Basil
9 guidesOcimum basilicum
Warm-season annual herb from tropical Asia — fast-growing, flavour-packed, and intolerant of cold soil.
Rosemary
9 guidesSalvia rosmarinus
Woody Mediterranean herb — wants sharp drainage and full sun; far more plants die from overwatering than from neglect.
Mint
9 guidesMentha spicata
Vigorous spreading herb — thrives in moist soil and part shade, and will take over a bed if it is not contained.
Thyme
9 guidesThymus vulgaris
Low, woody Mediterranean herb — loves heat, sun, and dry feet; rots quickly in rich, wet soil.
Cilantro
8 guidesCoriandrum sativum
Cool-season annual herb — bolts to seed (coriander) the moment it gets hot, so succession-sow for a steady supply.
Oregano
9 guidesOriganum vulgare
Hardy Mediterranean herb — thrives on sun and lean, dry soil; flavour intensifies when it is not overwatered.
Herb garden
9 guidesmixed culinary herbs
Mixed culinary herbs — Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage) and tender herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro) have opposite watering needs.
Lavender
9 guidesLavandula angustifolia
A Mediterranean shrub that would rather be drought-stricken than damp — indoor lavender fails from kindness (water and warmth) far more than neglect.
Parsley
10 guidesPetroselinum crispum
A biennial grown as an annual — yellowing usually means thirst or a spent plant, and a sudden tall flower stalk means its season is simply over.
Sage
9 guidesSalvia officinalis
A woody Mediterranean herb — grey, drooping sage is nearly always wet feet, not thirst, and old plants naturally get leggy without a spring trim.
Dill
10 guidesAnethum graveolens
A fast, taprooted annual that bolts to flower at the first sign of stress — leggy, sparse dill is asking for more sun, cooler weather, or a fresh sowing.
Chives
10 guidesAllium schoenoprasum
A clumping perennial onion that regrows from every haircut — yellow tips usually mean thirst or a hungry, overcrowded clump ready for dividing.
Can't find your plant?
The flagship what's wrong with my plant guide walks through the diagnostic flow species-agnostically. Or open the Growli app, send a photo, and I'll work through it with you — plant boldly, I'll handle the rest.
Open Growli