Houseplant symptoms, decoded

A symptom is the plant showing you what's wrong — the job is reading which cause it points to, because look-alike causes often need opposite treatments. Each guide below starts with the most likely cause, then walks the differential the way a doctor would.

Updated 22 August 2026

Symptom guides

• Why are my plant's leaves turning yellow? Overwatering is the most common cause — but five look-alikes need different fixes.
• Why does my plant have brown leaf tips and edges? Usually a watering-rhythm or humidity problem; sometimes salt buildup.
• Why is my plant drooping and wilting? Both too little and too much water cause wilt — check the soil before you water.

Coming next: brown spots, leaf drop, mushy base and root rot, white fuzz, sticky leaves, webbing, fungus gnats, curling leaves, leggy growth, mold on soil, and holes in leaves.

When a guide isn't enough

Guides explain a symptom in general; a diagnosis reads your plant. Plant Doctor identifies the species from three photos, weighs the look-alike causes against what it sees, and gives a treatment plan with a confidence score and the evidence — in about a minute.