Arrowhead Plant with Yellow Leaves: Causes and Solutions
Syngonium podophyllum
Is your Arrowhead Plant showing yellow leaves? Discover 30 possible causes and how to treat them.
🔍 Possible Causes (30)
Aphids
Aphids are small, soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects (1/16 to 1/8 inch long) that feed by sucking nutrient-rich sap from plants. They reproduce rapidly and can quickly weaken plants, causing distorted growth and transmitting plant viruses. Aphids come in various colors including green, black, red, yellow, brown, and gray. They secrete honeydew, a sticky substance that attracts ants and encourages sooty mold growth.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Clusters of soft-bodied insects in various colors (green, black, red, yellow)
- • Curled, distorted, or yellowing leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Bacterial Leaf Spot
Bacterial leaf spot is a plant disease caused by bacteria in the Xanthomonas and Pseudomonas genera that affects various ornamental and edible plants. The bacteria infect leaves through wounds or natural openings, causing characteristic lesions that can lead to premature leaf drop and plant weakening.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Brown or black lesions with yellow halos
- • Leaf yellowing and wilting
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Remove infected leaves
Scale Insects
Scale insects are small sap-sucking pests that appear as brown, shell-like bumps on plant stems and leaves. There are over 25 species, divided into armored (hard) and unarmored (soft) scales. They feed by piercing plant tissue and extracting sap, which weakens the plant and can lead to yellowing, stunted growth, and even death if left untreated. They also excrete honeydew, which attracts ants and promotes sooty mold growth.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or chlorotic (pale) leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Thrips
Thrips are tiny cigar-shaped insects (1/25-inch long) that damage plants by sucking plant juices and scraping at fruits, flowers, and leaves. With over 6,000 species and rapid reproduction (lifecycle as short as 14 days), they can quickly infest plants and transmit viruses like tomato spotted wilt virus.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing and eventual death of affected leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats are small, gray-to-black mosquito-like insects (1/8 to 1/10 inches long) commonly found in indoor plants. Adult gnats are mostly a nuisance, but their larvae feed on plant roots and organic matter in soil, potentially causing serious damage to young or vulnerable plants. The larvae are translucent white with distinctive black heads and can leave slime trails on the soil surface in heavy infestations.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing leaves without obvious cause
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Leaf Spot
Leaf spot is a common fungal disease caused by various pathogens including Alternaria, Ascochyta, Colletotrichum, Septoria, and Venturia. It primarily affects leaves, causing discolored spots that can lead to premature leaf drop if left untreated.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Circular brown, gray, black, or yellow spots on leaves
- • Yellow halo surrounding spots
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Remove all visibly infected leaves
Overwatering
Overwatering occurs when plants receive too much water, depriving roots of oxygen and causing root rot. This environmental stress is one of the most common causes of houseplant death, as waterlogged soil prevents roots from breathing and functioning properly.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellow or brown limp, droopy leaves that feel soft and mushy
- • Dropping leaves (both old and new) that may be green, brown, or yellow
- • Brown spots or edges with yellow halos on leaves (bacterial infection)
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Sooty Mold
Sooty mold is a fungal disease that develops on surfaces coated with honeydew, a sticky sweet substance secreted by sap-sucking insects like aphids, scale insects, and whiteflies. While it does not directly infect plant tissue, it reduces photosynthetic capacity by blocking sunlight and diminishes the plant's aesthetic appearance.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or premature leaf drop due to reduced light
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Immediate physical removal
Nitrogen Deficiency
Nitrogen deficiency occurs when plants lack sufficient nitrogen, an essential macronutrient needed for chlorophyll production and overall growth. This deficiency typically manifests as yellowing leaves, starting with older foliage and progressing to newer growth if left untreated.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing (chlorosis) of older, lower leaves first
- • Pale yellow-green coloration across the entire plant
- • Some species may develop purple or reddish tints instead of yellowing
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Potassium Deficiency
Potassium deficiency is a nutritional disorder that affects a plant's ability to regulate stomatal opening and closing, resulting in characteristic leaf edge burn. Potassium is a mobile nutrient, so symptoms first appear on older, lower leaves.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellow or brown scorching along leaf margins
- • Chlorosis (yellowing) between leaf veins
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency, commonly known as iron chlorosis, is a nutrient deficiency disorder where plants cannot access sufficient iron from the soil. While iron is typically abundant in soil, various soil conditions can limit plant uptake, resulting in characteristic yellowing of leaves while veins remain green.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing of leaves (chlorosis) while veins remain green - most obvious symptom
- • Yellowing starts at the tips of new growth and progresses to older leaves
- • Severe cases show yellowing even in leaf veins
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency is a nutrient disorder characterized by interveinal chlorosis, where leaf tissue between veins turns yellow while the veins remain green. This deficiency affects older leaves first as magnesium is a mobile nutrient that plants relocate to support new growth. Magnesium is essential for chlorophyll production and photosynthesis, making this deficiency critical for plant health.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Interveinal chlorosis with yellowing between leaf veins while veins stay green
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Heat Stress
Heat stress occurs when plants are exposed to excessively high temperatures, typically above 85-90°F (29-32°C), causing physiological damage and compromising vital processes such as photosynthesis and transpiration.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing of stems, fruit, or bark
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Sunburn (Sun Scorch)
Sunburn or sun scorch is an environmental condition that occurs when plants are exposed to intense, direct sunlight beyond their tolerance level. This causes the breakdown of chlorophyll in the leaves, resulting in bleached, dried, and damaged foliage. The damage can happen rapidly, sometimes within just a few hours of exposure.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Affected areas turn yellow, then brown, and become brittle
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Low Light Stress
Low light stress, also known as etiolation, occurs when plants do not receive adequate light for proper growth and development. This leads to abnormal growth patterns characterized by elongated stems, pale leaves, and weakened overall structure as the plant attempts to reach toward available light sources.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Pale, yellowish, or washed-out leaf coloration
- • Yellowing and dropping of older leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Transplant Shock
Transplant shock is a stress response that occurs when plants are abruptly moved from one environment to another. This environmental condition affects plants during repotting, moving between indoor/outdoor locations, or transplanting from nursery pots to gardens. Root damage during the move is the primary cause, making it nearly impossible to completely avoid some degree of stress.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Leaf discoloration (yellowing or bronzing)
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Root-Bound
Root-bound, also called pot-bound, is a common environmental condition that occurs when a plant's roots have outgrown their container. The roots become so densely packed that they circle around the root ball and cannot expand properly. This restricts the plant's ability to absorb water and nutrients, leading to stunted growth and declining health. Unlike diseases, being root-bound is not contagious and is entirely preventable through proper container management and regular repotting.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or dropping of lower leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Quick assessment
Salt Buildup
Salt buildup (also called salt accumulation or fertilizer salt deposits) is an environmental condition where mineral salts accumulate in the soil over time, creating a toxic environment for plant roots. The most visible sign is a white or yellowish crusty layer on the soil surface or around pot edges.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • White or yellow crystalline buildup around pot edges
- • Yellowing leaves (chlorosis)
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Overfertilization
Fertilizer burn is a condition caused by applying excessive fertilizer to plants. The salts in fertilizer draw moisture out of plant tissues, leading to scorched foliage, root damage, and overall plant stress. This environmental condition is not contagious and can be reversed with proper treatment.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or browning of leaf edges and tips
- • White, yellow or brown streaks following fertilizer application pattern
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Spider Mites
Spider mites are tiny arachnids (less than 1/20 inch long) related to spiders and ticks that feed on plant sap. They thrive in hot, dry conditions and can cause significant damage to ornamental and vegetable plants. During severe infestations, crop losses can reach 14% or higher as these pests disrupt vital plant processes including photosynthesis, carbon dioxide absorption, and transpiration.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Tiny yellow or white speckles on leaf surface (stippling)
- • Leaves taking on yellow or bronzed appearance
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are small, soft-bodied insects covered with a white, waxy, cottony material. They are common pests of houseplants and outdoor plants in mild climates. These sap-sucking insects feed on plant tissue, causing damage, stunted growth, and can lead to plant death if left untreated. They produce sticky honeydew which attracts sooty mold.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or wilting leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Root Rot
Root rot is a serious fungal disease that affects the root system of plants, causing them to decay and die. It is primarily caused by overwatering, poor drainage, or soil-borne fungi such as Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium. The disease thrives in waterlogged conditions where roots are deprived of oxygen, making them susceptible to fungal infection.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or browning of leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Emergency unpotting
Whiteflies
Whiteflies are small, soft-bodied, winged insects closely related to aphids and mealybugs. They are moth-like in appearance, about 1/16 inch long, triangular in shape, and gray-white in color. These sap-sucking pests feed on plant tissue, causing yellowing, stunted growth, and wilting. They also excrete honeydew, which attracts ants and promotes sooty mold growth. Whiteflies can transmit serious plant viruses.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing, wilting, and stunted growth of leaves
- • Transmission of plant viruses (tomato yellow leaf curl, cucumber mosaic)
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Bacterial Blight
Bacterial blight is a serious plant disease caused by pathogenic bacteria that enters plants through wounds or natural openings. It spreads rapidly in warm, wet conditions and can cause significant damage to leaves, stems, and flowers. The bacteria are transmitted by water splash, contaminated tools, and insects.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellow halos surrounding lesions
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Anthracnose
Anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by fungi in the genus Colletotrichum that affects many plants, including vegetables, fruits, and trees. The disease thrives in cool, wet conditions, causing dark, sunken lesions on leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Small irregular yellow or brown spots on leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Remove and discard all visibly infected parts
Pythium Root Rot
Pythium root rot is a serious fungal disease caused by various Pythium species including P. aphanidermatum, P. ultimum, and P. irregulare. These water molds are present in practically all cultivated soils and attack plant roots under wet conditions, causing rapid wet rot that can extend into the stem. The disease is favored by poor drainage, overwatering, and specific temperatures depending on the species.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Progressive yellowing of leaves
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Phytophthora Root Rot
Disease caused by fungus-like organisms (oomycetes) that live in soil and can survive for years. It affects roots, stem, and crown of plants, being especially severe in waterlogged or poorly drained soils. It is the second most common cause of root rot in trees and shrubs.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing or discolored foliage (dull green, yellow, red, purplish)
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Expose plant base by removing soil to main roots
Mosaic Virus
Mosaic virus is a group of plant viruses that cause mottled, patchy patterns on leaves and can affect a wide variety of plants. The virus creates characteristic yellow, white, and green mosaic patterns, often accompanied by stunted growth and deformed plant parts. This highly contagious disease spreads rapidly through insect vectors and contaminated tools.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Mottled or mosaic pattern of yellow, white, and green on leaves
- • Yellowing between leaf veins
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1
Crown Rot
Crown rot is a serious fungal disease that attacks the crown (base) of the plant where the stem meets the soil. It is caused by various fungal pathogens including Phytophthora, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia. The disease thrives in waterlogged conditions and can quickly spread to kill the entire plant if not addressed promptly.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing of lower leaves that drop prematurely
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Immediate unpotting
Underwatering
Underwatering or drought stress is a physiological disorder that occurs when the amount of water a plant loses through transpiration exceeds the amount its roots can absorb from the soil. This leads to cellular dehydration and various visible symptoms that can compromise plant health and productivity.
✓ Related symptoms:
- • Yellowing leaves, especially older ones (chlorosis)
⚡ Quick Fixes:
Step 1