Ficus benjamina, also known as weeping fig, sheds its leaves at the slightest provocation, but brown leaf tips signal something more amiss. A pile of brown-tipped foliage at your feet calls for detective work and corrective action. To save your foliage and your tree, understand why weeping figs drop leaves and why leaf tips turn brown. Put the pieces together, and get your weeping fig back on the path of good health.
Digging into Leaf Drop
Falling leaves cause concern, but can indicate a healthy, natural response in weeping figs. Thriving in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, weeping figs develop highly specialized foliage. Leaves grown in bright sunlight differ physically from shade-grown leaves. Differences develop in leaf thickness and size, even in the number of pores each leaf holds. Weeping figs naturally drop some leaves when seasons shift. Sudden changes in light, temperature and humidity cause abrupt drops, especially with weeping figs grown indoors. But when trees respond with normal leaf drop, those leaves should be green to the tips.
Understanding Brown Tips
Weeping fig leaf tips turn brown for the same reasons leaf tips brown on all plants. Leaf cells dry up and die when they lack water. The culprit behind this deprivation varies, but brown tips happen whenever a plant can't take up enough water to meet its needs. Farthest away from the plant's main waterways, leaf tips and margins suffer most. This universal response, known as leaf scorch or burn, affects weeping figs in water-deprived landscapes and containers. Opportunistic insect pests, drawn to stressed plants, make the condition worse.
Factoring in Water and Roots
Underwatering often accounts for brown leaf tips on weeping figs, but it's not the only explanation. Weeping figs flourish in moist, yet well-drained soil. Saturate thoroughly when you water, then allow the soil to dry just slightly before watering again. Never let it dry completely, but never leave soil soggy. Anything that inhibits weeping fig roots interferes with water uptake. Transplanting your weeping fig or digging nearby may impair the roots' ability to draw in enough water to keep tips hydrated and healthy. Root-bound conditions do the same. High temperatures and windy conditions also steal moisture and desiccate tender tips.
Addressing Soluble Salts
Soluble salts from fertilizers and other sources accumulate in soil. Container-grown weeping figs often show this whitish crust in their pots. Not as easily seen, the same thing happens underground. Salts congregate and draw water away from thirsty weeping fig roots. When soil salts exceed natural levels in plant roots, leaf tips suffer. Heavy salt sprays, saline soils and saline water work the same way. Leaf tips and margins struggle under the strain of artificial drought until they brown. Periodic, heavy watering flushes salt away from the root zone and washes away buildup in the landscape and in pots.
Taking Appropriate Action
Don't be tempted to overcompensate for brown, dropping leaves. Tips won't green up again, but your weeping fig isn't doomed. Don't try to make up for poor watering; just start watering right. Establish a consistent schedule, and check soil often. Adjust for seasonal variations in temperature, humidity and winds, but avoid sudden change. Gradually acclimate container weeping figs to new locations, outdoors or in. Water them with room-temperature water, and avoid drafty spots. Watch for circling roots and insect pests, and focus on health. Lustrous, green leaves -- adapted to their conditions -- will replace your fallen foliage.
- California Master Gardener Handbook; Dennis R. Pittenger, Editor
- The Royal Horticultural Society: Brown Leaves on Woody Plants
- Colorado State University Extension: Leaf Scorch
- The Behnke Nurseries Co.: The Finicky Ficus
- Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Management Handbook: Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina) -- Leaf Drop
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute: Weeping Fig -- Ficus Benjamina
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images