Tap-water sensitivity
Brown, crispy edges on a Calathea watered from the tap are very often a reaction to chemicals in the water.
Diagnosis
Tap-water sensitivity
What's happening
Calathea Medallion is unusually sensitive to the fluoride, chlorine, and dissolved salts in most tap water. These build up in the leaf tissue over time and burn the thin margins, leaving the edges and tips brown and crisp while the center of the leaf stays healthy — a classic, telltale Calathea complaint.
How to fix it
Switch your water source. Use filtered, distilled, or rainwater, or leave tap water out uncovered overnight so some of the chlorine can off-gas (this won't remove fluoride, so filtered or distilled is safer). Flush the pot occasionally with clean water to wash out accumulated salts, and trim the worst browned edges with clean scissors, following the leaf's natural shape, so it looks tidy while new, unburnt leaves come in.
What fixes it
- A long-spout watering can — Keep a dedicated can of filtered or distilled water ready so every watering avoids the chemicals that scorch Calathea edges.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Calathea Medallion care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this