Fertilizer build-up
Brown tips on a heavily fed Dragon Tree usually mean salt build-up in the soil.
Diagnosis
Fertilizer build-up
What's happening
Dragon Trees are light feeders and easily over-fertilized. Excess fertilizer salts accumulate in the soil and burn the fine root tips, which the plant shows as browning leaf tips and often a white, crusty residue on the soil surface or the rim of the pot.
How to fix it
Flush the pot thoroughly: run plenty of plain, filtered water through the soil until it drains freely, several times over. Then cut feeding way back — a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength only every 4–6 weeks during spring and summer, and none in winter. Trim the burned tips at an angle to keep the foliage looking neat.
What fixes it
- A balanced liquid fertilizer — A gentle balanced feed used sparingly at half strength prevents the salt build-up that scorches the tips.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Dragon Tree care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this