Why Is My Plant Losing Leaves? Causes and How to Fix It

Written by Kelsey W.

Is the plant you have had on your porch for years starting to lose its leaves, a lot of leaves? Are the plants out near the street in front of your house dropping leaves like no tomorrow? Is the houseplant in your bathroom losing more leaves than it is growing?

Plants lose leaves predictably for reasons like seasonal changes and growth, but sometimes leaf loss is unexpected, and it starts to accelerate into something concerning. Are your plants dying? Is something hurting them? Do you need to do something drastic to ensure their survival?

It is never fun to see one of your plants start to lose its leaves, but all is not lost, especially if you notice what is happening before it gets too severe. Let us learn about why your plant might be unhappy, and how you can encourage it to start growing leaves instead of dropping them.

Why Do Plants Lose Leaves Unexpectedly?

The first step in figuring out what to do when your plant starts losing leaves is to understand the many reasons why this may occur. When you know the reason, the solution might be as simple as reversing a recent decision you made about the plant. Use the quick table below to match what you are seeing to the most likely cause, then read the section that fits.

What You Are Seeing	Most Likely Cause	What to Do
Sudden leaf drop soon after moving, repotting, or buying the plant	Transplant or environment shock (very common with ficus)	Give it bright, steady light, stop moving it, and wait. Some drop for about three weeks is normal.
Lower leaves yellow and fall while the soil stays wet	Overwatering or poor drainage	Let the top inch or two of soil dry out and make sure the pot drains.
Leaves wilt, dry, curl, then drop	Underwatering or a hot, dry spell	Water more consistently, and mulch outdoor plants to hold moisture.
Fine speckling, webbing, or sticky residue before leaves drop	Pests such as spider mites or mealybugs	Rinse and isolate the plant, treat the pest, and check nearby plants.
Gradual drop on an indoor plant in fall and winter	Shorter days and less light	Move it to your brightest window and keep the soil a little drier.

Here are the most common issues that may cause leaf loss, in more detail.

Change of Environment

Plants are almost like humans in some ways, in that they get used to where they live and can get a little stressed when you move them. Some plants are much more sensitive to movement than others and will protest by dropping their leaves until they are practically bare. One of the biggest offenders when it comes to movement is the Ficus plant.

Several types of Ficus plants exist, and most of them will get quite testy with you if you move them from their happy place. Too often, a Ficus will come home from the garden center and start losing leaves with wild abandon because of the stress it feels in its new environment. This is well documented. The Missouri Botanical Garden notes that weeping figs drop leaves after sudden, significant changes in temperature or light, and the University of Maryland Extension points out that the weeping fig is known for dropping leaves when moved indoors (Missouri Botanical Garden; University of Maryland Extension). The fix is patience: move plants gradually so they can acclimate, give them bright light, and avoid shuffling them around. Clemson Cooperative Extension notes that this kind of environment-change leaf drop should only last about three weeks (Clemson HGIC).

Improper Watering Schedule

One of the most common reasons plants start to lose leaves is that their caretakers forget to water them, or a really dry, hot spell comes along and the plants do not receive a boost in water. Some plants that do not get enough water will start to turn brown, but others will start to lose leaves and simply not grow any new ones.

If the plant is not getting enough water to sustain itself, there is no reason for it to keep making more leaves that will only stress it further while it feels parched. Getting the watering schedule right can help a plant recover. In that same vein, overwatering can also cause leaves to drop. Clemson Cooperative Extension puts it plainly: either over or under watering can cause leaf drop (Clemson HGIC). A quick way to tell them apart: wet soil with yellowing lower leaves usually means too much water, while dry, crispy, wilting leaves mean too little.

If you have more than one type of plant in your home or garden (very likely if you have a garden outside), you may need a varied watering schedule, where one or two plants get an extra trip with the watering can while the more drought-tolerant plants get less. Your jade plants might be losing their leaves because you are watering them too much, but that may not be the case for the other plants nearby.

Bugs Are Eating Your Plants

Infestations are a very common reason plants start to drop their leaves, especially when you are caring for outdoor plants. Indoor infestations can happen too, but they are less common. One of the ways bugs damage plants is by sucking the moisture and sap out of them, which means the plant cannot keep producing new leaves or support the ones it has.

Mealybugs and spider mites are some of the most common invaders that lead to leaf loss. The University of California Statewide IPM Program reports that heavily mite-infested leaves can turn yellow and drop off, and that high mealybug populations can slow plant growth and cause leaf drop (UC IPM, Spider Mites; UC IPM, Mealybugs). If you spot them, isolate the plant, treat it, and carefully inspect every plant nearby, because infestations spread. Our guide to keeping indoor potted plants bug free walks through the steps. And if you grow marigolds, watch out for spider mites.

Change in Seasonal Weather

Some plants thrive in the sun and some in the shade, and the changing path of the sun can have a big impact on whether a plant thrives or just gives up and starts losing leaves. One of the most common problems for indoor plants is the gradual loss of sunlight (even indirect sunlight) as the sun shifts to a lower, more southerly path during the winter.

If your houseplants are only getting just enough sun during the summer and get even less in the winter, they may stop producing new leaves or start dropping them once their light is cut short. The University of Maryland Extension notes that tropical houseplants often have trouble adjusting to lower light intensity when moved back indoors, and to expect some leaf drop as they make the adjustment (University of Maryland Extension). Move plants to your brightest window for the winter, and learn to read the signs your houseplant needs more or less sunlight.

You can often prevent leaf loss from seasonal changes by thinking about those changes before you put your plants in the ground or set them in their forever spot. If you know a plant needs a lot of sun, like a daylily, do not put it on a north-facing wall where it will still sit in shade when it should be blooming.

How Do You Help a Plant Stop Dropping Its Leaves?

The only way to stop a plant from dropping its leaves is to figure out why it is unhappy. In some cases you can work it out pretty easily. You probably already know that you have been neglecting the houseplant in the living-room window.

You might set a reminder on your phone to water the plant so it does not get so parched. We have so much going on in modern life that it is easy to forget that two-minute task of filling a watering can and visiting the plants.

The good news is that plants are usually quite resilient and responsive to changes in their environment. Just as the plant started losing leaves because it was unhappy, it should start regaining its health once you correct the problem. If your plant is dropping leaves, there is a decent chance only one issue is to blame, so it should be a straightforward thing to fix.

But if you are unsure about the reason, examine each of the following, one by one, and make sure you are giving your plant the right conditions:

1. Recent changes (location, repotting, weather)
2. Watering schedule (too much or too little)
3. Humidity level
4. Sunlight (too much or not enough)
5. Infestations (bugs)
6. Sickness (mold, mildew, disease)

In many cases just one of these is out of whack and needs to be addressed. Maybe it is a buggy infestation, or maybe it is the sunlight. Just remember that if it is bugs, you will need to inspect all the other plants in the vicinity too, to make sure the infestation has not spread.

Can You Really Bring a Plant Back from the Brink?

There is a school of thought that any plant can come back from ill health as long as it has at least a little green on it. In most cases, the earlier you notice that a plant is dropping leaves when it should not be, the better your chance of reversing the trend. If a plant has already lost most of its leaves, recovery is harder, and it helps to know what to expect.

Recovery also depends on the plant. The University of Maryland Extension notes that a weeping fig will eventually produce new leaves that are better adjusted to indoor light, while a rubber tree or fiddle leaf fig usually will not replace leaves lost indoors, even after you move it back outside (University of Maryland Extension). So correct the stress and be patient, but know that some plants regrow lost leaves while others simply push fresh growth from the top.

Even if you are busy and do not notice right away that your plant looks less happy than usual, do not assume all is lost. The most important part of the equation is diagnosing the issue. Once you know the problem, you can put a solution in place immediately. If your plant is already struggling badly, our guide on how to revive a dying plant can help.

And you should always reach out to your local garden center with your concerns. You do not have to be an expert in horticulture to grow plants, and there are plenty of resources to help you along the way. Your garden center experts can help you figure out what is going on when you are at a loss.

Let Green Thumb Nursery Help Keep Your Plants Green and Growing

Growing a beautiful garden does not have to be complicated or confusing, and you should not feel like you have failed as a plant parent when a plant is not doing well. Some plants are difficult to grow and need just the right conditions to thrive. Let the helpful crew at Green Thumb Nursery help you find the best way to care for your plants, with advice on placement, feeding, and general care. Browse our indoor plants, or stop by one of our Southern California garden center locations and bring a photo of your plant so we can help you diagnose the problem.

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Plant Leaf Drop FAQ

Why are my plant’s leaves falling off?

Most leaf drop comes down to one fixable stress: a recent move or change in light, a watering problem (too much or too little), pests such as spider mites or mealybugs, or the shorter days of fall and winter. Identify the single cause, correct it, and many plants recover.

Why is my plant dropping leaves after I moved it or brought it home?

That is transplant or environment shock, and it is especially common with ficus. The Missouri Botanical Garden and University of Maryland Extension both document this leaf drop when a weeping fig faces a sudden change in light or temperature. Give it bright, steady light, stop moving it, and expect the drop to settle down within about three weeks.

Does overwatering or underwatering cause leaf drop?

Both can. Clemson Cooperative Extension states that either over or under watering can cause leaf drop. To tell them apart, check the soil: wet soil with yellowing lower leaves usually means too much water, while dry, crispy, wilting leaves usually mean too little.

Why is my indoor plant losing leaves in winter?

As the days get shorter, indoor plants receive far less light, and many respond by dropping leaves, which the University of Maryland Extension notes as tropical plants adjust to lower indoor light. Move them to your brightest window for the winter and water a little less often, since plants use less water in low light.

Will my plant grow its leaves back?

Often yes, but it depends on the plant. A weeping fig will grow new leaves suited to its spot once the stress is fixed, while a rubber tree or fiddle leaf fig usually will not replace the leaves it dropped and instead pushes fresh growth from the top. Catching the problem early gives you the best chance.

How do I stop my plant from losing leaves?

Work through the likely causes one at a time: recent changes, watering, light, pests, and disease. Fix the one that is off, whether that means watering more consistently, moving the plant to better light, or treating a pest. Most plants respond quickly once the real problem is solved.

Sources:

• Missouri Botanical Garden, Why is my weeping fig dropping leaves?
• Clemson Cooperative Extension (HGIC), Houseplant Diseases and Disorders
• UC Statewide IPM Program, Spider Mites
• UC Statewide IPM Program, Mealybugs
• University of Maryland Extension, Overwintering Tropical Plants