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Why are there spots on the leaves of my cast iron plant?

While these hardy plants are resistant to a wide variety of issues, they can still be susceptible to fungal leaf spot. The most common signs of leaf spot are dark brown spots trimmed with yellow.

Leaf spot usually occurs from sitting water on the leaves and can also be a sign of overwatering.

As with all other fungal and bacterial diseases, better air circulation, well-drained soil, dry leaves, and less water help control leaf spot. Avoid letting water sit on the leaves from overhead watering or heavy misting. You can use neem oil or a liquid copper fungicide to treat leaf spot and always follow the directions on the bottle. The spots will not turn green again, but treatment will help them from spreading.

Prune off any heavily affected leaves off with clean scissors or shears and disinfect the blade between each cut. Be sure to keep infected plants away from your other houseplants. Never mist a plant if leaf spot is suspected as it can help it spread.

Water only when the top 50-75% of soil is dry. Water thoroughly until it flowers out of the drainage hole and discard the excess water.

Need more help?

We're confident your Cast Iron Plant will be back to normal in no-time, but if you've followed the steps above and things just aren't improving you can contact us here.