Large, smooth, grass green and vaguely reminiscent of the leaves of banana plants - these are the leaves of the Strelizia. But they don't always look so flawlessly beautiful. When they curl up, they sound the alarm and show you that something is wrong…

Curled leaves can be a sign of a lack of water

Cause: disturbed water balance

The most common cause is a disturbed water balance. Dryness is the priority. Strelizia need a lot of water because they evaporate a lot of it through their large leaves. They must therefore be watered regularly, preferably with low-lime water. If the soil is very dry, an immersion bath will help.

Curled leaves can also occur if the air is too dry. This happens quickly, especially in winter. The running heaters lower the humidity in the room. The Strelizie suffers from it.

More rarely, wetness in the root area leads to curling leaves. If the soil is too wet, you should stop watering immediately and put the Strelizia out in the partial shade or in the sun, where the excess water will quickly evaporate. If the soil already smells rotten, root rot has already struck…

Cause: parasitic infestation

Furthermore, an infestation with pests leads to curled leaves over time. Scale insects appear more often on Strelizien. But spider mites can also affect them and cause the leaves to curl up and turn brown. Check the plant regularly for pests! They prefer to sit on the underside of the leaves.

Cause: Draft and wrong location

On top of that, a too drafty and warm location can be the cause. If it is too warm, the Strelizia rolls up its leaves to reduce its evaporation surface. At the same time, it protects you from strong sunlight. At night the leaves roll up again.

What can you do now?

Fast action (depending on the cause) is called for, before the leaves turn brown and dry up:

  • Increase/limit watering
  • repot
  • out of the sun and in partial shade
  • Ventilate rooms regularly
  • fight pests

tips

If the curled leaves only appear on the parrot flower during the day, this is usually due to a too sunny location combined with too much heat.

Category:

Indoor plants