Should I remove leaves with brown spots?

Remove leaves that are mostly damaged or show signs of infection (halos, soft tissue). For minor cosmetic damage, you can leave the leaf — it still photosynthesizes.

Can brown spots spread to other plants?

Fungal and bacterial spots can. Isolate the affected plant, avoid shared watering trays, and wash your hands and tools between plants.

Brown Spots on Plant Leaves: What They Mean & How to Treat Them

Brown spots on leaves are alarming because they spread — today it's one leaf, next month it's the plant. The spot's pattern is the clue: where it sits, whether it has a halo, and whether it's crispy or soft all point to different causes with different treatments.

Decode the spot

Brown spots with yellow halos → fungal leaf spot

Round brown lesions ringed in yellow, often spreading between neighboring leaves. Remove affected leaves, improve airflow, keep water off the foliage, and treat with a fungicide if it spreads.

Dark, wet-looking spots → bacterial infection

Irregular soft brown-black patches, sometimes with a foul smell. Isolate the plant immediately, cut away affected tissue with sterilized scissors, and avoid misting.

Crispy brown leaf tips → low humidity or salt buildup

Dry tips and edges, common on calatheas and spider plants. Raise humidity, water more consistently, and flush the soil occasionally to wash out fertilizer salts.

Bleached-brown patches on one side → sunburn

Patches appear on the side facing the window after a move or a bright spell. Move the plant out of direct midday sun.

Soft brown blotches from the base → overwatering / root rot

Lower leaves brown and soften while soil stays wet. Let the soil dry, check roots, and repot into fresh, draining mix if roots are brown and mushy.

Speckled brown with webbing → spider mites

Fine stippling that merges into brown patches, with silky webbing underneath. Shower the plant, then treat with neem or insecticidal soap weekly.

Get the exact cause from a photo

The patterns above overlap — a fungal spot and a bacterial spot can look nearly identical at arm's length. Plantico's disease diagnosis reads the details from a photo: snap the affected leaf and the app identifies whether you're looking at fungus, bacteria, pest damage or an environmental problem, then gives a treatment plan and prevention steps for that specific plant.

Treat it in four steps

Isolate the plant so nothing spreads.
Diagnose with a photo scan in Plantico.
Remove damaged leaves with sterilized tools.
Correct the environment — watering, humidity, light — so the spots don't return.