Natural leaf aging

An occasional yellow lower leaf on a healthy anthurium is completely normal.

Diagnosis

Natural leaf aging

What's happening

Anthurium retires its oldest leaves to put energy into new growth and fresh flowers. If only one or two of the lowest, oldest leaves are yellowing while the rest of the plant looks glossy and green, nothing is wrong.

How to fix it

Snip the spent leaf off at the base if you like the tidier look, and carry on with your normal care. Just keep an eye out that the yellowing stays limited to the oldest leaves and doesn't begin spreading up into newer growth.

If that doesn't fix it

This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.

Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this