Low humidity and dry air
Crispy brown edges and tips, especially in winter or near a vent, are a classic dry-air complaint.
Diagnosis
Low humidity and dry air
What's happening
Fiddle leaf figs hail from humid West African forests and resent very dry indoor air. When humidity drops, the thin leaf margins lose water faster than the roots can resupply, so the edges and tips brown and crisp while the leaf center stays green and healthy.
How to fix it
Raise the humidity around the plant: group it with other plants, set the pot on a tray of pebbles and water, or run a small humidifier nearby — and move it well away from heating vents, radiators, and air-conditioning drafts. The browned edges won't turn green again, so trim them with clean scissors following the leaf's natural shape while fresh growth comes in undamaged.
What fixes it
- A small room humidifier — A small humidifier near the plant keeps the leaf edges from crisping, especially in dry winter air.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Fiddle Leaf Fig care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this