Natural leaf aging

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

Diagnosis

Natural leaf aging

What's happening

Stromanthe steadily retires its oldest leaves to put energy into new growth from the center of the clump. If only one or two of the lowest, oldest leaves are yellowing and the rest of the plant looks vibrant and well-colored, 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 outer leaves and doesn't start spreading inward to newer growth.

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

Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this