11 Causes of Yellow or Brown Leaves on Norfolk Island Pines

11 Causes of Yellow or Brown Leaves on Norfolk Island Pines

Whether it’s serving you as a living Christmas tree or a long term houseplant, you want your Norfolk Island pine’s foliage to remain evergreen, not showing a display of sad, yellow or brown leaves.

If you’ve noticed discolored, yellow or brown needles on your houseplant, you may be wondering if you let it go too long without water.

But there are other reasons the foliage of these conifer trees can turn unsightly hues!

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In this article you’ll learn about 11 causes of yellow or brown leaves on Norfolk Island pines.

By understanding these different reasons for discoloration, you can then choose the right solution to help your tree turn green again.

Ready to learn how to return your tree to its former green glory? Here’s a sneak peek at the list of potential causes of yellow or brown needles:

But before we get started, if you’d like to review growing requirements for these houseplants, be sure to read our complete guide to caring for Norfolk Island pines.

While not the most common reason for brown leaves on Norfolk pines, anthracnose is a fungal disease, caused by Colletotrichum derridis, that can affect these trees leading to discolored foliage.

In addition to causing brown needles, you will also notice black specks on foliage if anthracnose is the problem.

While a definitive diagnosis of anthracnose can only be carried out via analysis in a laboratory, if you think your plant’s brown needles may have been initiated by this fungal organism, there are a few steps you can take.

If possible, remove