Environment & care
Sunburn (leaf scorch)
Bleached, papery patches on the leaves that face the window after a sudden increase in direct sun.
What you'd see
- Pale, white or tan papery patches on the sun-facing side of leaves
- Patches with a crisp edge, sometimes a purple or brown border
- Damage appearing within a day or two of a move or a season change
Where to look
South- and west-facing windows in spring and summer; plants moved outdoors without acclimatising; leaves pressed against hot glass.
How it spreads
Not infectious. New leaves grown in the brighter light are usually tougher and unaffected.
Is it really this? Look-alikes
What's going on
Leaves grown in shade build a thin, light-hungry structure. Sudden strong sun overwhelms their protective pigments, heats the tissue and kills the cells — like our own skin after a first day at the beach.
Why?
The problem is the speed of change, not the sun itself. A plant given a week or two of gradual exposure grows sun-ready leaves. That is the whole method for moving plants outdoors or to a brighter window.
Grandmother's remedies
What people have always done — with an honest note on each.
A sheer curtain
Filter the midday sun through a net or voile curtain.
Verdict: Effective and permanent.
Move in stages
Shift a plant closer to the light in steps over two weeks.
Verdict: Exactly right — this is acclimatisation.
Modern remedies
What growers and extension services reach for today.
Measure the light
Use the light check to see actual lux at the leaf, and compare to the species' band.
Verdict: Turns guesswork into a number.
Honest verdict
Burnt patches will not green up again. Leave the leaf on if most of it is healthy — it still feeds the plant — and judge the next leaf.
Prevention
- Acclimatise over 1–2 weeks
- Keep leaves off hot glass
- Sheer curtains on south and west windows in summer
Plants this commonly troubles
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