What Causes Red Spots On Fiddle Leaf Fig Plants?

Fiddle leaf fig plants are known for their bright green showy leaves and make wonderful accents in your home. Joann Gaines loves them. But, when red spots on fiddle leaf fig plant leaves show up, this indicates something is wrong.

Leaves of your Ficus should grow readily and present as shiny green without any markings.

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Reasons Your New Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves Have Red Dots

If you are seeing red spots on new fiddle leaf ficus leaves instead of the usual bright, shiny green leaves, in most cases, your plant isn’t getting the right amount of water, or the soil isn’t draining correctly.

Once you use the proper watering schedule, fiddle leaf fig red spots will lessen and go away.

Ornamental plants are sensitive to too much water; if the leaves have too much moisture stress or edema, the leaves form red spots.

Here are various other reasons why your Fiddle-leaf fig leaves have red dots. 

1. Edema On Fiddle Leaf Fig

The most common reason you see red dots on fiddle leaf fig plants is edema.

Edema, or moisture stress, is caused when you overwater your plant.

What happens is that the roots of your fiddle leaf fig absorb more water than the structure of the plant can process.

Similar to how a pipe can burst with too much water pressure, red spots on a new fiddle leaf indicate that the cells within the plant have burst due to water pressure. The red spots are actually dead plant cells.

To fix this “water pressure problem”, adjust your watering schedule and check to ensure that the soil around the fiddle leaf plant drains properly.

Once your fiddle leaf fig plant gets the appropriate amount of water on a schedule, the new leaves will present as shiny green.

When you consider your water schedule and soil drainage, you need to consider the humidity in the air and general air circulation.

These two factors also influence a healthy plant’s water needs.

2. Bacterial Or Fungal Infections

Red dots on fiddle leaf fig plants can also be caused by other problems affecting the balance of the plant. 

For example, infections can also contribute to an unhealthy fiddle leaf fig.

• Bacterial Infections – One possible source for red veins or spots on fiddle leaf fig is a bacterial infection that shows up first on the veins or margins of the plant. Look for the pattern of brown or red on several leaves or the entire plant.

• Fungal Infections – Fungal infections can also cause fiddle leaf fig spotted leaves. Root rot is the most prevalent fungal infection in fiddle leaf fig plants. Root rot is caused by too much water in the soil, generally caused by poor drainage or too much watering. Root rot presents as big brown spots or red dots on fiddle leaves.

3. Spider Mites And False Spider Mites

Insect infestation can cause burst plant cells and result in fiddle leaf fig new leaf red spots. It’s also possible that you will find white spots.

If insects are the problem, the most common insects on fiddle leaf fig plants are spider mites and false spider mites.

These insects are often too small to be seen with the naked eye. Instead, you need a magnifying glass or microscope.

• Spider Mites – Like spiders, spider mites create webs on your plant’s leaves that are so small you usually need a magnifying glass or microscope to see them. Even if you don’t see the spider mites but do see these webs, they’re likely the work of spider mites. Spider mites live underneath the leaves and can be red, orange, green, white, or translucent.

• False Spider Mites – These insects are hard to detect because they live underneath the leaves. They don’t create webs but have orange-red bodies with small black spots. You may see them on leaves or leaf stems, imitating dust.

4. Sunburned Fiddle Leaf Figs

Believe it or not, fiddle leaf red spots can be caused by too much sun.

The most common indicator of too much sun on a fiddle leaf fig plant is white patches, which can also exhibit brown or red spots.

If you move your fiddle leaf fig into a sunnier place, you may have an adjustment period with damaged leaves.

5. Not Enough Water Or Underwatering

Fiddle leaf fig plants can develop red and brown spots on their leaves due to underwatering.

The leaves can appear brown with some red. This indicates that your plant isn’t getting enough water through the roots and, therefore, not absorbing enough nutrients.

How Do You Eliminate Red Spots On Your Fiddle Leaf Fig?

To resolve your fiddle leaf problem, follow these steps:

Dry Out Your Plant 

Drying out your soil will relieve the water pressure.

Wait until your plant soil is dry, at least 2″ inches at the top, before you water it again.

Reduce Humidity

Humidity should be between 30% to 65% percent. Your plants should be happy if air can circulate your fiddle leaf fig.

Remove Insects

Wash your plant’s leaves with soap and water to remove pesky mites. Or put your plant in your sink and use the spray handle to rinse off the leaves.

If that doesn’t work, use neem oil or an insecticide soap to wash leaves.

Remove Bacteria

Start by removing any infected leaves. Then repot your plant in a new pot and use new soil.

To keep the fiddle leaf plant in the existing pot, you must sanitize it.

To sanitize it mix 1 part bleach with 9 parts water in a container big enough to hold your pot.

Then place the pot into the container fully underwater for 20 minutes. Scrub the pot clean. Then let the pot air dry.

Once dry, you can plant your fiddle leaf fig back into the same pot.

Remove Fungus

Check the plant’s roots for color.

Healthy roots are tan or white and easy to bend. Rotten roots are mushy feeling and brown or black. 

Pull your plant out of the soil and cut off any rotten roots. Then using the same procedure as for bacteria, repot your fiddle leaf plant.

Remedy Sun Damage

Start by removing any affected leaves. Then, move the fiddle leaf fig to a spot with less direct sun exposure (about 6 hours daily for established plants).

New plants may not tolerate the same amount of sunlight. If new, start with less light and gradually increase the exposure.