From my perspective, the most common reason my leaves begin to curl inward, like a scroll, is a simple cry for water. My large, broad leaves are designed to transpire and lose moisture. When the soil around my roots becomes too dry for too long, I cannot draw up enough water to replace what is lost through my leaves. To survive, I perform an emergency maneuver: I curl my leaves to drastically reduce their surface area. This slows down water loss, trying to conserve every precious drop I have left. It is a defensive tactic against drought. If you see my leaves curling and the soil is pulling away from the edges of the pot, this is a clear signal that my watering schedule needs more consistency.
Conversely, if my soil is perpetually wet and soggy, you may also see my leaves curl, often accompanied by drooping and yellowing. This seems contradictory, but the reason is fundamentally about my roots' ability to function. My roots need oxygen as much as they need water. When I am forced to sit in waterlogged soil, my roots begin to suffocate and rot. Once they are damaged, they can no longer absorb water or nutrients effectively, no matter how wet the soil is. This creates a physiological drought *inside* me. I become dehydrated because my broken roots cannot transport water to my leaves, and they curl as a result. This is a far more serious situation than simply being thirsty.
I am a tropical plant, evolved for environments with high humidity. The air in modern homes, especially during winter when heating systems run, can be extremely arid. When the air is too dry, the rate of water evaporation from my leaf surfaces increases dramatically. Much like underwatering, this rapid moisture loss forces me to curl my leaves to conserve water. The edges may also become brown and crispy. My ideal humidity level is above 50%. If I am placed near a heating vent, radiator, or air conditioner, the direct blast of dry air will accelerate this process and cause significant stress, manifesting as leaf curl.
While I love bright, indirect light, the intense, direct rays of the sun—particularly through a window—can be too much for my leaves to handle. Think of it as a sunburn. The excessive light and heat cause rapid transpiration and can actually damage the delicate tissues of my leaves. In response, I will curl my leaves to minimize the surface area exposed to the harsh light, trying to shield myself. You will often notice this curling is paired with leaves that look bleached, have brown, scorched spots, or feel crispy to the touch. I am trying to protect myself from what is essentially a minor radiation burn.
Sometimes, the stressor is biological. Pests like spider mites, thrips, or aphids are tiny creatures that pierce my leaves and suck out the nutrient-rich sap from my cells. This feeding activity is a direct attack that drains my resources and injures my tissues. The physical damage and loss of fluids from these feeding sites can cause the affected leaves to distort, pucker, and curl. You may need to look very closely, especially on the undersides of my leaves, for fine webbing (spider mites) or tiny moving specks (thrips) to confirm this is the issue.
