Why do the newly grown tender leaves of the Peace Tree wilt?

For foliage-type potted flowering plants, encountering withered leaves is inevitably hard to accept. Especially when the tender leaves newly grown by the plant wither, it often affects the ornamental value of the potted plant even more. The same is true for the Peace Tree (also known as the Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum kotoense), an evergreen foliage tree species; continuously growing tender leaves tend to make it more attractive, but when the tender leaves wither, its ornamental value is greatly reduced.

For potted plants, tender leaves often have a greater growth advantage and can often absorb more nutrients and water. But if the tender leaves show signs of withering, it is mainly caused by two factors. One factor is too strong light, and the other is excessive watering. Therefore, we need to focus on investigating these two aspects first, and then provide the correct remedy.

1. Excessive light

The Peace Tree is characterized by liking light and being relatively shade-tolerant, but at the same time it also fears exposure to the scorching summer sun, especially since tender leaves are prone to sunburn and withering under strong light. So in summer we must promptly take shading measures for it; generally, placing it in a bright spot with ample scattered light and smooth ventilation is sufficient. At the same time, we also need to spray water more often to maintain moisture and lower the temperature.

2. Excessive watering

The Peace Tree is an evergreen plant in all four seasons, and it usually grows with lush branches and leaves, needing to consume quite a lot of water, so it prefers moisture and fears prolonged drought. Because of this, some gardening friends worry that it will be thirsty and water it frequently, thereby damaging the root system due to overly sufficient or even excessive watering. This is because the Peace Tree's root system is relatively well developed, but its numerous fibrous roots also fear waterlogging; after excessive watering, root rot easily occurs, so the new leaves wither because they cannot get a timely water supply.

But besides the two most common factors mentioned above, there may also be many other reasons causing its newly grown tender leaves to wither. For example, the potting soil suddenly becoming unsuitable, prolonged drought, excessive fertilization, and so on, can all cause its tender leaves to wither. In view of this, besides focusing on investigating the two factors of light and watering, we also need to pay attention to investigating other uncommon factors, until we find the crux of the problem, and then promptly adjust the care and management methods to remedy it.