When your hibiscus plant goes under any kind of stress, it may respond by curling its leaves. The leaf curling is a symptom that your plant is going through stress.
In this article, you will get the answer to your question, "Why are my hibiscus leaves curling?"
Several factors can stress a hibiscus plant, and some of these stresses can cause its leaves to curl. Yes, there are some other reasons behind leaf curl.
But how can you tell which specific issue is causing your hibiscus leaves to curl?
By observing the curling pattern along with other symptoms, you can find the most likely cause and take the right steps to treat your Hibiscus leaf curling issue properly.
This article includes hibiscus leaf pictures taken from my home garden.
I have been growing hibiscus for a long time, and last year, I noticed curly leaves on my hibiscus plant. I took some of the pictures so I can show them to you in my article.
Those who don't have enough time to read this complete article can have a quick look at this table. By looking at this table, you can easily identify the most likely causes.
Quick Diagnosis Chart to identify the leaf curl issue of hibiscus
| Symptom | Most Likely Cause |
|---|---|
| New leaves curled and distorted | Aphids |
| Leaves curling upward during hot afternoons | Heat stress |
| Leaves curling with yellowing | Overwatering |
| Sticky leaves and curling | Whiteflies or aphids |
| Curling after repotting | Transplant shock |
| Curling with fine webbing | Spider mites |
| Random curling on older leaves | Underwatering |
| Twisted growth and deformed leaves | Herbicide damage |
Note: If you are growing a hibiscus variety not suitable for your climate, the chances of leaf curling increase.
Do not completely rely on this chart. This is the common diagnosis, but I have seen exceptions several times.
I have seen aphids infested by hibiscus completely, but not a single leaf curl.
Why are my hibiscus leaves curling?
I will only talk about the major reasons along with my personal experiences.
Let's understand with pictures.
Leaf curling due to excessive nitrogen in the soil
The plant you are looking at is healthy with dark green leaves, but the newer leaves are curling.
Ignore older leaves; they turn yellow naturally. I have explained that here: Yellow leaves on hibiscus
I mistakenly gave my hibiscus nitrogen fertilizer twice, and within 10 days, I started noticing deformed/curled leaves.
Do not give nitrogen in the blooming season or bud development phase. It may decrease the bloom production as well.
I have created a dedicated guide on Why my hibiscus is not blooming?
You need to understand which nutrients your plant needs. Nitrogen is good for plants, and it can make the leaves dark green, but too much nitrogen can do more harm than good.
So, the final conclusion here is: If you see curly leaves on your hibiscus, but all the leaves are green, and there is no sign of aphids, mealybugs, thrips, spider mites, or any other pests, you need to look into what you are applying to the soil.
What to do to treat this?
Stop using any chemical fertilizer for at least a month. (Especially the fertilizer that contains high nitrogen, like fish emulsion)
Hibiscus leaves are curling due to heat
Hibiscus loves direct sunlight, and they produce better blooms when it gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.
But as I said earlier, nothing is good for a plant when it is supplied in more than the required amount.
When the heat is extremely high, the plant struggles and ends up with something like this:
Why am I saying this is due to the heat? Just look at the picture above.
The leaves are curling upwards. By doing this, it saves water for itself. It actually reduces water loss by doing this.
You can also notice wrinkles on the leaves.
What can you do to treat this?
If possible, use a shade cloth temporarily when the sun is above your head.
If your hibiscus is large and you can not put a shade cloth, water more to reduce the water loss stress.
To understand how to use shade cloths and when to use them, check this: What Percentage of Shade Cloth Do Plants Need?
Curly leaves on hibiscus due to pest damage
When a pest damages your hibiscus leaf, the leaf becomes curled, twisted, puckered, or distorted.
Mealybugs or other sap-sucking pests attack the leaves, and due to this, the leaves curl. The damaged part may turn brown and dry later on.
Whenever I see this, I check the underside of the leaves, and most of the time, I find either thrips or mealybugs.
You can check this guide: Mealybugs on hibiscus - Treatment
There might be multiple reasons at the same time behind the leaf curl issue.
Even overwatering can cause leaf curl, and it is easy to identify.
You may notice the edges of the leaves turning yellow along with the leaf stems. This is the most dangerous issue. Overwatering may damage the roots and kill the plants.
Make sure the soil water drainage is good. Do not let the roots rot.
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