I am not familiar with the term lizard lips (note: don't look it up in urban dictionary! :o ), does that just means that parts of the leaf are drying out as you described? I can't imagine it's from overwatering. It does seem odd that it's happening on the side of a leaf.

Hi Katherine,

It is a funny name! I believe it's an aloe. Here's a link. It lists "Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae; Subfamily: Asphodeloideae; Genus: Aloe". ....

I suppose if its drying out, then it would be an underwaterting issue....

Tip ends sound like drying out. Side leaf sounds like sun damage. On the other hand how is the soil. If there is salt build up it could shrivel up anywhere.

katherine - that's funny - yes, lizard lips was not the condition ("my plant is getting lizard lips") - that would be a good name for a condition though!

aloebot - sun damage would make sense - they are near windows which get hot, and if there are touching the windows perhaps that's when the tips get damaged. though that still wouldn't explain the side leaf... not sure about salt in the soil - that's interesting - perhaps I could just repot as a precaution...

Tips browning is a sign of salt/chemical buildup - are you fertilizing it? Is there fertilizer in the soil? If no to both of these, what sort of water are you using on it?

Hi tmpowell - I use purified water (usually brita; sometimes "zero water"), and these two kinds of cactus "food" every now and then when I water (is this the same as "fertilizing"?):

Anyway, I suppose if there is salt or mineral build-up in the soil I should change it! I'm interested in any thoughts or advice, thanks!

Plant food = fertilizer, just a 'fancy' name...I don't know if they really need any fertilizer. I have few different aloes and do not fertilize them. There is occasional brown tip, quite seldom, and in my case it could be underwatering.

Depending on soil they are in, you could change it (if not as free draining as it should); or flush thoroughly every now and then if you fertilize to get rid of salts build-up. My plants get watered mostly when it rains and if I water, I use collected rain water.

I would add more mix in the pot, looks like plants are too deep inside. Sorry, that's my 'beef' - ppl often let plants sitting inside of pot rather than using proper amount of mix. IMO, lowest leaves should clear pot's rim, it allows for much better air circulation.

i'm glad to hear you're using distilled water! and yeah, fertilizer & plant food are the same thing :) succulents aren't heavy feeders, so i worry if you're using both? of these? regularly that your plants are getting overfed and thus they're simply unable to handle what they're receiving. i agree w/rina that filling the pot a bit more and flushing the soil when you do so will make a positive difference.

remember that if you're using a soil w/fertilizer in it (such as a miracle-gro), you're feeding your plants every time you water (and this can be too much for a succulent on its own). if that's the case, i'd suggest repotting with a non-fertilized, non-moisture-retaining soil.

Thanks Tatiana and Rina! I did as suggested and added some plant food. Tatiana - That's good to know about not overfeeding - I am using miracle-gro but I cut it with perlite, but will keep that possibility in mind. The next step will be to add more soil (and replace the soil). Rina - that's interesting about salt build up - Tatiana - you also mention chemical. I wonder what kinds of build up occur; despite that my water is purified I live in a hard-water region and perhaps not everything is filtered out when using brita...

Since the last post, both lizards are doing much better! In fact, they are both sprouting new flowers! Here's a photo (also note the cactus that is growing new arms!)

Thanks again!