Have you ever seen a drooping elephant ear plant? They are often called that because the leaves of the plants hang down from their stems. The sad drooping leaves can make the plant appear unhappy or unhealthy.

In fact, elephant ear plants usually have large leaves that stand tall, so what’s going on? In this blog post, we will talk about why your elephant ear plant may seem to be drooping and what you can do to help it!

Why Is My Elephant Ear Plant Drooping?

The most likely reason why your elephant ear plant is drooping is that it hasn’t received enough water. No matter what type of elephant ear plant you have, it will droop if the roots aren’t able to get enough water.

Another typical cause of the elephant ear plant drooping is a lack of light. To flourish and grow, this plant requires well-lit, indirect sunshine. If they don’t get enough sunshine, the leaves will droop and appear glum.

How to Stop Elephant Ear Plant Drooping?

You need to take action by making sure the soil is moist and the plant is getting enough sunlight. This will revive the leaves and get them standing upright again.

1) More water

The first step is to water the elephant ear plant more often. The soil should be moist but never soggy or too dry. If it isn’t receiving enough water, the leaves will droop and then eventually wilt over time.

A great way to tell if your plant needs a little extra drink is by sticking your finger in the soil. If it is dry, then you need to water! Alternatively, a moisture meter is an excellent way to tell if your soil requires water.

Elephant ear plants that are suffering from a lack of water should be treated immediately. This means fully saturating the soil with water until it starts to overflow from the plant pot.

I like to do this in the bathtub, where I can really soak the plant and allow the water to fully drain out. I do this for about 30 minutes and then allow the plant pot to sit in the bathtub overnight so that it can properly absorb all of that moisture.

2) More sunlight

The second potential cause of elephant ear drooping is that the plant isn’t receiving enough light. This is often the case with plants that are indoors and aren’t getting any natural sunlight.

In order to get better results, place the plant in an area that receives bright light from the sun for most of the day. If you don’t have a spot like this indoors, then consider moving your elephant ear outdoors during warmer months when it is warm enough for them to thrive outside.

Alternatively, you can use grow lights (Amazon link to my favorite) to illuminate your elephant ear plant. These lights are a great way to make sure the leaves receive enough light even if they can’t get it from natural sunlight.

I use them on my house plants during the winter months when the sun rarely makes an appearance in London. They give my plants the light they need and keep them healthy.

Droopy Elephant Ear Plant FAQs

You’re undoubtedly wondering a lot of things about the leaves of this plant. If that’s the case, I’ll go ahead and answer some of the most frequently asked questions I get asked.

How do I get my elephant ears to stand up?

Use a stake pole to prop up elephant ear plant leaves that are drooping. This involves placing a stake next to the plant and tying it up with string. It will keep those leaves from hanging down once they’ve been upright for a few days.

This may appear strange at first, but this is a technique that has been used for many, many years. You can actually buy these stakes at your local gardening store or online.

Should I prune droopy elephant ear leaves?

Prune any leaves that are already dead as these can lead to further problems with the plant. If they are drooping, you can trim those leaves off as well if it makes them look better and more aesthetically pleasing in your home or garden.

Will droopy elephant ear plant leaves kill my plant?

No, it won’t direct kill your plant. However, it’s important to find out what is causing the leaves to droop so that you can treat your plant appropriately. Lack of water can be fatal for your plant if the leaves become too wilted.

Do I need to re-pot a drooping elephant ear plant?

No, you shouldn’t need to re-pot a drooping elephant ear plant. In fact, this can cause more stress and worsen the issue. I only re-pot my plants when I suspect root rot or if the plant has grown too big for the current pot.

Will my droopy elephant ear plant recover?

Yes, your droopy elephant ear plant will recover as long as you take appropriate steps to revive it. You just need to water and provide more sunlight for the leaves to stand upright again. The tips in this guide are likely to help you fix the problem quickly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are a few things that can cause an elephant ear plant to become droopy. The two most common reasons for this are because the leaves aren’t receiving enough water or sunlight and you need to take action by either increasing how much it’s watered or providing more light.

Hopefully, reading about why your elephant ear plant is drooping was helpful! If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave me a message