--- title: "I noticed this white crystal like substance on my plants leaves, what…" description: "I noticed this white crystal like substance on my plants leaves, what could it be?? It’s even on the surface of the desk the plants are sitting on. It’s sticky…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/Op43lRokRguqvOcyJrEkWw" community: "Pests, diseases and problems" author: "Dalin" published: "2024-06-04T18:45:52.689727Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/IDdyfw6LG96FQ-ZQeQ14g7HSSVqWVHJo0NxEkF6lB-U/T51lxrPXQx2PgPnIJrl2BA.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md) # I noticed this white crystal like substance on my plants leaves, what… _Posted by Dalin on 2024-06-04_ I noticed this white crystal like substance on my plants leaves, what could it be?? It’s even on the surface of the desk the plants are sitting on. It’s sticky too. Is it just minerals? Or some type of pest causing it ![Attachment 1 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/IDdyfw6LG96FQ-ZQeQ14g7HSSVqWVHJo0NxEkF6lB-U/T51lxrPXQx2PgPnIJrl2BA.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 2 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/IDdyfw6LG96FQ-ZQeQ14g7HSSVqWVHJo0NxEkF6lB-U/xDlU7SvKS2umtMP7BR5q4w.webp?size=large) ## 7 comments ### Adrian commented on 2024-06-04 Well for starters, what specific plants are you seeing this substance on? Some plants have a type of sap that can be crystal-like and that you do not want to touch, as it can feel like broken fiberglass on your skin, especially if they have begun producing flowers (some examples of plants that have this type of sap include aglaonema/Chinese evergreen, snake plant/dracenae, peace lily, Pothos, and philodendron.) #### Adrian replied on 2024-06-04 If I’m right and the plant looks perfectly healthy (even more likely if it recently produced flowers or new leaves), it could just be the sap from your plant. Highly suggest researching the sap if I’m correct that the plants you’re asking about contain it, as you really don’t want to risk it touching and irritating your skin, and definitely want to keep it out of reach of any pets that might eat it, as it is toxic to pets. Always wear gloves when handling it if your plant does have this sap, wear long sleeves, and don’t use the same tools for these types of plants with plants that don’t have this type of sap to avoid possible contamination to a safe plant that you would be touching without gloves, such as shears, shovels/spades, and gloves. And if it does touch your skin, look up how to properly treat it if it starts to hurt or make your skin tingle in feeling, and even if you don’t have a reaction, wash your hands thoroughly with lots of soap and warm water. Hope this helps if I’m right about the sap. Not trying to scare you. Consider it a natural form of self defense for the plant. They’re not naturally built to be houseplants, or naturally non-toxic to us. Some plants, like animals, have measures to deter other species from trying to eat it. It’s just something to be mindful of with your plants if they do contain that sap. A good way to check is to see if the Planta app says your plant is toxic or non-toxic. If it has the toxic marker, Google what makes it toxic. If the plants you’re seeing this with are non-toxic and don’t contain this sap, then you might have a problem. #### Dalin replied on 2024-06-04 Thank you for the info. The main concern is the spider plant, the sap makes sense for the pothos, and that explains the white stuff on the pothos. But the spider plant has never had this before, and per Google it’s not toxic. #### Adrian replied on 2024-06-04 Does it look like it’s the same substance on both plants? Or in the same area? Best case scenario, it’s just cross contamination of the sap between the two somehow, perhaps from a shared tool, or just transfer from your hands. The other possibility is not so great, and perhaps a pest. If both plants are looking healthy, and can have their leaves wiped, try wiping the leaves with cleaning gloves (not the same for both plants, again, cause of the sap from the Pothos) or a slightly wet paper towel. If it is a small pest, chopped garlic in places in a spray bottle, neem oil, or rubbing alcohol are safe to wipe onto the leaves to kill any pests. Then dry the leaves again with a paper towel to make sure the leaves don’t stay wet for too long. If the substance comes back within the week, definitely take new photos and check the soil or roots. It’s also always good to check the undersides of leaves when looking for a possible pest issue #### Adrian replied on 2024-06-04 The other possibilities that aren’t pest related (and better news, if not pest related), are powdery mildew (which can be treated with neem oil on some microfiber leaf cleaning gloves or a paper towel, or excess salts coming from your plant, which can happen if you bottom water your plant or use tap water. ### bowlwater commented on 2024-06-04 i don’t personally know what it could be, but are your plants experiencing any sickness symptoms? ### Sunny commented on 2024-06-04 The plants look fine except for the drying edges of the spider plant leaves. The spots could be residue from liquid fertilizer or hard water deposits drying on the leaves. Pest residue can be sticky. Check for pests on the soil and on the leaves. Clean with diluted vinegar to remove sap and water marks. 🍀🪴 --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). 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