Guttation: which plants drip water drops, and which don't

Updated on 19 September 2026Published on 1 August 2023

Those beads lined up along a leaf’s sawtooth edge at dawn are not dew but sap the plant has pushed out itself — guttation. Knowing which plants do it, from lawn grass and tomatoes to Monstera and orchids, tells you plenty about their health; the shorter the plant and the damper the air, the more drops you will find.

Get to know which of your favorite plants might show signs of guttation, and what it means for their health.

→ Shown here: on Alchemilla mollis

Here is a partial list of plants that have been shown to guttate. Have you observed guttation on any of your own plants? What are the crying plants you’ve encountered?

Common guttating plants

Plants that tend to guttate — Guttation rarely occurs higher than a metre above ground

Many very common plants tend to guttate when conditions are right. They all share their short height in common: guttation rarely occurs higher than 3 feet (1 meter) above ground. Only a few tree species that love wet soils are very prone to guttating.

Plants with sawtooth-like leaf edges (serrated leaves) are usually good guttators.

Grasses:

Grassy plants guttate — A lawn wet at dawn is usually guttation, not dew

almost all types of grasses, from the Pennisetum family to the banana tree, including fescue and bamboo. More often then not, when your lawn is wet in the morning, it’s not dew but guttation.

Food crops and vegetables:

Strawberry guttation and other fruit — Many vegetables and fruits show drops early in the morning

Lots of vegetables show signs of guttation early in the morning:

Tomato, rye, potato, wheat, barley, okra, gabi (or taro), squash, cabbage, maize, red beet, , cucumber, strawberry, peppers, …

Orchard Fruits:

Orchard trees that guttate — Fruit trees mostly guttate while still short and young

Some trees guttate, but they mostly only do so while short and young, with the exception of grapevine (guttation even when old).

olive tree…

Ornamental shrubs:

Ivy, Hydrangea, Hibiscus, rose trees…

Flowers:

Lady’s mantle, Heuchera, Helianthus, Impatiens, Sunpatiens, dead-nettle, wallflower …

Houseplants:

Most types of succulents (Echeveria, Jade tree, Senecio, Kalanchoe…) and a great many houseplants such as Monstera, Dieffenbachia, Ficus, Philodendron, Spathiphyllum, the ZZ plant… Even members of the Dracaena family do it.

Orchids also guttate but the hydathode cells are on the leaf surface, not around the edges.

In tropical regions, a lot of guttation occurs. This is because air moisture is often very high, which makes transpiration difficult. In a jungle, it’s quite common for it to be “raining” from the canopy even though not a cloud is in sight.
In mangroves, guttation is how the trees return excess salt to the sea.

On a different scale, other organisms that aren’t really plants also exhibit guttation: algae and fungi.

Which plants guttate, and which do not

The article lists guttators group by group, along with the plants that stay dry. Here they are side by side, with the examples given and the way guttation shows on each.

Which plants guttate, and which do not
Plant group	Examples named	How guttation shows
Grasses	Pennisetum, fescue, bamboo, banana tree	A lawn wet at dawn is usually guttation rather than dew
Food crops and vegetables	Tomato, potato, wheat, barley, squash, cabbage, strawberry, peppers	Drops appear early in the morning
Orchard fruits	Olive tree, grapevine	Mostly only while short and young; grapevine guttates even when old
Houseplants and succulents	Monstera, Dieffenbachia, Ficus, Philodendron, Echeveria, ZZ plant, orchids	Orchids release drops from the leaf surface, not around the edges
Citrus family	Lemon, orange and relatives	No guttation, which makes them more vulnerable to edema
Tall trees and conifers	Temperate forest trees, conifers	Little or no guttation in cooler, drier regions

As a rule of thumb, the shorter the plant and the damper the air, the more likely you are to find drops at dawn.

Plants that don’t guttate

Conifers don't guttate — Conifers and tall temperate trees hardly guttate at all

Most plants of the citrus family don’t guttate – this makes them more vulnerable to edema.

Taller trees, especially in temperate regions which are cooler and drier than the tropics, don’t guttate much.

Conifers also don’t guttate.

On citrus, edema begins as small water-filled blisters on leaf undersides that harden into permanent corky tan bumps, though similar bumps can signal scab, canker or mite damage, so confirm the cause.
Grow potted citrus in a gritty, free-draining mix and empty the saucer after watering, because waterlogged soil starves the roots of oxygen and invites rot, which transpiration through the leaves cannot prevent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell guttation from dew?

Dew condenses from the air onto any cool surface, whereas guttation is water the plant itself pushes out. On a lawn, the morning wetness is more often than not guttation rather than dew. Look also at where the drops sit: on most guttators they line up along the leaf edges, which is why plants with sawtooth-like, serrated leaves are usually good guttators.

Why is my houseplant dripping water from its leaves?

A great many houseplants guttate indoors, among them Monstera, Dieffenbachia, Ficus, Philodendron, Spathiphyllum and the ZZ plant, as well as most succulents such as Echeveria, jade tree and Kalanchoe. The drops come out of hydathode cells, usually around the leaf margin. Orchids guttate too, but their hydathodes sit on the leaf surface rather than around the edges.

Which plants never seem to show drops?

Most plants of the citrus family don’t guttate, and that makes them more vulnerable to edema. Conifers don’t guttate either. Taller trees in general, especially in temperate regions that are cooler and drier than the tropics, guttate very little, since guttation rarely occurs higher than 3 feet (1 meter) above ground.

Why is guttation so common in tropical gardens and jungles?

In tropical regions a lot of guttation occurs because the air moisture is often very high, which makes transpiration difficult; the plant sheds its excess water as drops instead. In a jungle it is quite common for it to be “raining” from the canopy even though not a cloud is in sight. Mangroves take it further still, using guttation to return excess salt to the sea.

Images: Pixabay: amar42, Jürgen, kie-ker, Myriam Zilles, Ulrike Leone, AP

Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.

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