Salt is harmful, even lethal, to many plants. Salt damage can come from wind-driven salt in the air and sometimes even the rain in coastal areas or from salty wells or pond water used for irrigation.
In a process called exosmosis, salt causes water to move out of the plants; the water-depleted leaf tissue turns brown and looks “burnt.” Direct contact with salt from ocean breezes or the overspray from salty well water on plants not tolerant of salt begins with burn spots throughout the leaf and progresses to complete leaf burn and eventual leaf drop.
