Why do Succulents Change Color?

If you have been growing succulents for quite some time, you must have experienced these plants changing colors. Yes, Succulents change color and while it looks astonishing to watch them turn red or pink or any other shade, we often wonder about the reasons for them to act differently or unusual.

Well, while this is something completely normal, it is always better to get all the details you can about succulents to offer these beautiful plants the proper care they need. Therefore, without much further ado, let’s find out the reasons. Shall we?

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Succulents Change Color – Know Why?

Did you know that plants also go through stress? In this case, succulents when exposed to stress, start changing color to adjust to their ‘new normal. Don’t panic already. Stress is not as bad as it sounds. On the contrary, this phenomenon is typical in succulents. People often encourage the conditions that enable the color changes in succulents to bring their beauty to the peak.

And, you can do that too. Here are some of the major conditions that boost the change of color in succulents.

Water

Do you consider yourself too disciplined when it comes to water your plants? If yes, you must be watering your succulents perfectly. If that is the case, you may not watch your plants turning pink or green, or red. Instead, with perfect watering, succulents revert to a plain green shade.

Honestly, you can do a lot more than that. To get the vibrant color, you should experiment a little with your watering routine. If watering twice a week results in green leaves, try slowing down the watering frequency. Start with once a week. Putting a little stress caused by less water would actually cause your succulents to change colors.

So, how about leaving the soil a little drier than usual? Your plants may start showing all the color they have been hiding under the perfect watering conditions. Trust this, the experience is really worth it.

Temperature

Undoubtedly, temperature has a huge role in providing nutrition to plants. Some plants grow in extreme climates, and others like it to be moderate. When it comes to succulents, temperature could play the right trick to bring their colors to notice.

For instance, the pink ones that grow in the dead of the Winter in Southern California look mesmerizing. In temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the southern California plants are in their most beautiful avatar. And, this color shift is due to “stress.”

On the other hand, during the Spring season, when the weather starts becoming a little warmer, these colors aren’t as intense as in the cold climate. Likewise, when it's Summer, the foliage goes back to even less intense shades.

Another example is the beautiful Euphorbia Sticks on Fire. You will find this lovely plant, all tall and branchy, in usually green with yellow mix when put in a cold shade. When exposed to enough temperature, these succulents turn into deep red color. 

Sunlight

Like every other plant, succulents also need sunlight. In most cases, it's necessary to let your plants soak the early morning sun along with the afternoon shade to bloom to their best shape. In the case of succulents, the amount of sunlight can actually let them change color and look even more vibrant.

When placing your plants in a shade, these would resort to their usual lush green color. When you order succulents online, you receive the plants inside a dark box where they have been stored for a few days before reaching to you. Hence, when you open the box, you get all green plants.

However, with a little sunlight, succulents can impress you even more. Just remember, do not put them in too much hash condition as they may lose their color. For letting succulents reach their vibrant color at par, increase the amount of sunlight they receive in the morning. Putting them out in the sun during the afternoon for too long might ruin the beauty of your succulent.

Plotting Soil

All the succulent lovers very well know the importance of potting soil. When plotted in the right mixture of the fertilizer and soil, succulents stay green. There won’t be much to see in terms of color changes.

However, on the other hand, when planted in poor soil with no proper fertilization done on a regular basis, these plants go through stress. And, as you may expect, stress leads to color change in succulents.

Precisely put, plants exposed to infertile soil or soil that isn’t able to offer proper nutrients, these succulents will surely show you their true colors. And, it’s really an amazing sight to behold.

Is Stress Bad for Succulents?

A little understanding about the natural habitat of these succulents will help you with that question: Is stress bad for succulents?

The majority of these succulents are from arid and dry areas, mostly hailing from desert conditions. And then, there are those succulents that come from mountainous regions, sea coasts, and rainforests.

In other words, Succulents need conditions to grow which is usually unsuitable for other plants. Coming from too harsh conditions, succulents are very much adaptable to grow and even flourish in extreme environmental. Therefore, when under stress, succulents react to these conditions by changing color. Mote-like, mimicking their habitat and surrounding.

That does make why succulents become even more beautiful when under stress.

The Conclusion

If you are growing succulents at home, do not forget to let them experience a little stress for achieving their beauty in the most admiring way. Try watering them less or offering them sunlight more than usual, and you can see the results in some time.

Easily adaptable, these plants do not mind you being a little careless when offering the attention, you are used to providing. On the contrary, they would love a little stress and bloom even bigger and better when left on their own, once in a while.