Succulents are easy to take care of. They help clear dangerous chemicals present in the air and increase humidity.
You are probably wondering why we are telling you this, right?
Did you know succulents help relieve itchy and dry skin with their humidity? They also prevent the common cold, dry cough, and sore throats.
Now you tell me who wouldn’t want a plant like this in their home!
Before you run to a green store and buy yourself a succulent, we suggest you read all there is to know about these plants.
First things first, succulents don’t ask for much care. They just need a little water and sunshine to maintain their green state.
You might make a few mistakes but as long as you keep up with its minimal care, your succulent will thrive in your home
Succulents are naturally green with colorful flowers.
However, they do turn shades of pink, orange, red, and purple depending on certain circumstances and their environments.
A few succulents that change color include Moonstones Pachyphytum, Crassula Red Pagoda Shark Tooth, Red Carpet Sedum, Sedum Spathulifolium, Echeveria Agavoides Lipstick, and Aeonium Mardi Gras Rosettes.
If you have one of these succulents and its color has turned to a light shade of pink, keep reading to find out the cause and how to fix your plant:
Table of Contents
Even Plants Take Stress
Stress; it’s just a small word. However, its side effects are extremely harmful to the human body.
It suppresses the immune system, upsets the reproductive and digestive systems, speeds up aging, and increases the risk of stroke and heart attack.
In severe, it rewires the brain, exposing you to depression, anxiety, and mental health problems.
If stress can wreak so much havoc on the human body, think about the plants.
They are living beings too! Some would say that succulents grow more beautiful in harsh conditions. Since most succulents are well-adjusted to arid and dry areas, they are quite resilient.
It takes a lot to stress out a succulent to the point that it withers up and dies.
The habitat of succulents is unforgiving to other plants. So, in extreme environments, succulents go through a change, which can either be positive or negative.
If your succulent turns pink, you need to figure out if this is caused by good stress or bad stress.
The former points to your succulent adjusting to the environment, whereas the latter means it is struggling due to some reason.
Keep in mind that once you figure out the pink color is brought on by lack of care, you will need to act fast to nurse your succulent back to health.
Bad Stress vs. Good Stress – Succulent in Trouble
A stressed plant, which is healthy, will uphold its original shape. The feature that will change in its phytotomy is the color.
On the other hand, a pink succulent under bad stress will appear disfigured, distorted, and unwell.
The leaves will have spots on them, the plant will look slightly tilted, and it won’t have any life in it.
The best way to determine whether your succulent is in trouble or not is to find out more about its species.
For example, some succulents get red tips when they are exposed to extreme heat or direct sunlight.
These red tips indicate that the succulent is coping with the environment by producing carotenoids, which is a red pigment.
The carotenoids protect the foliage from sunburn, and this is called good stress. In this case, the succulent does not get damaged. In fact, it adds to its beauty.
In some cases, the reddish tint might point to an infestation of spider mites on the stem and leaves. You can know this by inspecting the leaves, which will appear misshapen; this is called bad stress.
In this case, the succulent is in danger, and you need to act fast to remove the infestation and clean the plant.
If the infestation is not dealt with, not only will your succulent die but also spread the infestation to other plants.
Pink is not the only color a succulent changes to. In very dry conditions, it changes to yellow-orange. Again, this change comes under good stress.
The succulent is simply trying to adjust to the environment. It won’t go under any cellular change, meaning you don’t need to take action.
The yellow color might also be a result of overwatering. The constantly wet soil not only changes the color of the succulent but also causes root rot.
This change comes under bad stress. If the soil is not dried immediately, your succulent will turn squishy.
Simply remove the plant from the pot, lay it down on a paper towel, make a few additions in the soil, and then repot the succulent.
When the succulent is under good stress, you won’t see any negative signs that might indicate the plant is in trouble.
Some succulents such as the Aeonium arboreum “Zwartkop,” called the Black Rose and Echeveria, called the Black Prince to change their color to a dark shade of purple under good stress.
These succulents are rare and, therefore, must be given extra care. Pamper these plants with regular watering and provide shaded sunlight and top-quality fertilizer.
Otherwise, their beautiful pigmentation will change to green.
If the succulent in your home or the garden turns black, starting from the bottom and the leaves fall off, you should be concerned.
This is bad stress at work and can cause root rot to travel up the stem. Slowly, the leaves will turn back too. If the stress goes too far, you won’t be able to save the plant.
It isn’t too hard to figure out whether your succulent is under good stress or bad stress.
If you see something out of the ordinary, apart from the change in color and it’s causing your plant harm you need to get to the root of the problem.
Succulent Care Tips
- Give Your Succulent Enough Sunlight
If your succulents stay indoors, they might not get as much sunlight as they need. So, give them a hit of direct sunlight for 5 to 6 hours and then place them under the shade.
- Rotate Your Succulents
Succulents can get sunburnt if they are exposed to different temperatures in a short time. So, make sure you introduce your succulent to hot and cold weather gradually.
- Do Not Overwater Your Succulent
The best way to make sure you don’t overwater or underwater your succulent is to water it according to the season. In summer, water your plant once a week, and in winter, once a month.
- Water the Soil
Some people water the leaves instead of the soil, which can attract insects. By watering the soil, you allow the roots to absorb the nutrients in the potting mix and deliver it to the leaves.
- Keep Succulents Clean
You can clean succulents by simply wiping them with a cloth. Removing dust will not only keep them healthy but also boost the growth of leaves.
- Choose a Pot with Drainage
One of the most common causes of root rot and dying succulent leaves is poor drainage. Inspect the bottom of the pot to make sure it has the right sized holes for excess water to drain easily but not big enough that the soil dries out.
- Use the Right Potting Mix
The potting mix for succulents should include crushed granite, perlite, calcined clay, pumice, and chicken grit. These ingredients not only improve aeration but also compaction in green fields.
- Get Rid of Rodents and Bugs
There are plenty of DIY remedies that help you kill insects and keep rodents away from your succulents.
One of the most popular ones includes mixing 25% water and 75% rubbing alcohol in a bottle and spraying the plant with it.
The smell will not only keep the pests away but also kill any existing infestation.
Giving Succulents Sunlight
Now that we know the top reasons behind your succulent turning pink, what do you plan to do?
Here’s our advice:
Just because succulents can hold up well in dry environments, doesn’t mean you don’t water them. Succulents store water in their leave, which gives them a plump look.
If you don’t follow the watering schedule mentioned earlier, the leaves will shrivel up and die.
To find out if your succulent needs watering, do the Finger Soil Test.
Insert your finger up to your second knuckle into the soil. If it comes out clean, you need to water your succulents.
Next up is sunlight, which is as vital as water. If you just bought your succulent and it is in the sprouting stage, it needs to be under direct sunlight for a maximum of 2 hours.
If your succulent has grown to 6 inches or more, it needs to be out in the open for at least 6 hours.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, your succulent turned pink because either it wasn’t getting enough sunlight and water, or it reacted to the environment.
The former change in color is caused by bad stress and the latter by good stress.
To recap, the three most important things you need to add to your Succulent Care schedule are watering it in summer once a week and once a month in winter, giving it adequate amount of sunlight and making sure the pot has the right sized drainage holes for the roots to breathe.
