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.
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