When they don’t receive enough sunshine, succulents swell out. The succulent will first begin to turn and bend in the direction of the light source.
As it grows, the leaves will spread farther apart, making the plant taller.
The leaves are often smaller and paler in color than usual. The succulent will typically turn green or lose the strength of its original color when it is not exposed to sunshine.
This Echeveria ‘Lola’ is beginning to bend toward the light, and it isn’t quite as colorful as it was when I took the photo for the post about top dressings.
The majority of the time, this will occur when succulents are cultivated indoors, but it can also occur outside when succulents are exposed to too much shadow.
What’s up with my succulents growing up?
We adore cacti. They look very charming in any room of your house, are simple to care for, and are understanding to those of us who lack a green thumb. They can withstand extreme dryness and heat both indoors and out, making them adaptable. They work well both individually and together in a container garden. It would be difficult to find someone who doesn’t gush about how lovely and simple these tiny plants are to maintain indoors.
However, nobody warns you that your succulent might begin to alter shape. Here’s some information on why your succulent might be growing taller if you’ve seen it.
Why It’s Happening
Etiolation is the process through which a succulent begins to develop a longer stem and paler, less densely packed leaves. Etiolation is most frequently brought on by a plant not receiving enough sunlight, which results in a change in the plant’s development, shape, and color. Since indoor succulents are rarely exposed to direct sunlight for lengthy periods of time, this problem most frequently affects them, however it can affect any succulent.
How To Fix Succulent Stretching
There are strategies to control the growth of your lanky plant even when it is impossible to make it again compact. Start by attempting to add extra light to its regular routine. Your succulent won’t be able to grow much longer if you do this.
Pruning your plants is the best technique to try and “recorrect” the growth. Take a sharp pair of shears, and make a cut directly above a row of leaves. Depending on the kind of succulent you own, the precise place will vary. You should leave the plant with a sufficient number of strong leaves so that it can continue to photosynthesize and survive. By doing this, you may get rid of a lot of the undesired, leggy growth without damaging the current plant. In addition, you can use the clippings to produce a fresh, healthy plant. After trimming your succulent, you should allow the cut end to completely dry in a well-lit place so that a callus can develop over the exposed end. Usually, this takes two to three days. The clipping can then be placed straight in the ground to produce roots over time.
For these new clippings and the freshly cut succulent, you can apply what you’ve learned about etiolation and how to prevent it in order to avoid repeating the same growth pattern.
How should I respond if my succulent is sagging?
Unfortunately, you cannot undo this once your succulent has been stretched out. However, if you catch it in time, you can take action to stop it.
Give your succulent more light as soon as you see the first indications of stretching.
Choose the house’s brightest and sunniest window for your succulent. The stretched part of the plant won’t un-stretch, but new growth will once again grow more closely together.
The sole option is to cut your succulent down and propagate the cuttings if you wish to get rid of the etiolation, or stretched-out section.
Although trimming your succulent is a harsh approach, over time it will result in several new succulents for you!
Succulents can they climb?
One of the seven aloe species that are indigenous to southern Africa is the climbing aloes, formerly known as Aloe ser.
It is recommended to have this placed in a hanging container because it has several shrubs that can grow up to 12 feet long.
The climbing aloe has sharply pointed, dark green leaves. It also appears to have tiny, white fangs on its leaves.
On their stems, these teeth can also be seen swirling. It has tubular, drooping blooms. It has a slightly rosy-mauve or reddish-orange hue.
The climbing aloe prefers to grow in warm climates and in direct sunlight. It can withstand droughts very well.
Keep it away from children and pets as its leaves have the potential to be harmful to both people and animals. Have this hanging away from your immediate area.
Trailing Jade (Senecio Jacobsenii)
The succulent Senecio jacobsenii, also called the Vining and Weeping Jade Plant, has a maximum height of 4 feet.
It has up to three-foot-tall leaves that are green and meaty. Its leaves have an egg shape and are overlapping.
This plant seems to be purple in the winter. Its vivid orange blossoms bloom in the winter and the fall as well.
This indicates that you can plant it close to your windowsill or even in greenhouses where it will flourish.
Variegated Trailing Jade (Crassula Sarmentosa ‘Comet’)
It has a garden origin and is often confused with Senecio jacobsenii or the Trailing Jade plant.
The leaves and hues of the variegated trailing jade give it a highly distinctive appearance.
Light green leaves with yellowish edges are present on this plant. The ends of its leaves are pointy and have the appearance of spikes.
It has reddish stems that can reach a length of three feet. It blooms in the late fall with pink to white flowers.
String of Buttons (Crassula Perforata)
Native to South Africa, the string of buttons is a succulent that grows most common in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape.
It is a sprawling succulent shrub with a maximum height of 18 inches. Its leaves have tips that are reddish or copper in color and are light green in hue.
This plant’s leaves have the appearance of being stacked on top of one another and being mushy. It grows nicely in direct sunlight and does well with hanging containers. There is no requirement to water this plant every day because it is heat- and drought-tolerant.
When in bloom, its flowers are tiny and light yellow in color. Its tiny star-like flowers blossom in the spring. These flowers may appear white when they are completely bloomed.
The Hindu Rope (Hoya Compacta)
The Hindu Rope, often called Hoyas, is a draping succulent vine that makes waxy blooms and leaves.
Although its leaves are typically seen in a variety of sizes and hues, they are frequently described as curly. Additionally plump, these leaves are typically a dark green tint.
This plant produces pale pink blooms with a white corona and a crimson ring in the center.
The shapes and quantity of its blossoms make them difficult to miss. The flowers resemble round balls that have between 30 and 50 buds each. These blossoms often barely survive a week, though.
Hoyas enjoy the tropical climate, thus this indicates that the plant can withstand drought. This plant may be brought indoors and is also very simple to care for.
It’s advisable to avoid keeping this plant in wet soil for an extended period of time, much like with most succulents.
Ruby Necklace (Othonna Capensis)
The Ruby Necklace is a trailing succulent that is a member of the sunflower family and is indigenous to South Africa.
Its brilliantly colored stems include what appear to be purple or scarlet hues. Its beans occasionally have green, purple, or crimson hues.
It also produces yellow flowers in bloom. These blooms have spherical and extended petals that give them a daisy-like appearance.
Wax Plant (Hoya Carnosa)
Native to Eastern Asia and Australia, the Hoya carnosa is a vining succulent.
When in bloom, its pendulous convex clusters of star-shaped blooms are visible.
This Hoya, like the majority of them, gets its name from the waxy appearance of its leaves and blooms.
Peanut Cactus (Echinopsis Chamaecereus)
It doesn’t actually represent a threat when held because it just has soft spines.
Its blossoms are in bloom in the late spring. Typically 2 inches broad, its blossoms range in color from crimson to red-orange.
It is called a peanut cactus because of these lines, which mimic the shape of a peanut’s shell.
String of Hearts (Ceropegia Woodii)
An evergreen succulent with a Southern African native, the String of Hearts. The Ceropegia linearis subspecies woodii is another name for this.
Ceropegia woodii variegeta, a variegated variant of the string of hearts, with a leaf that is a mixture of pink and green.
It is a trailing vine that spreads out across about 13 feet and gets up to a height of 4 inches.
True to its name, when lit properly, its leaves have a deep green hue and a heart-shaped form.
Without much light exposure, it could turn pale green. Additionally, it produces flowers that are white with a tinge of pale pink.
Although this plant can only withstand dry soil, it is not particularly drought-tolerant. This implies that while you shouldn’t water it every day, you also shouldn’t let it go for an extended period of time without water.
How often the soil entirely dries out will determine how often to water this plant.
Donkey’s Tail (Sedum Morganianum)
An evergreen perennial succulent, the donkey’s tail is indigenous to southern Mexico and Honduras.
As they are related, it also resembles the Sedum burrito quite a little. The tail of the donkey, however, lengthens.
The small leaves of the Sedum morganianum appear to be plump or meaty. The tall stems of this plant appear to be wrapped or arranged with these leaves.
It also has tiny flowers that blossom at the tips of its stalks, making it a flowering plant. It’s incredibly difficult to encourage its flowering, but the advice is to move it outside.
This plant can flower when exposed to the light, as well as when left to rest in a chilly environment.
String of Pearls (Curio Herreanus)
This trailing succulent plant, sometimes known as the String of Beads or the rosary plant, can reach heights of three feet.
Round and fleshy leaves give it the appearance of a string of tiny oval-shaped beads.
Its leaves often have a green to light green hue. It is capable of producing tiny, white flowers.
String of Nickels (Dischidia Nummularia)
The creeping epiphyte known as “The String of Nickels” is frequently discovered on trees. Australia, India, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Vietnam are its home countries.
The leaves can only reach a maximum diameter of half an inch and also have a powdery feel.
String of Bananas (Senecio Radicans)
There are numerous names for the string of bananas, including Creeping Berry, String of Pearls, Banana Vine, Necklace Plant, String of Fishhooks, and Fishhook Senecio. It is indigenous to South Africa, Namibia, and Lesotho.
A succulent with a vining structure, Senecio radicans, can reach a length of three feet. Each of its stems is covered in a cascade of pointed, green leaves.
Its leaves have translucent sides and a meaty look. Because of their resemblance to small bananas, the leaves received their name.
Avoid letting it stay on moist soil for too long because it is susceptible to root rot when overwatered. In the summer, when its soil is more readily dried out, you should water it the most.
Calico Kitten (Crassula Pellucida)
South Africa is the home of the spreading succulent plant known as the calico kitten. It is a low-growing perennial plant with a 6-inch spread.
It has fleshy, heart-shaped leaves. Its leaves often have green centers and golden margins.
Some of these also have edges that are magenta or pink in color. It often blooms in late spring or early summer and produces white flowers as well.
The Calico Kitten needs a lot of sunlight to survive, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be overheated.
To prevent root rots, this succulent needs fast-draining soil, just as the majority of succulents. For this, it is recommended to opt for a potting mix that contains sand.
Lantern Flower (Ceropegia Haygarthii)
The semi-evergreen succulent known as the Lantern flower is indigenous to South Africa, Mozambique, and Angola.
It is a succulent with twining stems that can reach a length of 3 meters. It has thin, ovate-green leaves that range in thickness from 3 to 6 mm.
It’s interesting how this plant grows cage-like flowers that can capture little insects while they consume their nectar.
Its flowers are only 25 mm in diameter and 4 cm long. It generally looks white with pinkish or magenta dots.
Its flowers stand out due to their expanding funnel-shaped petals and short stems, which end in spiky corollas.
Rat Tail Cactus (Disocactus Flagelliformis)
A branching cactus that can reach a height of three feet is called a rat tail cactus. It resembles the peanut cactus but is larger and longer.
The fuzzy-looking needle groupings on this rat tail cactus are normally safe. If the container was hanging, it might function well.
The pink or scarlet flowers of the rat tail cactus have a curled appearance. Each blossom can reach a height of three inches and a diameter of one and a half inches.
Monkey’s Tail (Cleistocactus Winteri subsp. colademononis)
Cactus of the Monkey’s Tail species can reach heights of 8.2 feet. Its resemblance to a monkey’s tail as the main reason it gained its name.
It has hairy stems that are cylindrical in shape and soft, harmless spines that resemble hair.
It normally has light green stems that can reach a diameter of 3 inches.
Its blossoms are a vivid red color when they are in bloom. The flowers have a maximum length of 3 inches.
Due to both its size and appearance, the monkey’s tail is undoubtedly difficult to notice.
Little Missy (Sedum ‘Little Missy’)
The Little Missy is a South African native perennial succulent that is evergreen.
It is a mat-forming succulent with a two-inch maximum height. Because of its bushy appearance, it looks well in hanging containers.
Its leaves occasionally also have pink and light green flushes. Although it typically has small stems, it can spread out greatly in a container.
October Daphne (Hylotelephium Sieboldii)
The spreading succulent known as the October Daphne can reach heights of 4 inches and a width of 8 inches.
It comes from Japan and is perfect for low-water gardens. From its center crown, it develops horizontal branches.
The leaves of this plant exhibit a blue-green hue. These round, slightly meaty leaves have an oval form.
On the other hand, it appears flat at first. It blooms with lovely star-shaped bright pink flowers.
The spherical clusters of flowers that this plant produces make them difficult to miss.
Mezoo Trailing Red (Dorotheanthus Bellidiformis)
The Mezoo Trailing Red is a trailing succulent that is indigenous to the Cape regions of South Africa. It can reach heights of up to 8 inches and widths of up to 20 inches.
This is commonly found on hanging containers and window baskets and is known as the Mezoo.
Green Mezoo leaves have white borders. Its leaves have a look that is rather mushy and waxy.
It also goes by the name Heart Leaf Ice Plant since the leaves are heart-shaped. It’s also challenging to miss when it comes to its blossoms.
The pink or magenta blossoms of the Mezoo are the size of a dime. Typically, these flowers bloom in the spring, summer, and fall.
This plant can be brought indoors and is drought-tolerant. It normally has no adverse effects and does well with cactus combinations.